How impactful is an MPH for me at this point?
I’m a US-based 30 year old with 2 bachelors degrees and 7 years of professional experience, 3 years in hands-on patient care and 4 years in project/product management in surgical device development. I currently make $100k in salary and am in a position where I’m looking to break into more senior roles. My company is in the process of drafting a contract for me to transfer to our European headquarters, which is very exciting, but there are a lot of things that I am dissatisfied with when it comes to my company and I have been applying for other healthcare related positions in Europe with no luck. Without a Masters degree, it seems like it will be challenging to get another company to sponsor my visa despite my strong experience in clinical investigation roles.
My long term focus is on roles where I can work as a clinical implementation and policy advocate, either in the private sector for med tech companies or in a public service facing role such as coordination and implementation of medical treatment plans for underserved communities.
I am generally of the mindset that a Masters is not necessary for people who have established career experience, but most of these upper level positions that I am applying for emphasize that they prefer candidates with advanced degrees.
My first question is how much of a boost to my resume it would be to get a Masters in Public Health, and how much more valuable it could be than my existing degrees and work experience alone?
My second question is this — if I do decide to get an MPH (online curriculum so I can continue to work) does it make a difference to get it through a program like Western Governor’s vs. a more reputable school like Hopkins or Brown? I’m having a hard time rationalizing $100k for an advanced degree when I can check the box for a lot less money.
I’d love to hear your experiences related to getting a Masters as a working professional and how, if at all, it impacted your career trajectory. Thanks!