NancyJade

LOL? I am confuzzled, what do you mean that guy? hahaha

BrandonIS

There's always those guys that hop on a girl that's on a car forum and seeing as how you're actually one of the more intelligent ones, I felt the need to be the first to confess my internet love for you Lol.

NancyJade

Hahaha you're hilarious. I could be a guy!

BrandonIS

This is true! I actually saw some show on MTV today where this dude was having an Internet relationship with some girl that claimed to be young and hot and he randomly showed up at her house that was halfway across the country and she was old and ugly. He was even sexting her Hahaha.

NancyJade

LOL poor guy. I believe we might be spamming everyone......so....I'll let this thread go back to serving it's purpose.

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

Sorry for the threadjack - Highest chances of earning even close to 100K when you graduate is to obtain certifications and focus in a programming language (whether C++, Java, etc.), while also recruiting heavily while you graduate. Are you planning to transfer to a better school? Otherwise, it's going to be extremely difficult to recruit at bigger firms while at a non-target school.

NancyJade

I think what the user means is to "be recruited" by a company, not that you are doing the recruiting. The mentioned programming languages are all pretty easy, it really depends on what kind of job you get, because each job has a different specification, but you are required (and taught) all languages when you're in school. That said, I do agree that a transfer to a higher institution is a necessity as most CCs do not offer a Bachelor's.

No worries though love. You're not going to make 100K right out of school, but with a good education and dedication, as well as a number of years working for the company, you'll get there.

Programming competitions are great places to make a name for yourself and be recognized by companies. Also, having a resume with projects you have done prepared your junior/senior year for the job fairs is a must. Companies are always looking for young blood, especially in the Computer Programming field.

Best of luck.

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

Did I miss something? Did Snow respond?

The mentioned programming languages are all pretty easy? I suppose learning RubyonRails is easy for you as well? Although for clarification, no decent academic program can, or will, teach you ALL programming languages (perhaps the most fundamental and basic courses). In order to reach a level that is fundamentally useful in the field, whether through research, innovative builds and concepts, it requires a specialization within a programming language (and depending on how deep the you wish to study; at most 2 - 3). No going around it, in order to make as high as Snow wants straight out of college, he/she is going to have to spend more than 1 - 2 years studying a language and all its functions and capabilities, and then apply it to business needs/systems.

Sample projects, internships, and CERTIFICATIONS are a massive need to success and surpass the $50 - 60K mark out of school. This includes Microsoft certifications, etc - especially for Business Technology consulting, and other programming jobs where you are actually contributing to a product. IT infrastructure and maintenance is a whole different world - that is primarily based on experience.

NancyJade

I was simply encouraging Snow to do what he or she wants to do, especially someone who seems to have such great perseverance in the face of many obstacles. It can be quite daunting to have boundaries of things that are "impossible" set up before someone even test those limits on their own. Improbable maybe, but not impossible.

C++ and Java...are basic languages to me. When I learned them, I didn't find them any much harder than Python (which is basically normal English). If someone is going into Programming and has to become familiar with different programming languages, then yes I would say those are the easiest ones. I was able to learn them without having to do it through a class.

Everyone is different. And everyone is special because they are different.

Uda880

iTrader: (7)

To be honest, I was trying to give some usable advice since Snow is facing such obstacles and seems to be very ambitious.

But you, you come across as pompous and very full of yourself. I'm sure they were very easy for you, since you seem like such a genius coming from UC Davis and now doing your MAPH at John Hopkins and PhD at Stanford

Regardless - if Snow wants real advice, I'm sure he'll approach people in the industry for it.

NancyJade

I'm actually an analysis programmer and I know quite a good number of people in the industry. And I would like to think I'm not pompous or full of myself. If stating facts about myself and honestly expressing my feelings on a matter is too arrogant for you, then I apologize for my infringement on your tolerance limit.

I'm going to leave it at that because I don't think this thread is meant for such a discussion.

Good luck Snow. Just do your best

dmvp29

I'm confused - how are you simultaneously pursuing an MPH from Johns Hopkins and a PhD from Stanford?

And why?

An MPH and a PhD (even in a biological science) couldn't be further from each other in terms of relatedness and job utility.

So you're a recent graduate from UC Davis...and you're an "analysis programmer" (whatever that means) who's well-connected with other programmers "in the industry"...and you're an MPH candidate from Johns Hopkins...and you're a PhD candidate from Stanford.


Yeah, ok...

NancyJade

You don't know me so I don't expect you to believe me, and hence doesn't really matter. But people IRL know that everything I said is true.

Sometimes you need to just accept that people can do whatever they set their minds to. No need to be narrow-minded.

If it really bothers you that much you can go ahead and confront me in person about it and I can prove that everything I said are facts, no more no less.

dmvp29

MPH degrees are for three types of people:
1) M.D.s (post medical school and residency) who want to focus more on public health
2) Undergraduate pre-med students who were either rejected from medical school or simply want to strengthen their application for the next cycle
3) People legitimately interested in working in public health/epidemiology.

You sound like #2 (or #3).

You've put together such a ridiculous, hodgepodge list of credentials (recently graduated from UC Davis (undergraduate), programmer with industry experience and connections, simultaneous MPH and PhDs at schools from opposite coasts) that it shouldn't come as a surprise that nobody believes you.

You mentioned in another post that you've just moved back from Davis (presumably from finishing your undergrad). At minimum - you're no PhD "candidate." You haven't even taken a PhD qualifying exam yet, and anyone actually admitted to Stanford's PhD program in cell biology would be sensitive to that distinction.

NancyJade

Since you are so set on disproving me let me explain to you what exactly I'm doing

Dec 2011: Finished BS in Biological Sciences.....Facebook has my graduation...unless you know I somehow snuck into the Graduation, bought tickets for my family to come, and made a fake diploma

June 2012: Finished BS in HDE with a minor in Engineering (Davis gave me a 4 yr full ride so I thought I'd make the most of it rather than just leave a yr early with a minro in HDE when I only had a few more classes to take).....also have pics/videos of this graduation and diploma.

graduated both with honors.....proof: special ceremony, honor cords, special recognition

.....it seems like you're already stalking my posts on here, so feel free to dig about and confirm the info on top if that will soothe your soul.

About grad school:

took my MCAT junior year, scored 38, not perfect but good enough for me, and did a ton of internships, research positions, president of 2 clubs, board member for national organizations (my resume has references for every single one the these including contacts.....if you really feel the need, you can dig up my facebook to see my info, if that's not enough go ahead and bother my social network, almost everyone on there I've met in person and know first hand what I do with my life

Got into JHU Med School, they have a special pediatrics program that I was especially interested in, had to fly over for 2 separate interviews, passed them, Most med schools will also have an MPH option that you can apply for once you are accepted. From what I do, you can guess I'm really interested in advocacy and in cultural diversity so I applied and got into that

towards the end of my senior at UC Davis I started to get really sick, and was actually hospitalized due to tearing my stomach lining ( i had a bad stomach infection from a going on a Medical Mission in SouthEast Asia a couple years ago, and it finally just wore down my stomach from stomach acid)

because of that I couldn't make the start of the school year for John Hopkins. But they were really understanding and I was able (through lots of phone calls and paperwork) work out a deferment with them. I'm quite stubborn.

You might not know this, but once accepted you can defer up to 2 years. JHU also offers the MPH program as a distance program (online), which I opted for during my 2 year deferment, rather than just do nothing for 2 years in California and having to spend an extra year in Maryland to finish it.

And yes, all my friends and family know I got accepted (acceptance letter, packages, etc......if the flying over to Maryland part wasn't enough evidence)...and yes everyone knows I had to get surgery....bc they were pretty worried that I was going to die LOL

So what about Stanford?

I have been working in the lab I am in right now at Stanford for 3 summers starting the summer of my sophomore year in college (and even in between when they needed me bc I come home to San Jose every weekend or so). There's an interview process and everything, but I got it. What do I do? Analysis Programming. What does that mean? I do data coding, put everything into a huge database and then use SPSS to statistically analyze all the data though programming to get understandable results. Because I've been working with them for 3 years, right after the lab started, I'm pretty damn good at what I do. Which is why they offered me 2 options when I came back: I could get paid or I can become a faculty RA, and the cool thing about that is that you get to go to the school for free. It's like how TAs work for the school and their tuition/fees are free? RAs are like the same thing....except instead of teaching I work in the lab....and sometimes go to conferences to do presentations for the head researcher when he's busy (or just too lazy to go).

Maybe I'm too farsighted, but I already knew somewhere after Med School, I wanted to do a PhD.....so why not do it now? The MPH program is pretty easy for me, plus it's online....1 three hour class a week...so I had a lot of free time. Also, I would get to use data straight from the lab I work in for my own Thesis rather than have to do it all on my own later on in life. So yeah, I took the offer. Does it take up a lot of time and kill my social life sometimes? Yes, yes it does. But the cool thing about programming is that I only have to go through SPSS when I get new data...which is only once a week so at most I only have to go up to Stanford once or twice a week.

If you really want to verify that I work there...feel free to ask me when I'm up at my lab and you can drop by and visit me. It gets pretty boring bc everyone else is way older than me.

Ok...so maybe my life is all over the place LOL. But I honestly really love and enjoy everything I do. Cancer has affected a lot of people I love, leading me to work for the American Cancer Society, become the president of Colleges Against Cancer among other things.....so stem cell research in oncology is right up my alley (which is why I tried so hard to get the research position in the summer so many years ago), and of course stem cell research, or just the health field in general requires a lot of work with advocacy and policy making.....so my MPH is going to be super important in the future.

There's nothing wrong with having a back up plan. It might seem odd to you, but you know I have thought about what if Med School doesn't work out for me in 2 years? At least I'll have 2 grad degrees that, in contrast to what you may believe, do compliment each other quite well to empower me to do what I love: to advocate social justice and better health for the people around me.

Alright, I've typed quite a lot there.

You might still not believe me. But I know that what I say is true. And that's good enough for me.

Happy Holidays

P.S.: an MPH isn't going to help you get into Med School after getting rejected because it doesn't boost your science/pre-med GPA. Unless you really do something with your MPH degree, you're really better off doing a post-bac science program to boost your pre-med GPA so that Med Schools see that you are capable of their rigorous science classes. Plus most Med School offer an MPH program so they don't find it that interesting that you have one coming into the program....if anything it might be a bad thing since it seems like you just did an entire grad program just to look good and waste your money. How do I know this? I worry a lot and talk to A LOT of people so I can hope for the best and prepare for the worst. That and I was a pre-med advisor and set up the pre-med conference at my school (if any of you have been to the NorCal pre-med conference put together by AMSA....I worked on that!!! Whee!!! I ran around in a skirt suit and walkie talkie like a mad person lol)