Switching Master's Programs

[sanantone]

My gut would be to follow the old adage that the degree that interests you is the one you'll finish. That's always been true in my case. YMMV

What field are you looking to get into?

Public health or forensic science. I don't really need a public health degree because I'm already starting an environmental health program for USPHS. But, since USPHS is so competitive, I need a backup plan. Regardless, a microbiology or medical science program should work fine for public health. The only problem is that microbiology really only prepares someone to study infectious diseases. Public health covers other issues such as diabetes, heart disease, mental health, and health issues caused by environmental factors that don't fall into the pathogen category (smoking, drug use, pollution, etc.). The environmental health and safety program pretty much just covers environmental and safety issues, but a regular science master's won't work for USPHS, and that was the most convenient option.