Public Health Websites

It's so funny that you posted these sites. I was just checking this forum to see if anyone could give me some resources so I could research the MPH degree. Thanks!
I have additional questions though. I'm going to be starting an FM residency this fall--is FM a good specialty for a public health field? Seems like it would be, but you never know...
Is it possible to continue my own clinical practice (part-time, I assume?) while doing public health work? (I'm a very procedure-oriented person and wouldn't want to lose these skills.)
Is it possible for me to get an MPH during residency, by taking classes part-time or something? (none of the places I interviewed at/ranked offer an MPH)
How competitive are MPH programs (esp. for DO's)?
The only international medicine fellowship I'm aware of is at UIC--are there any of these fellowship programs outside Chicago, such as in western cities like San Francisco, Denver, Seattle? Is an international fellowship the same thing as the international health curriculum within some of the MPH programs? If not, how does it differ?
Lastly, I don't really have much public health experience (except some medical work in 3rd world countries)--it's just an area that sounds interesting to me as I'm considering how to utilize my FM training. However, I plan to do a community medicine/public health rotation in Ecuador in April/May to explore this interest further. Is there anything else you'd recommend as I begin my residency?
Thanks for any advice!

Hi,
Just wanted to report that a few of those links given are dead.

ditto on the links: they all worked fine for me. thanks for posting them.

i am hoping to do the dual degree route (MD/MPH) and have been trying to figure out where the programs are the best.

i haven't finished digging through these links yet as i just did the "mph" search here on SDN, but i was wondering if anyone knows offhand a ranking or comparison of mph programs. i am primarily intersted in public policy and international health.

it would be easier if i could do the mph wherever i end up in med school, but i've been advised not to just do an mph anywhere (it's not the paper i want, but the skills/knowledge/contacts, etc).

so i'll keep digging, but would appreciate any advice on this. anyone else doing an MD/MPH?

thanks

Hi,

You can find rankings for public health programs through US News and World Report. However, it isn't all up to date for 2004, and you can only see the top 3 schools online. The best way to check out the unique features of each program is to look at www.asph.org (Association of Schools of Public Health). This will tell you which schools are accredited, which degrees they offer, etc. In regards to your question about the MD-MPH route, here are a few (not exhaustive) things to consider:

1) Which route works best for you? Would you like to do a 2-year program before med school, a 1-year program between your 2nd and 3rd years (or 3rd and 4th years) of medical school. Or, would you prefer to do the MPH as part of a residency once you finish med school?

The first option gives you a good amount of latitude in your public health studies, you would be able to take a wide range of courses and in most cases complete at least one internship focused on public health.

The second option is increasingly popular, allowing you integrate public health studies into your med school curriculum, and you would not do med school while in the program. Check out Duke's program, where this is actually built into the 3rd year of the program. Most other schools have it as a 5-year MD/MPH option (which is great too!)

The third option is great because you may not have to pay for the degree! Also, you are taking your medical skills and applying them to public health since by this point you will have completed med school and your internship. There are also 4-year FM/Preventive Med residencies (the one i've seen so far is at loma linda in california).

Finally, look into what the individual school offers you as well as what you want to get out of the program down the line when making your selection. Its not always about the name (e.g. Ivy), but the strength of their public health programs. Keep in mind that many top med schools (such as Stanford) don't have public health programs. The best fit for you is where you should go! Think about the opportunities they provide (faculty's research, community focus, integration w/ med program, etc.) Best wishes!

hi keepsmilin--thanks very much for the good advice. i hadn't even realized that an mph could be integrated with a residency (just goes to show how much i have to learn!)

you clearly know quite alot about this--are you doing an mph now? dual degree?

thanks again

hey noami,

i am currently finishing up the MPH degree (i decided to do it first). this is a very flexible degree (as far as when you get it) and the knowledge is always evolving, so i hope you find the option that works best for you! you can find out more about residencies in preventive medicine at:

http://www.acpm.org/education/residency/ataglance.htm

By browsing the programs you can see which include the MPH as a part of their residency. The Univ. of Iowa Family Med Residency/PH program does a good job of providing insight to the different options:

http://www.uihealthcare.com/depts/med/familymedicine/residency/mph.html

(try to copy and paste if link not active)

best wishes!

Hi
I'm deciding on doing a Ms in Public Health Administration. Does anybody know how this differs from MPH and which will be better at the end for a career.
Cheers,
Princess

princess said:

Hi
I'm deciding on doing a Ms in Public Health Administration. Does anybody know how this differs from MPH and which will be better at the end for a career.
Cheers,
Princess

Click to expand...

Hi Princess,

I would strongly suggest that you get the MPH degree. I have a friend who got an MS in Health Policy and Management, and spent a lot of time explaining to people why she had the MS versus the MPH. I'm sure that both degrees might afford you the same benefits, but why not get the Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA - typically what most schools of public health grant) and have exposure to other fields in public health (as most programs make you take basic courses in Epidemiology, Policy, Health Education, and Environmental Health), not just Health Administration? I'd compare both programs (MS vs MPH or MHSA), and then make a decision based on what suits you best. I think that most MHSA programs are pretty competitive, and it's a pretty well known degree in the healthcare industry(although employers sometimes prefer people with MBAs - based on the experiences of friends).

Best,
H&T

HI check out....
http://www.f1study.com/html/pgmid339.html#fwd

This is the site for accredited graduate programs in public health

http://www.ceph.org

CHECK OUT
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/liberal_arts/poli_sci/HA_html/gs.html

hi all,
i am doing my MSPH in public health and wanted to know the job prospects of this.Can anyone advise me
take care
k

http://www.whatispublichealth.org/

Nice project by the Association of Schools of Public Health if you are interested in some introductory information about the field.

Hey,
To all MPH students , why did u choose to do it?
Any input is totally appreciated, I'm trying to make up my mind on my graduate studies.
Thanx

Remember too that you can do an MPH during fellowship (extra training after residency). It's pretty standard, at least in the Internal Medicine fellowships (cards, pulm/critical, endocrine, etc) that during a fellowship you are expected to do some research and/or get an advanced degree.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=245802&page=1&pp=25
Thank Adcadet, not me!

http://www.cdc.gov/education/university/students/

CDC compiled resources for public health students

not sure if this was posted before: PH employments

http://cfusion.sph.emory.edu/PHEC/phec.cfm

Hello! Just signed up. What a great forum. I wish I would have found it a little earlier than now. Anyways, when I was searching for a school for a MPH degree I came across this site and it was very helpful. I think it has alot of broken links but I still found it useful.

http://www.mastersinhealthcare.com/

Paris