NO GRE scores?

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Stroszeck

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I was wondering how good programs, such as the one at San Francisco State University, are that do NOT require GRE scores? The reason I'm asking is I wanted to be a doctor but was promptly rejected from Med school so I decided to go to MPH. (I know some people object to that, but oh well.)

I would appreciate an honest, unbiased position on these programs for two reasons: a-) As additional coursework to pad future medical applications and b-) if that still doesn't get me into med school, then what sort of job outlook will I be looking at? I mean will graduating from one of the non-Berkeley schools prevent me from getting a good paying job. Thanks a lot.

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Stroszeck said:
I was wondering how good programs, such as the one at San Francisco State University, are that do NOT require GRE scores? The reason I'm asking is I wanted to be a doctor but was promptly rejected from Med school so I decided to go to MPH. (I know some people object to that, but oh well.)

I would appreciate an honest, unbiased position on these programs for two reasons: a-) As additional coursework to pad future medical applications and b-) if that still doesn't get me into med school, then what sort of job outlook will I be looking at? I mean will graduating from one of the non-Berkeley schools prevent me from getting a good paying job. Thanks a lot.

I don't know about those programs, but have you looked at schools that will accept your MCAT scores?
Also, I would look at a hard science based concentration, like epidemiology or toxicology.. Not only will the science courses help your application, but the job outlook is good and they are good paying jobs.
 
There are a few schools that do accept DAT, VCAT, PCAT, LSAT, and MCAT scores. I know here at Iowa they do, not sure about westside schools. I have been looking at jobs that require MPH degrees and there are a lot that work in the state, city, and county health departments. If you want to crunch numbers for the rest of your life....go the epi and tox and biostat direction. If you want to work with people and educatate the population about medicine IN GENERAL and public health concerns (disease, health and wellness, and such) look into the exercise and nutrition focuses, community and behavioral health. There are quite a few MPH programs, look around.

Hope that helps ya.
Jeff
please contact me if you have any more questions.
[email protected]
:)
 
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Stroszeck said:
I was wondering how good programs, such as the one at San Francisco State University, are that do NOT require GRE scores? The reason I'm asking is I wanted to be a doctor but was promptly rejected from Med school so I decided to go to MPH. (I know some people object to that, but oh well.)

I would appreciate an honest, unbiased position on these programs for two reasons: a-) As additional coursework to pad future medical applications and b-) if that still doesn't get me into med school, then what sort of job outlook will I be looking at? I mean will graduating from one of the non-Berkeley schools prevent me from getting a good paying job. Thanks a lot.

Hi,

I'll be as honest as I can - but the answers I have are not going to be very nice. First off, most people who want to go to medical school after an MPH elect to do an MPH in edpidemiology since it is the most science-based sub-track available. However, I honestly don't think many medical schools will be very impressed with the MPH degree since it is (quite frankly) easier to get into and pass through than some of the more formal post-bacc programs that have you take MS1 medical classes. If your application is slightly below what is needed for medical school, the MPH might help you improve your application enough to get in. However, if your GPA is way below what it should be (I'd say less than 3.2-3.3), don't bother wasting your time - I don't think it's gonna help. If this is the case, SFSU has a post-bacc program where you can take more undergraduate courses to help your GPA before you move on to graduate or medical school. Many schools will let you use your MCAT scores in lieu of the GRE, so I'd look into that as well. However, most of the deadlines for this coming fall have already passed, and only a few remain open since it's almost March.

Regarding job opportunities - if you elect to do epidemiology, there are jobs available, but they are (in my opinion) boring and taxing - there's a lot of number crunching and data analysis. If you're the kind of aspiring physician who likes patient contact, these types of careers might bore you. Community health and health education, among othe types of MPH sub-tracks also exist, but the salaries for MPH graduates are not going to be anywhere near what a physician makes. From my understanding, prepare to make about $30,000-$55,000/year starting salary. If you're a California resident (since you mention SFSU and Berkeley, and especially if you're in the bay area) prepare to starve with those wages - it's honestly not that much better than what a good college degree will get you. I know people making around $50,000/year who just graduated with a Biology BS from Berkeley last year. The only sub-track that seems to pay a lot more is health management and policy, and for that they often require not only science but also business courses (and all of the good programs will require GRE scores). The starting salaries for Health Management and Policy can sometimes be $75,000+/year (and some people like exmike on SDN know some people who graduated from Berkeley who made close to $100,000/year, I believe).

I hope this helps (and I wasn't too harsh), but that's just how I see things. If you have any other questions please respond back!
 
I was doing MPH work when I interviewed for medical school and I found that my interviewers WERE impressed with the fact that I pursued public health and mentioned that it would be nice if more doctors had public health training. Most of my interview questions rotated around my coursework in the masters program and my view on how my background in public health would help me as a doctor. They seemed to believe that the MPH is a valuable background to have considering medicine and public health are closely related. One just views the health of the whole whereas the other views health of individuals. Wouldn't understanding one help with the understanding of the other? I digress, but the point is I don't think it would hurt you and in my case it helped out a big deal.

If you do this as a stepping stone for medical school, I wouldn't prance around saying "I'm doing this only as a way to boost my med school application" as many of my classmates did. They were looked down upon in the masters program because this made it seem like they didn't care about the degree and the public health principles at all. Also, med schools don't like to pull students who've started other programs and don't intend to finish them. If you truly believe in the value that you can gain from the program and when you apply and interview it comes across that you do, this may make you stand apart from others. Although it may be padding, you're also learning so much about the health system we will have to deal with as doctors.

As for jobs, I agree that the pay will not be the greatest (considering you will have had a masters). I also agree that most of the jobs that my friends who've graduated and are now working or are looking for work have similar starting salaries as those students who've graduated from undergrad. depending on what type of concentration you choose to do will also affect your job qualifications, job salaries and job demand of agencies/organizations/companies. From what i've heard, epidemiologists are the highest in demand. Community health/social behavioral health/program planning fields pay less. Emplyment that alumni from my school have taken on consist of: working for the CDC, health departments, not-for-profit organizations, hospital administration (including hospital CEO), research and etc. If you think that there's a chance that you might have to take a job in public health, you have to make sure that this is something that you are really passionate for. I've known people who've done this for the sole reason to get into medical school and then didnt...they are now completely unhappy with what job the MPH has lead them to. I've known people who thought they were wanting to go to medical school and realized that this is their passion and are completely ecstatic to be involved in public health.

As for the GRE, I'm not sure which schools don't and which schools do accept them, but if it comes down to schools you want that REQUIRE GRE scores, just take it. It's NOT THAT BAD! Come on - you remember the MCAT right? Well, it's about 1/10 as stressful as that. If you survived the MCAT, I'm sure you'll survive this too.

Anyway, that's my .02. Hope it's helped out. Best of luck! :)
 
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