Partial MPH before MD

[mphbeforemd]

Hi,

I'm in a little bit of a unique situation here. I'm interested in an MD and an MPH and have been planning to complete a joint MD/MPH program. Unfortunately, I got a 29 on the MCAT so there is a significant chance that I won't be accepted into an MD program next year (I've applied and am waiting to hear back and am retaking the MCAT in January). I wanted to know if anyone had experience with applying to an MPH school for next year, completing a year of the degree and applying to an MD school for next cycle after the first year of MPH. I'd then complete the MPH degree at some point during the following four years. This would keep me on track to finish an MD/MPH in 5 years. Any thoughts on this plan and does this seem possible? A concern would be that medical schools would be hesitant to accept me midway through a MPH degree.

Thanks for any help!

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[el_duderino]

I have no good answers, but I did a one year "Certificate of graduate studies" degree in MPH before being accepted. I was planning on doing the second year to get my MPH but that didn't end up happening. I think I could still finish it, but I don't think I really care about getting an MPH. Realistically the only reason I would finish it is so I could put "MD/MPH" on my lab coat, and that's a pretty stupid reason.

 

[mphbeforemd]

Thank you. Does anyone else have any thoughts about feasibility?

 

[maccu5000]

Bump--I'd be interested in learning this. Also I'm considering one year programs, but they seem to be for MD's and PhD's.

 

[Solara]

The average MCAT score for an accepted MD matriculant is a 30, and thousands of students get into med school with a <30 MCAT score. You may very well get in this cycle.

I have mixed feelings on how much an MPH may help for getting into medical school. My opinion is that it's not a significant game-changer. I personally wouldn't recommend doing only 1/2 the MPH and applying to med school during your first year; if you start the MPH, you might as well finish it. If you don't get into med school, my advice would be to do something really fun and immersive during your gap year; do a year-long fellowship and do public health research abroad (Fulbright maybe), or get some work experience at the CDC or WHO (an internship perhaps). Those types of things might look better for med school apps than an MPH.

 

[juilletmercredi]

I'm not sure it's a significant game-changer, but for what it's worth there were a lot of people in my entering graduate class who were med school hopefuls who did not get into med school during a first round of applications pre-MPH, but were admitted after completing their MPH. I'm sure some of them retook the MCATs and so that might have helped.

I do have a friend who did what you're proposing the other way around. I don't know whether he knew he wanted an MD and an MPH or whether he discovered partway through the MD that he wanted one, but what he did was do two years of his MD at a medical school, then took a leave of absence from his med program for two years and did an MPH at my school (he came in with my cohort). After graduating he went back and finished his MD at the other school. It did not take him 5 years - he took the normal amount of time for each (4 years MD + 2 years for MPH), just did it in an unconventional order.

I think that if you decided to do this, it would take you the regular 6 years - you wouldn't be able to finish the MPH part-time while being a full-time MD at a different school. The reason 5-year MD/MPH programs work is because they reduce your course requirements and allow you to count some of your med school classes; that wouldn't happen in a regular MPH program. You'd probably also have to physically return to the MPH program after finishing your MD. It would probably be better, if you wanted to go to school right away, to just go to the MPH program and apply at the beginning of your second year so you can start after you graduate.

Good luck!