General Anybody transitioned directly from MD to public health?

[2MDorNot2MD]

Hey yall!

So I'm a medical student who is in my third year and is considering future career options. I have recently received my step 1 score (first part of the medical licensing board and the biggest factor in determining where you can do your residency) and it did not turn out the way in which I was hoping. I have been giving it a lot of thought because I had come into medical school with the intentions to do academic medicine, with a large focus on policy and global health research. I have had some opportunities to pursue these interests in school and I have certainly loved them.

My concern now is that I will not be able to get into a competitive residency program where I will have the opportunity to expand on those interests. Small community programs don't have research funding and opportunities to do these things. So I am faced with the question of whether it is clinical medicine or global health/policy that I love more. Ideally I would have both (40% clinical and 60% research or something of the sort), but that seems less and less likely. So in my mind I think I have realized that my heart lies more away from the clinic, especially over the next 40 years of my career.

So my question is - has anybody here made the switch post medical school education directly into the world of public health? Will it be more difficult for me applying into these programs given my educational background? What type of degrees would be ideal for me to consider given my stated interests?

Any reply is certainly appreciated.

Cheers

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[deleted462159]

Short answer: You don't need another degree.

If you want a "public health" job that requires deeper skills in, say, biostatistics, then learn those skills. If you want an MPH for some reason, there are residency programs that afford you the opportunity to earn one along the way (e.g., UCSD's preventive medicine residency).