Anyone considering the MPH programs?

[Crasavitsa]

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I can't decide whether the MPH degree or the MPH certificate is for me. What would be some of the advantages/disadvantages to doing it? Do I even need it? It sounds cool to have two degress but its even more classes on top of MD classes. 😕

 

[AmateurChef]

I can't decide whether the MPH degree or the MPH certificate is for me. What would be some of the advantages/disadvantages to doing it? Do I even need it? It sounds cool to have two degress but its even more classes on top of MD classes. 😕

Do you need an MPH? Of course not. But will an MPH make you a more intelligent, well-rounded physician? I think so.

The first question should be whether you're interested in public health. AN MPH will certainly expand your awareness of the health care problems facing our country, but public health is certainly a different field of study than medicine. Some physicians believe they're qualified to address population-level health challenges because of their medical training; my response would be that a medical background helps but probably isn't sufficient training to tackle public health issues. (Physicians with extensive international experience, for example, may be more aware of international health issues than the average physician.)

Most public health schools have a set of departments including epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy/administration, environmental health, international health, and population & family health. Some have more, some have less. Most MPH programs have an emphasis in one of these fields in addition to a core set of courses covering all these topics.

Does that help?

 

[Crasavitsa]

Yeah you are absolutely right !!! Thank you so much. It's too bad that the MD programs don't incorporate public health very well into the curriculum in the first place. I know that some of it is addressed but I guess that if I want to go into more detail which I really do, I will have to take the burden of extra classes. Mosts schools have MPH programs but for some reason they are a bit downplayed.


Thank you again!

 

[sakura181]

I can't decide whether the MPH degree or the MPH certificate is for me. What would be some of the advantages/disadvantages to doing it? Do I even need it? It sounds cool to have two degress but its even more classes on top of MD classes. 😕

What's the difference between the degree and the certificate (didn't realize there was a distinction)?

 

[lulubean]

i am just finishing my mph (and feel I will be an infinitely better MD because of it). feel free to PM me if you'd like.

 

[Crasavitsa]

What's the difference between the degree and the certificate (didn't realize there was a distinction)?

Well the Certificate program requires less classes and credits but they can still be applied towards the MPH degree later if you want. So far I only know that New York Medical College offers both, I dont know if all schools with MPH offer the certificate for MD's. Maybe someone else would have more info.

 

[AmateurChef]

What's the difference between the degree and the certificate (didn't realize there was a distinction)?

The degree is the only thing I've heard of. I don't know how well a public health "certificate" would be evaluated by AdComms.

 

[Crasavitsa]

The degree is the only thing I've heard of. I don't know how well a public health "certificate" would be evaluated by AdComms.

http://www.nymc.edu/sph/admit/md-mph-prog.asp this explains the difference.