Can I get into medical school with an unfinished MPH by one class?

[rak19]

So, I’m completing an mph during my 2 gap years, but my mph advisor is telling me that there is one final class (capstone) I need to take that I cannot fit in those two years. Is it possible I can finish that degree after med school and residency or even not finish it at all? Or will I need to have completed the degree fully before entering medical school? In my opinion I believe I’m doing this degree to gain more knowledge but to also prove that I can get a good gpa because my undergrad gpa is not super competitive, so having the degree upon entering isn’t entirely important? Any input is very appreciated!

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[LeaveNoTrace]

Master's degrees don't matter much for MD admissions; not finishing the degree won't keep you out of medical school, but finishing it will make you look a tiny bit better than not. It would have been better if you'd done a postbacc of some sort but that's all water under the bridge now.

 

[candbgirl]

OP you should try tagging some of the ADCOMS and see what they say. A MPH will not help you with your GPA for MD schools. It might help for DO schools. MS/MA in general don’t help for MD schools. You are expected to do well in grad school. @BlackMathMajor is right about you being better off if you had done a DIY post bacc of hard sciences.
As to not completing it, you are probably better served in getting advice from the ADCOMS.

 

[rak19]

OP you should try tagging some of the ADCOMS and see what they say. A MPH will not help you with your GPA for MD schools. It might help for DO schools. MS/MA in general don’t help for MD schools. You are expected to do well in grad school. @BlackMathMajor is right about you being better off if you had done a DIY post bacc of hard sciences.
As to not completing it, you are probably better served in getting advice from the ADCOMS.

Not true in the slightest, I know many people that killed their grad gpa and had a not good undergrad gpa and got in. Thanks for your input!

 

[rak19]

Master's degrees don't matter much for MD admissions; not finishing the degree won't keep you out of medical school, but finishing it will make you look a tiny bit better than not. It would have been better if you'd done a postbacc of some sort but that's all water under the bridge now.

So you're saying a masters program will help me! Thank you!!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Hmm. Let's put it this way: for MD schools, that completed MPH means a tiny bit. It's hard to quantify it, but the degree alone will grant you maybe a couple hundredths of a point worth of GPA improvement: relatively insignificant. I don't know what it would mean if you dropped out with one semester to go, but I'm not sure it would matter a ton either way. SMPs and DIY postbaccs do help for MD school. Also, DO schools will look at your MPH and consider it significant.

 

[candbgirl]

Not true in the slightest, I know many people that killed their grad gpa and had a not good undergrad gpa and got in. Thanks for your input!

What’s not true in the slightest? I think I said about the same as @BlackMathMajor and you were okay with what he said. Anyway did you tag any of the ADCOMS about not finishing one class towards your degree?