Do/mph, Do/mha

[rammers02]

What are your opinions on getting a combined DO/MPH or MHA degree? How will this help your practice? Obviously there is the commitment to help and serve in the public sector which can greatly impact your community or nation. But with the DO degree, are there certain opportunities afforded to dual degree holders when compared to their single DO or MHA/MPH degree? Salary differences? Any thoughts or opinions?😕

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[bravotwozero]

No idea on the salary differences. Although, having both degress may be beneficial if:

- You are going into primary care, and want to concurrently get involved in Public Health Campaigns.

- You are interested in academia, as opposed to clinical practice.

Aside from that, I don't see too many advantages to doing an MPH, with a DO, either concurrently or afterwards. Personally though, if I were interested in getting an MPH, i would never do it concurrently, but after completing a DO degree. Medical School is stressful enough as it is. You don't wanna be cramming in more courses and research time.

 

[czanetti]

No idea on the salary differences. Although, having both degress may be beneficial if:

- You are going into primary care, and want to concurrently get involved in Public Health Campaigns.

- You are interested in academia, as opposed to clinical practice.

Aside from that, I don't see too many advantages to doing an MPH, with a DO, either concurrently or afterwards. Personally though, if I were interested in getting an MPH, i would never do it concurrently, but after completing a DO degree. Medical School is stressful enough as it is. You don't wanna be cramming in more courses and research time.

having your MPH would definetly be benificial to have. No matter what field of medicine. But if you were interested in getting it like I am don't get it concurrently. You have to pay extra tuition to get the degree. The only schoo that gives a scholarship for MPH is NSU. But to do both would be very stressful. What I would recommend is hold off until residency. Some residency programs such as preventive medicine will pay for you to get the MPH while doing your residency. I have been told that its better to get it later because you can appreciate what you are learning much more after you have had your medical education. I was going to do the DO/MPH at TCOM until I found out I would have to pay more, that doesn't make sense to do if I can get it for free during residency. No matter what though having an MPH will make you stand out from the crowd in any field of medicine.

 

[bravotwozero]

I just don't see why getting an MPH, (as opposed to just doing some research work) would be beneficial to someone going into rads, or ortho or derm.

 

[djnels01]

having your MPH would definetly be benificial to have. No matter what field of medicine. But if you were interested in getting it like I am don't get it concurrently. You have to pay extra tuition to get the degree. The only schoo that gives a scholarship for MPH is NSU. But to do both would be very stressful. What I would recommend is hold off until residency. Some residency programs such as preventive medicine will pay for you to get the MPH while doing your residency. I have been told that its better to get it later because you can appreciate what you are learning much more after you have had your medical education. I was going to do the DO/MPH at TCOM until I found out I would have to pay more, that doesn't make sense to do if I can get it for free during residency. No matter what though having an MPH will make you stand out from the crowd in any field of medicine.

What about an MHA? And what if tuition, as a student, were half price? I too am tossing around the idea of doing the dual degree program - they have it at DMU. I think 8 of 40 credits for the MHA is counted from our normal DO curriculum too.

Would any of this change your mind? I know that a master's could possibly be free during residency, but would the time saved by already having completed a master's during med school be worth it? I know that at DMU the bulk of the work to be done for MHA can be done online during rotations.

Do any of these details change your opinion bravotwozero or czanetti? I'm genuinely interested in your opinion-

 

[bravotwozero]

What is a MHA? Is that Master's in Health Administration? Does that just deal with the administrative/business side of medicine?

If that is the case, then it probably won't help you with the clinical side of things, but it would be great to help you become acquainted with the business side of things, which is important for anyone wanting to do their own practice.

If you're interested in the degree, don't mind spending the extra time on it, and think you can handle such a courseload, then I don't see why you shouldn't go for it.

 

[czanetti]

MPH will help you with the clinical side of things. It enables you to look at disease in a preventive manner using epidemiology ect. How wouldn't that help you clinically. It would make you stand out because of it. The MHA is also a great degree to have it will help you understand administrative along with legislative aspects of medicine which are very important. During the 1970's legislation was in place that prevented cancer researchers to do research on coal mines west of the mississippi. There are a lot of aspects of legislative medicine that can limit medical advacement. That being said the degree is great but I don't think it would be managable to do in combination with your medical degree and truly appreciate what you are learning. On top of the fact that you are going to have to pay a lot more money for it. Do it for free after medical school it just makes sense.

 

[drusso]

I have an MPH. I did mine concurrently. The MPH is a great degree for physicians. It grounds you in biostats, epidemiology, and population-based medicine. It also exposes you to a certain worldview about health and disease that most medical students don't get in their training; it broadens your horizon's so to speak. Medical education (even osteopathic education) is grounded in a molecular basis of disease and causality. Public health education focuses on the environment (broadly defined) and the interaction of social and biological factors of disease.

It is VERY stressful to do two degrees at once, but I do think it helps make you a better physician. It's not just for primary care. Every aspect of medicine and health care has public health implications. I can also tell you that residency programs ARE impressed with the whole "dual degree" thing. More than I thought they would be.

 

[babyruth]

Potential MPH jobs: public health liasion for the county and/or government work, CDC/WHO job, international work, public safety and infectious disease work, etc.

Potential MHA jobs: Chief medical officer, chief of staff, head of department, hospital administration positions, any medical administrative job, etc.

Depending on what kind of job will determine salary. You get business aspects in both degrees, but more so in MHA. Administrative jobs usually bring in more cash.

I did my MHA concurrently, with most of it during my first two years of med school. Easily doable and worth it. I know a few who even did both MHA/MPH/DO within four years easily. Requires more summer work. Don't count on online stuff for all your classes. Try to do your internhsip and Capstone within the first two years, easier logistically.

 

[babyruth]

I don't think it was that stressful, just extra work. If you have a good work ethic then you can do it. Plan on doing most of it during summer and nighttime classes.

Lots of opportunities within these fields, plus gives you a better aspect on the business side of medicine. Helps you to also potentially run your own practice or at least know what is coming in and going out. Helps you to understand medicare/medicaid and HMOs better, reimbursment practices and billing/coding.

 

[babyruth]

MPH will help you with the clinical side of things. It enables you to look at disease in a preventive manner using epidemiology ect. How wouldn't that help you clinically. It would make you stand out because of it. The MHA is also a great degree to have it will help you understand administrative along with legislative aspects of medicine which are very important. During the 1970's legislation was in place that prevented cancer researchers to do research on coal mines west of the mississippi. There are a lot of aspects of legislative medicine that can limit medical advacement. That being said the degree is great but I don't think it would be managable to do in combination with your medical degree and truly appreciate what you are learning. On top of the fact that you are going to have to pay a lot more money for it. Do it for free after medical school it just makes sense.

We only got one class dealing with legislative; this degree focuses more on hospital administration and business than that.

Plus I got my degree for half price because I was a DO student. Very manageable. I also could have applied for financial aid too, but didn't. Agree that more things are understandable after you get out, but its worth it to understand those things before you do them and avoid practice mistakes.

I am not so sure you can get it for free unless the hospital pays for it, and even then they only pay for part of it. We had a retired FP in our classes that had to pay for his degree; other hospital staff got assistance but still had to shell out money for part of it and for books.

 

[djnels01]

We only got one class dealing with legislative; this degree focuses more on hospital administration and business than that.

Plus I got my degree for half price because I was a DO student. Very manageable. I also could have applied for financial aid too, but didn't. Agree that more things are understandable after you get out, but its worth it to understand those things before you do them and avoid practice mistakes.

I am not so sure you can get it for free unless the hospital pays for it, and even then they only pay for part of it. We had a retired FP in our classes that had to pay for his degree; other hospital staff got assistance but still had to shell out money for part of it and for books.

Thank you for the info babyruth! It really seems worth it to get the Master's out of the way for half the price while going to school. I may PM you with more questions if I have any.

 

[babyruth]

Feel free. I had a really great internship experience as well with a hospitalist group and got to see the dirty workings of a hospital-based practice, it was pretty cool.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

I have an MPH. I got it for free. So, in 2009 I'll be DO/MPH. To be totally honest, I really don't see how its going to help me - besides something to put on the resume.

 

[LuLu83]

I have an MPH. I got it for free. So, in 2009 I'll be DO/MPH. To be totally honest, I really don't see how its going to help me - besides something to put on the resume.

Can you please elaborate on how you got the MPH for free? Thanks.

 

[Jabez1chr4]

so i am going to through this out there. Looking at grad degrees, some D.O. schools have the MS/DO degree. You start out in the MS first and take DO med courses with the grad courses. Once you finish the MS (2 years) you matriculate into the DO and transfer the med courses with you. This way you thin out the Med to about 6 years instead of the four and the MS is free. Most, if not all, are thesis based so you also get the research, thesis, grant writing, stats, etc.

Just a thought.

 

[Buckeye(OH)]

Can you please elaborate on how you got the MPH for free? Thanks.

I worked for a company that paid for it.

 

[babyruth]

so i am going to through this out there. Looking at grad degrees, some D.O. schools have the MS/DO degree. You start out in the MS first and take DO med courses with the grad courses. Once you finish the MS (2 years) you matriculate into the DO and transfer the med courses with you. This way you thin out the Med to about 6 years instead of the four and the MS is free. Most, if not all, are thesis based so you also get the research, thesis, grant writing, stats, etc.

Just a thought.

An MS in what exactly?