Hi! Does having a MPH or a PhD greatly help in getting a FM residency? I've been asking around and it seems that Externship/Observership is one of the more important factors for most programs. I was wondering if having a MPH or PhD would help. By the way, I'm a FMG with an ECFMG certificate. I'm also done with USMLE 3. I applied for the 2009 Match but didn't match. Thanks.
Does a MPH or a PhD help in getting a FM residency?
- Thread starter altap
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2003
- Messages
- 1,380
- Reaction score
- 34
There aren't as many matched applicants with graduate degrees, particularly PhD's, in FM (Chart 7 - http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2007.pdf)... which could serve as an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it.
My suspicion is that if your graduate degree or PhD "demonstrates involvement" or "interest" in research, or shows "interest in academic medicine", it probably isn't as valued as much as your clinical/interpersonal skills, especially if the program has a "personal knowledge" of those things. (Page 40 & 41 - http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf)
There are other specialties that would value your graduate degree more. You may want to consider those. Good luck.
My suspicion is that if your graduate degree or PhD "demonstrates involvement" or "interest" in research, or shows "interest in academic medicine", it probably isn't as valued as much as your clinical/interpersonal skills, especially if the program has a "personal knowledge" of those things. (Page 40 & 41 - http://www.nrmp.org/data/programresultsbyspecialty.pdf)
There are other specialties that would value your graduate degree more. You may want to consider those. Good luck.
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2008
- Messages
- 1,386
- Reaction score
- 12
If you emphasize a strong interest in preventive medicine and population health, then an MPH can be very valuable for family medicine. Many FM programs are shifting the focus to community medicine and also adopting the PCMH, so an MPH can really give you an edge.
Of all the specialities FP is the one in which an MPH can be a big positive. It depends though. Whether you have to do a practicum or a thesis for the MPH. A thesis research project related to FP can be a big positive. Sime applies to the practicum. Then to which university you will go? Big names like Hopkins, Harvard, Yale etc will have a bigger impact and will make an impression.
But the big question is that... if MPH is being solely done for the purpose of residency and the application is deficient in other areas such as low usmle scores, no usce, greater than 5 yrs since graduation... I do not see how can a MPH trump them. Though if you have all these credentials and strong lor's, then a MPH can help you get into a competetive program even.
Your best bet will be to ask any program directors or faculties in uni programs who have a MPH degree. I still have not find a definite answer to this. I have my admission into JH MPH for next year. For the 2011 match i will be 2.5 yrs since graduation and with not many gaps in my cv since then. If i get good board scores... Will i do a 3 month usce and do my MPH and apply in the match as a Hopkins grad or should i do 6-8 months of usce and take a voluntarily research position and apply for the match?
The latter will save me a fortune. This i am only going to decide in March next year when i am done with my boards.
But the big question is that... if MPH is being solely done for the purpose of residency and the application is deficient in other areas such as low usmle scores, no usce, greater than 5 yrs since graduation... I do not see how can a MPH trump them. Though if you have all these credentials and strong lor's, then a MPH can help you get into a competetive program even.
Your best bet will be to ask any program directors or faculties in uni programs who have a MPH degree. I still have not find a definite answer to this. I have my admission into JH MPH for next year. For the 2011 match i will be 2.5 yrs since graduation and with not many gaps in my cv since then. If i get good board scores... Will i do a 3 month usce and do my MPH and apply in the match as a Hopkins grad or should i do 6-8 months of usce and take a voluntarily research position and apply for the match?
The latter will save me a fortune. This i am only going to decide in March next year when i am done with my boards.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2008
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 0
Why not do MPH at a university that has close ties with Family Medicine department? UNC- Chapel Hill and University of Madison, Wisconsin comes to mind. There are many others but I believe John Hopkins doesnt have a Family Medicine program.
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2008
- Messages
- 133
- Reaction score
- 0
MPH would help but if clinical medicine is what you are interested in, than just getting some more clinical experience and improving your interviewing skills and application strategy is all you need (from my experience). Apply wisely and know the program's mission and make sure it matches yours. One of the biggest reasons for not being ranked highly by a program is an applicant who is not a 'good fit' so don't waste time on a program with different needs than yours. PhD would be a very long detour, one from which you may never be able to come back to clinical medicine (esp. Family Medicine, I am not talking about other research-heavy specialties that may actually see it as valuable, provided you keep your clinical skills updated).
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2001
- Messages
- 679
- Reaction score
- 16
Having already passed S3 will be your biggest selling point. And I agree with some above posts that the MPH applies much more effectively to FM than PhD.
Our program has had some trouble with the "know it all" vibe given by a couple of PhD's, so it isn't much of a help in our specific neck of the woods. Broadly, I can't imagine that it would help in many FM settings because most PhD work is so specific and usually bench-related.
If your MPH work is heavily focused on community medicine, it can feather nicely with FM and I would think it will help significantly.
But c'mon, it's FP! Other than, like, 5 programs...you'll go where you want if you interview well and have a relatively normal application. You don't need EPO to get into a good program.
Go all stupid and Type A for surgery. Just enjoy the ride for FP.
Our program has had some trouble with the "know it all" vibe given by a couple of PhD's, so it isn't much of a help in our specific neck of the woods. Broadly, I can't imagine that it would help in many FM settings because most PhD work is so specific and usually bench-related.
If your MPH work is heavily focused on community medicine, it can feather nicely with FM and I would think it will help significantly.
But c'mon, it's FP! Other than, like, 5 programs...you'll go where you want if you interview well and have a relatively normal application. You don't need EPO to get into a good program.
Go all stupid and Type A for surgery. Just enjoy the ride for FP.
