Does having an MPH help??!!
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doc3341 said:
While we "type A" med students often think about things like this, I'd venture that you're asking the wrong question. Whether pursuing an MPH would be "worth your time" should hardly be a function of how it might impact the match process for you, but rather should be based on what you hope to DO with it and whether or not you're genuinely intersted in it. If you're just doing an MPH to impress residency programs, your lack of passion about public health and your lack of action, activities, and involvement in related issues will surely come across. On the other hand, if you're very passionate about public health and aim to forge your career around public health issues, then this may come across very positively in the interview process and serve to set you apart from other applicants. As I've been told by one of our advisors at Duke, residency programs are looking at you as not just a resident, but as a potential colleague and future attending physician. So I imagine that unique things like this would help give you a bit of an edge, but most importantly, it MUST be genuine! (although, MPH's are becoming rather common among med students) Don't do something like an MPH just because you think someone else will like that you did it. Do it for you and for the people you want to help using your skills, or just don't do it at all.
That's my 2 cents. I hope it's helpful! 🙂
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doc3341 said:
while tommygunn is ABSOLUTELY correct in EVERYTING that was said, here is another perspective...my fiance has an MPA (Masters Public Administration) and while she was interviewing last year, there wasn't 1 program that DIDN'T ask her about it and wanted to know what she was gonna do with it and how she plans on using it for her career....
tommygunn is right, it CAN be VERY helpful to you IF you have thought it through and know what you wanna do with it....why do u think I have a JD?
TO PROTECT US FROM THE FORCES OF EVIL LAWYERS AND BLOOD SUCKING FRIVELOUS LAWSUITS!!!
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its not only about the extra degree's you have, but also about what you have done with it in the past, and how you plan to use it in the future. as long as its not too progressive for a conservative institution, i think it (having a mph) would definitely help...especially if you spin it that way.
Thanks for the many words of wisdom. I will definetely keep them in mind, while i figure things out. For what its worth, I havent figured out how I might use it in the future. But its a degree that my school offers to us...FREE...no charge..etc So I see it as a pretty good oportunity..what do you all think?
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doc3341 said:
If you're not interested in public health, and it doesn't sound like you particularly are, then I don't think it's a great idea regardless of the cost. Maybe it's just because emotion doesn't come through well these kinds of posts, but I'm not hearing much enthusiasm from you about the specific issues related to public health. You mentioned that it's a "free degree" at your school, but that's not a very good reason to spend a year of your life doing it. It'd be much better to find something you're really passionate about and pursue it. Maybe that's lab research...apply for a Hughes Fellowship or spend a year at the NIH, or do clinical cardiology research, get an MBA, or do whatever else it is that REALLY sparks your interest. An MPH is a long and difficult road if you're not all that interested in the subject matter.
What other degrees/programs are offered at your school? I'd think long and hard about other opportunities that might stimulate you a bit more.
TommyGunn04 said:
The truth is...Im actuallty very interested in public health. Im just not sure what the best way to utilize the degree is. Im not even sure what specialty Im gonna go into. I have a BS in Health Sciences and a Masters in Biomedical Sciences so I can say with certainty that research really isnt my thing. But I guess the main problem is that im not sure of which specialty Im most interested in, and how I might use the MPH. The MPH is program at NSU for for med students is thankfully spread out over the four years of medical school...taking about 2 night classes a semester.
What specialties do you think might be able to utilze the MPH most?
Thanks
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doc3341 said:
The case could probably be made in any specialty (especially if your goal is academic medicine - with an MPH, you can learn a lot about clinical investigation, although you suggested that you weren't interested in this).
Some of the more common options I've seen are FP (especially in rural areas); infectious disease (IM or peds); occupational & preventive medicine (of course, you typically get an MPH in these program); possibly geriatrics, or general peds / general IM; OB/Gyn - especially if your MPH program allows you to focus on maternal and child health.
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doc3341 said:
If you like math, try to do your MPH with a concentration in epidemiology/biostats. You'll probably end up taking a class in SAS (statistical software). Take that class seriously! Having knowledge of SAS will not only open up big time opportunities for research but will be an added bonus when applying for residencies, especially the competitive ones.
Most people don't realize this benefit of an MPH. G'luck!
