Does PA/MPH make sense for international work?

[pepitofoyador]

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Hey all,

I am interested in working internationally for an IGO or NGO in a health-related field. My obvious choice is to do an MPH at a school with a good rep of international placement. I am also strongly considering MD/MPH as I feel a clinical background is important to truly understand health care, and I'm sure it would be personally rewarding as well. I'm assuming the MD/MPH route allows for the greatest flexibility with career options and advancement.

Would going through a PA program then gaining some clinical experience before going into an MPH program qualify me for many of the PH jobs in developing countries or should I go all the way for MD? I'd rather not spend 7+ years training (plus additional pre-reqs and insane student debt) to be a doctor if I don't plan to spend my entire career on the clinical side, but I also don't want to be held back because I am only a PA and not an MD. Would field experience and working knowledge of several languages be enough to qualify me for good jobs in these organizations or is an MD essential?

Any advice is appreciated! Especially from others with similar interests and /or overseas work.

THANK YOU!

 

[klm7552]

Hey all,

I am interested in working internationally for an IGO or NGO in a health-related field. My obvious choice is to do an MPH at a school with a good rep of international placement. I am also strongly considering MD/MPH as I feel a clinical background is important to truly understand health care, and I'm sure it would be personally rewarding as well. I'm assuming the MD/MPH route allows for the greatest flexibility with career options and advancement.

Would going through a PA program then gaining some clinical experience before going into an MPH program qualify me for many of the PH jobs in developing countries or should I go all the way for MD? I'd rather not spend 7+ years training (plus additional pre-reqs and insane student debt) to be a doctor if I don't plan to spend my entire career on the clinical side, but I also don't want to be held back because I am only a PA and not an MD. Would field experience and working knowledge of several languages be enough to qualify me for good jobs in these organizations or is an MD essential?

Any advice is appreciated! Especially from others with similar interests and /or overseas work.

THANK YOU!

Hey P,

this is totally justmy opinion based on what I've heard from various places, but I think it depends on what you want to do in public health. I am basing this mostly on Medicins San Frontieres, and I don't know how typical their practices are in the IGO/NGO field:

but they look for people to practice epidemiology internationally with just an MPH- I would think you would be doing primarily field work and sample collection. they do not accept PAs, so if you actually want to work with patients you would need an MD. Probably because they would otherwise need all the PAs to be signed off by the MDs and it's too much paperwork?

but I think at least in this specific case, you would need an MD to do clinical work. good luck in whatever you pursue! 🙂

 

[newname]

Screw the PA and MD and just get the MPH.