How much does having a masters degree help...

[premeddick]

I am thinking about getting an MPH before applying to medical school. Is this common? Does it help in getting into higher tier medical school? Does it help in getting a good residency? Any info about its help in getting into an allo school is appreciated.

Thanks

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[45408]

Common? No.

Higher tier med school? Probably not.

Good residency? Very likely yes. I've heard from admissions personnel (granted, were promoting the MD/MPH route) that some residencies look favorably on those with MD/MPH degrees, which can often be obtained in the same amount of time as an MD.

 

[LizzyM]

In my experience, about 1 in 40 matriculants has a MPH before matriculating. I don't know what proportion of applicants have an MPH so I really can't say if MPH holders are over-represented in a med school class in relationship to their prevalence in the applicant pool.

Many, many med schools are now offering MD/MPH degree programs and a larger pool of MD/MPH holders will be applying for residencies in the years ahead. I hear that those with or enrolled in MPH tend to do better in their clinical clerkships (can read & interprete the medical literature more easily because of coursework in biostats & epidemiology). In my experience, most match well.

If you want to do it because you find it intellectually stimulating, go for it. If you are going to spend upward of 2 years in an academic program because it will give you a good shot at med school, it may not be worth the effort.

 

[sunset823]

Any masters degree can only help you, as long as you know where you are going with it. An MPH is good for someone who wants to work (duh) on public health. An MBA is useful if one wants to work in pharmaceuticals or on the corporate side of medicine. I'm doing an MPP (Public Policy), which is useful if you want to delve into government or international health issues, but more from the economic & analysis side than the public health/on the ground one.

About 40% of most medical classes come in at least one year after graduating undergrad. Some work, some get masters in sciences, and some get other professional degrees like the one above. If you just want to be a practicing physician with no other ideas, it may not be worth it, but if you want to get to a higher status within the medical community, these degrees certainly help.

 

[Haemulon]

This has been tossed around on another thread before. I think the general idea is that there is very little down side to having a Masters degree, and a lot of potential advantages (emphasis on potential, nothing gauranteed). One drawback could of course be the extra time and costs involved in many cases and the possibility that you may not actually utilize it down the road. However, once you have it, you have it forever and is always there as an extra credential.

As far as trying to get into medical school, it may or may not help. For sure it shows more training, knowledge, and experience than you would have had otherwise. Plus, it gives you something additional to talk about during interviews or on secondary applications. Now if you mean getting it during medical school, I agree with a previous poster that it will help for getting residencies.

 

[spazzy117]

Basically, if your grades are not good in undergraduate, if you want to do a masters to prove to schools that you can excell academically, certainly MPH or MS will help you.

But if your grades are great, there is no reason, you would be better off taking a year off doing something like you, teaching, researching, abroad or whatever.

If you are interested in MPH for real, then you should go for it. But it would make more sense for you to do it while you are doing MD or after because you will understand what kind of MPH you want do after you get more clinical and medical exposure in medical school, ie. biostatistics, empidermiology of infectious diseaes, or public health policies etc

 

[BeanerMD]

I'm a reapplicant with decent grades and scores (which obviously didn't get me in), and the one thing every school advised last year to improve my application was a masters degree in health sciences (didn't have to be epi, could be anything in bio really). SO- I'd advise it if you're trying to boost the grades, show what you've got, and to give yourself something interesting to talk about in interviews and essays. BUT, if you're not willing to spend the money, and they can be pricey, then forego it for something else you're passionate about doing.

 

[Law2Doc]

I am thinking about getting an MPH before applying to medical school. Is this common? Does it help in getting into higher tier medical school? Does it help in getting a good residency? Any info about its help in getting into an allo school is appreciated.

Thanks

Get am MPH only if you are interested in doing a field that involves public health (eg. epidemiology). Don't do it to help you get into med school or residency, as it is not the best use of your time. Other masters will be more rare, better prove your ability to handle hard sciences, or will be nicer lead ins if you want to do an MD/PhD track. Totally disagree with spazzy 117 here -- there are better degrees to get if the goal is to prove yourself academically. A SMP or hard science masters will be higher yeild.

 

[becky_C]

My undergrad grades suck. I got a Master of Applied Statistics with a minor in biology (only about 15 hours worth of bio) and my GPA is a 3.4- AND I worked 40+hours the whole way through my M.S.

So even though my masters isn't in a biological field, is it gonna help me????

 

[LizzyM]

Is that a grad school gpa of 3.4? That isn't going to help that much because grade inflation is the order of the day in grad school. Stats & bio is a good combination. It is hard to say without knowing what a specific med school is looking for and what else you have on your appie (service, clinical, research, etc)

 

[63768]

My undergrad grades suck. I got a Master of Applied Statistics with a minor in biology (only about 15 hours worth of bio) and my GPA is a 3.4- AND I worked 40+hours the whole way through my M.S.

So even though my masters isn't in a biological field, is it gonna help me????

is that 3.4 undergrad and grad combined? haha not sure why you're asking now that you've already gotten the MS. you have to mention it to med schools whether or not it's going to help you. all you can do now is explain why you choose that degree and why you're now choosing medicine.

 

[dr.z]

I am thinking about getting an MPH before applying to medical school. Is this common? Does it help in getting into higher tier medical school? Does it help in getting a good residency? Any info about its help in getting into an allo school is appreciated.

Thanks

It will help but will not make up for subpar undergraduate record or MCAT.

 

[Transformers]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

 

[LizzyM]

Are SMPs masters degress (like an MPH) that you can report and will it beenfit you when you apply for residencies?

SMPs are upper level classes (sometimes the classes are taken together with medical students) intended to demonstrate a student's ability to do well in the natural sciences. It is usually done as a means of repairing one's gpa.

 

[njbmd]

I am thinking about getting an MPH before applying to medical school. Is this common? Does it help in getting into higher tier medical school? Does it help in getting a good residency? Any info about its help in getting into an allo school is appreciated.

Thanks

An MPH is not going to enhance your credentials for medical school admissions. If you are interested in public health and medicine, you are better off getting the MPH during medical school (can be done at many medical schools).If you are not competitive for a medical school (MCAT, uGPA, extracurriculars etc.) an MPH is not going to make you more competitive. You need to get the grades up, score well on the MCAT and produce a competitive application.

In terms of residency, having an MPH will not offset a poor performance in medical school. It will enhance a good student's credentials but it doesn't move an otherwise undistinguished academic performance into the competitive category.

If you are marginal for admission into medical school (average for matriculant is uGPA of 3.7; MCAT 31) then you need postbacc work to get yourself above average. If you elect to enter a Special Masters Program (SMP) for credential enhancement, be prepared to work extremely hard. A mediocre performance in an SMP can be a "kiss of death" as these programs are considered a second chance for you to be impressive.

 

[NotSur]

Basically, if your grades are not good in undergraduate, if you want to do a masters to prove to schools that you can excell academically, certainly MPH or MS will help you.

But if your grades are great, there is no reason, you would be better off taking a year off doing something like you, teaching, researching, abroad or whatever.

If you are interested in MPH for real, then you should go for it. But it would make more sense for you to do it while you are doing MD or after because you will understand what kind of MPH you want do after you get more clinical and medical exposure in medical school, ie. biostatistics, empidermiology of infectious diseaes, or public health policies etc

This is what I was going to say. The only way it would really help you is if you had something in undergrad to make up for. Otherwise, if that's your only reason, it's really not worth it. I do think it is becoming more common though. I have a few friends in MPH programs whose eventual goal is med school.

 

[herewego]

I'm currently pursuing masters that allows me to do meaningful clinical/basic science research in the future. I don't need a GPA boost either. I loved my research experience in undergrad, and I'd like to keep research as a part of my life even as a practicing physician.

I hope to high heaven that it helps me get into med school, but that's not the reason I'm doing the masters..hopefully some adcom will understand..

 

[premeddick]

An MPH is not going to enhance your credentials for medical school admissions. If you are interested in public health and medicine, you are better off getting the MPH during medical school (can be done at many medical schools).If you are not competitive for a medical school (MCAT, uGPA, extracurriculars etc.) an MPH is not going to make you more competitive. You need to get the grades up, score well on the MCAT and produce a competitive application.

In terms of residency, having an MPH will not offset a poor performance in medical school. It will enhance a good student's credentials but it doesn't move an otherwise undistinguished academic performance into the competitive category.

If you are marginal for admission into medical school (average for matriculant is uGPA of 3.7; MCAT 31) then you need postbacc work to get yourself above average. If you elect to enter a Special Masters Program (SMP) for credential enhancement, be prepared to work extremely hard. A mediocre performance in an SMP can be a "kiss of death" as these programs are considered a second chance for you to be impressive.

Haha. Thanks for the advice but I wrote this post over 3 years ago when I was pre-med, its sort of lost its efficacy for me in my second year of medical school. Here's hoping it helps someone else.