Masters in Public Health helpful?

[jmjfb23]

Our school is offering us a chance to get our masters in public health over the next few years while we are in school. It will be a couple night/internet classes a semester and cost some extra money. I was wondering if it would be helpful for oral surgery both in practice and for my application. I have pretty much decided I want to do it (whether it would be helpful toward my application or not), but was just interested in how it might help out in oral surgery or at least come into play.

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[esclavo]

Our school is offering us a chance to get our masters in public health over the next few years while we are in school. It will be a couple night/internet classes a semester and cost some extra money. I was wondering if it would be helpful for oral surgery both in practice and for my application. I have pretty much decided I want to do it (whether it would be helpful toward my application or not), but was just interested in how it might help out in oral surgery or at least come into play.

no, no, no..... if anything it would hurt. You'd be much better off spending that time and money doing externships, learning how to manuver in a hospital, doing research in a helpful subject matter, or even trying to shimmy for a masters in pharmacology or anatomy. While it might seem it is a feather in your cap, when 99% of program directors see it on your application, they will have the oposite reaction than what you'd want.... you'll want them to think of it as a note worthy accomplishment and they will see it as a largely a waste-negative. Maybe the PD at MGH might like it but I don't know of anyone else who would......

 

[LonestarYankee]

no, no, no..... if anything it would hurt. You'd be much better off spending that time and money doing externships, learning how to manuver in a hospital, doing research in a helpful subject matter, or even trying to shimmy for a masters in pharmacology or anatomy. While it might seem it is a feather in your cap, when 99% of program directors see it on your application, they will have the oposite reaction than what you'd want.... you'll want them to think of it as a note worthy accomplishment and they will see it as a largely a waste-negative. Maybe the PD at MGH might like it but I don't know of anyone else who would......

i strongly disagree. i think the ability to test saliva for strep mutans levels with one hand while simultaneously placing chemically-cured sealants with the other would really impress an OMS program director.

 

[Jone]

it could help with pedo. that's about it, IMO.

Our school is offering us a chance to get our masters in public health over the next few years while we are in school. It will be a couple night/internet classes a semester and cost some extra money. I was wondering if it would be helpful for oral surgery both in practice and for my application. I have pretty much decided I want to do it (whether it would be helpful toward my application or not), but was just interested in how it might help out in oral surgery or at least come into play.

 

[ElDienteLoco]

Our school is offering us a chance to get our masters in public health over the next few years while we are in school. It will be a couple night/internet classes a semester and cost some extra money. I was wondering if it would be helpful for oral surgery both in practice and for my application. I have pretty much decided I want to do it (whether it would be helpful toward my application or not), but was just interested in how it might help out in oral surgery or at least come into play.

What year are you?

I remember seriously considering the MPH while in school, but now that I have taken three of the five certificate core classes, I don't think I would want to put in the time right now. I do enjoy the material, but the classes themselves can be a lot of busywork and hoops with less than ideal instruction and forced group interaction (webforum posting). You don't have to make a decision right now and I would take a couple of the required core classes before you decide to sell your soul to an MPH during school. Seriously, just the core classes can be a major drain on your time once you start in the clinic. I just finished posting to my PH class a minute ago (11:30 on Friday night after date night with my wife). I'm not sure that I could do three times the work right now. Just a thought. Good luck.

 

[ElDienteLoco]

What year are you?

I remember seriously considering the MPH while in school, but now that I have taken three of the five certificate core classes, I don't think I would want to put in the time right now. I do enjoy the material, but the classes themselves can be a lot of busywork and hoops with less than ideal instruction and forced group interaction (webforum posting). You don't have to make a decision right now and I would take a couple of the required core classes before you decide to sell your soul to an MPH during school. Seriously, just the core classes can be a major drain on your time once you start in the clinic. I just finished posting to my PH class a minute ago (11:30 on Friday night after date night with my wife). I'm not sure that I could do three times the work right now. Just a thought. Good luck.

Oh yeah, Dr. Lazarski is adjunct endo faculty in the clinic and he has an MPH. He might be a good resource to find out how his endo residency UTHSCSA looked at that experience on his application. Best of luck.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Oh yeah, Dr. Lazarski is adjunct endo faculty in the clinic and he has an MPH. He might be a good resource to find out how his endo residency UTHSCSA looked at that experience on his application. Best of luck.

He isn't an Arizona student.

 

[jmjfb23]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. I'm finishing up my second year, and I would start taking courses for the MPH this summer and then finish it during the next two years. It seems interesting to me, but if it really is that much more time and not helpful at all for OMFS then I don't know if it's worth it for me. I guess I'm just looking for anything to help pad my CV so I can get into a residency. I'm already working on the other basics - externships (5-7 over the next 2 years), active in my school's OMFS department (lots of assisting and observing), leadership (SGA vp for next year), research (starting this summer with a current resident), grades (19/121), and boards (89 and actually an 89.25 which pisses me off even more). Is there anything else you can think of to for me to do that will help me stand out from the rest, besides the extracurriculars in the on call rooms during the externships.