Md/mph?

[Bandu]

Doing an MD/MPH - does that MPH help get you more competitive residencies? Is that really a worthwhile extra boost to your resume? I go to a school where you can do the MD/MPH in 4 years so you don't have to take any extra time to finish it. (However, I presume this means you have little free time and no summers....also you have to pay for that MPH so more loans!)

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[Hurricane95]

Bah...an MPH is usually pretty worthless, unless you want to work with preventive medicine and biostats at the academic level.
Most people who do this degree are liberal hippies who want to socialize everything, including medicine
Get an MBA...that's where it's at. We'll all need it once this change in healthcare floodgate opens in the not-so-distant future...

 

[masterofmonkeys]

The only reason to get an MPH is if you're honestly interested in doing public health stuff once you're out.

The MPH may have been a clever idea a long time ago (more for getting into med school than for residency), back when it was relatively rare for someone trying to get into MD school to get one while they waited a year. But by now the tactic is so commonplace and transparent that all it shows is you totally lack originality.

 

[snurpy]

Bah...an MPH is usually pretty worthless, unless you want to work with preventive medicine and biostats at the academic level.
Most people who do this degree are liberal hippies who want to socialize everything, including medicine
Get an MBA...that's where it's at. We'll all need it once this change in healthcare floodgate opens in the not-so-distant future...

Actually, a lot of MBAs lost their jobs in the economic downturn. MPH also allows you to specialize in policy, and THAT's where it's at. A lot of jobs opened up for MPHs to work in Washington on a lot of policy related to healthcare.

I don't think you should do anything that you -think- would make you more competitive but not be true to yourself and don't plan on using it in the future.

 

[justducky]

I have been thinking about doing MD/MPH not so much for nationwide policy-making as for public health organization on a smaller, community-based scale. Any thoughts on that being worthwhile? One of my interviewers, who holds an MPH, told me she thought I could have enough clout to get things organized with just the MD after my name.

 

[gplex86]

It you want a job in government/community level medicine, you'll need a MPH at some point. It's usually cheaper to do it in med school.

My MPH classes are full of old docs.

 

[masterofmonkeys]

I have been thinking about doing MD/MPH not so much for nationwide policy-making as for public health organization on a smaller, community-based scale. Any thoughts on that being worthwhile? One of my interviewers, who holds an MPH, told me she thought I could have enough clout to get things organized with just the MD after my name.

I don't think you'd NEED the MPH. I've met plenty who do that kinda thing who only have MDs. In fact there are residency programs within most specialties that specifically target that kind of person.

Which isn't to say that there might not be other benefits of the MPH, just in terms of knowledge base and expertise.

 

[xscpx]

I can't believe this is a serious thread....I'm not sure who is more ridiculous, the OP or the respondents! (by that I mean Hurricane and Snurpy!) wow...

Getting another degree to help get a residency is a *****ic thing to do. Try putting as much effort into med school as you are putting into attempting to overcompensate for your less-than-stellar performance. Maybe then you will get somewhere. (if you are only asking for knowledge and not a way out, then the MPH is not going to do anything for you in terms of residencies. It has little to do with clinical medicine which is what the residencies are concerned with. Amongst others things of course. Only go for an MPH if that is the type of career you want as a doctor, not a resume booster. I agree that it would appear transparent.)

And yes, the current healthcare system here is working so well now! Why should we change it?

....wow....and these are our future doctors...



Can a mod please close this nonsensical thread before it turns into a socialized medicine debate?

 

[Torsed]

Doing an MD/MPH - does that MPH help get you more competitive residencies? Is that really a worthwhile extra boost to your resume? I go to a school where you can do the MD/MPH in 4 years so you don't have to take any extra time to finish it. (However, I presume this means you have little free time and no summers....also you have to pay for that MPH so more loans!)

Not sure if many here know what they are talking about. I got my MPH while I was in Medical School and I am glad that I did because now, nearing the end of my residency, I doubt I would go back to get it. I think just having the degree opens doors for you. I've been selected to be on Professional Committee's in my field's national organization and the MPH helps you stand out from the herd of MD's. The curious thing about the MPH is that in that curriculum you learn much of what ISN'T taught in med school such as running a practice, policy, managment, and REAL biostats and epidemiology classes, not just "3 pages of high yield Biostats for MDs." I've found that it has made me a more well rounded physician, it certainly has helped me with several of my publications and wouldn't hurt one's CV by any means. One could also view it as a way to get into the more administrative side of medicine. There were many physicians, mostly E.R. and primary care who were in my MPH classes who were looking for a way out of the trenches of medicine, as one quoted "you've got a ticket to the party, but the party is over." Though, I really don't agree with that logic.

As far as earning the degree at the same time as your MD, its pretty rough. I found the MPH classes were markedly easy compared to the Medical classes, most were held at night so I could usually attend them. The books were relatively cheap and most of the classes had 2 or 3 tests and maybe a paper or two. I think most programs do a "capstone" thesis which is like a baby Masters thesis, mine was about 50 pages and I had to present it to a committee, the worst part was writing it. There is a lot of hub bub now about getting "certified" in public health and I do believe they have a board certification now, I really don't think many do this, I'm not going to.

Hope that helps you out. Good luck in all your endeavors.

 

[Torsed]

Doing an MD/MPH - does that MPH help get you more competitive residencies? Is that really a worthwhile extra boost to your resume? I go to a school where you can do the MD/MPH in 4 years so you don't have to take any extra time to finish it. (However, I presume this means you have little free time and no summers....also you have to pay for that MPH so more loans!)

Regarding paying for it, it depends on the institution, because I was in med school at the time, there was no fee for the MPH classes other than purchasing books, etc.