MD schools that value an MPH

[iwanttowearscrubseveryday]

Hello,
I am currently finishing up a 4+1 MPH program and applying to medical school during the 2023-2024 cycle. I am curious if anyone could recommend MD schools that would really value this background in public health. Also, my concentration is in PH Nutrition so I would love a school with an emphasis on Food is Medicine. Any advice is welcome-- even how to frame this grad experience in my personal statement and secondaries! Thank you in advance!

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[chilly_md]

George Washington if you have relevant public health research/work. Most of the time, the MPH does not factor much into admission decisions though.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Do your homework and read

Building Your Best School List - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

For others

Put Down That MPH Application: How to Reapply to Medical School the Right Way - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[jhmmd]

Hello,
I am currently finishing up a 4+1 MPH program and applying to medical school during the 2023-2024 cycle. I am curious if anyone could recommend MD schools that would really value this background in public health. Also, my concentration is in PH Nutrition so I would love a school with an emphasis on Food is Medicine. Any advice is welcome-- even how to frame this grad experience in my personal statement and secondaries! Thank you in advance!

Why did you get a MPH instead of go straight to med school in the first place? This will help shape your PS.
Good luck

 

[iwanttowearscrubseveryday]

Why did you get a MPH instead of go straight to med school in the first place? This will help shape your PS.
Good luck

I was a part of many apprenticeship and internship programs during undergrad that emphasized the intersection of public health and medicine. With the opportunity to get an MPH in one year, I thought it was important to build a stronger public health background to be the physician I wanted to be and see the whole picture of medicine beyond treating the symptoms. Hope to write in my PS how I hope to reduce health disparities -- or rather inequities-- with what I have learned as a Dr. and share my unique insights on the SDOH in medical school.

 

[jhmmd]

I was a part of many apprenticeship and internship programs during undergrad that emphasized the intersection of public health and medicine. With the opportunity to get an MPH in one year, I thought it was important to build a stronger public health background to be the physician I wanted to be and see the whole picture of medicine beyond treating the symptoms. Hope to write in my PS how I hope to reduce health disparities -- or rather inequities-- with what I have learned as a Dr. and share my unique insights on the SDOH in medical school.

1. Doctors don't just "treat symptoms." If you thought that a MPH was a way around this, then you're misinformed. That's not how it works. Medicine is not a cookbook recipe. Medicine is complex and while a MPH may address many health issues, it does not make you more well-rounded as a physician. You will need to think of a good reason why your MPH will help you become a better doctor beyond claiming that doctors "treat symptoms." This is part of it, but definitely not everything. Symptoms are important. But a MPH won't help you recognize what to do with them.

2. "Reducing health disparities/inequity" is a very common refrian amongst pre-meds when asked about current healthcare issues/how they hope to improve the future of healthcare. It is also a rather bland and not very well thought-out answer. You will need to get more into depth about what this means to you, and what exactly you intend to do about it.

3. I assume that by "SDOH," you mean Social Determinants of Health, e.g. socioeconomic factors. If you indeed have "unique insights" on these factors, then you will need to go into detail about your background and how it inspired you to become a physician, including people who inspired/helped you, rather than simply stating that you had difficulties. You have not gotten very specific here, and I'm not sure what you mean by "SDOH in medical school."

Hope that helps.

 

[iwanttowearscrubseveryday]

1. Doctors don't just "treat symptoms." If you thought that a MPH was a way around this, then you're misinformed. That's not how it works. Medicine is not a cookbook recipe. Medicine is complex and while a MPH may address many health issues, it does not make you more well-rounded as a physician. You will need to think of a good reason why your MPH will help you become a better doctor beyond claiming that doctors "treat symptoms." This is part of it, but definitely not everything. Symptoms are important. But a MPH won't help you recognize what to do with them.

2. "Reducing health disparities/inequity" is a very common refrian amongst pre-meds when asked about current healthcare issues/how they hope to improve the future of healthcare. It is also a rather bland and not very well thought-out answer. You will need to get more into depth about what this means to you, and what exactly you intend to do about it.

3. I assume that by "SDOH," you mean Social Determinants of Health, e.g. socioeconomic factors. If you indeed have "unique insights" on these factors, then you will need to go into detail about your background and how it inspired you to become a physician, including people who inspired/helped you, rather than simply stating that you had difficulties. You have not gotten very specific here, and I'm not sure what you mean by "SDOH in medical school."

Hope that helps.

I appreciate this in-depth analysis and constructive criticism. I do have specific answers and more details behind all of these questions that you raise. My earlier response was a brief overview of which I will expand upon, but thank you for highlighting these areas I should focus on clarifying and concerns with the language that I used.