MPH at a School w/o a Dual Degree Option

[#science]

I was recently admitted to Rush Medical College. Although I LOVE the school, they don't have a Master's of Public Health program, and I was hoping to finish medical school with both degrees. Perhaps I could take part time MPH classes at Northwestern or get it by taking an extra year after M2, but I had several questions.
- Are there special ways to get an MPH financed as a medical student, even while one's medical school doesn't have an MPH?
- Do you have suggestions about how to go about this/have heard of it being done in the past?

Thank you!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[redferrari]

I'm in a similar situation. I have been admitted to a school without an MPH program. However, I am planning on pursuing an MPH degree through another school that has a partnership with my school. I strongly urge you to contact the admissions office and financial aid department of Rush and see what information they can share, and if such a partnership exists. They may also be able to put you in communication with others who may be currently pursuing both degrees. With the surge in popularity of the MPH dual degree, I am sure there's at least one current student who has been down this path before.

It is worth mentioning that my school and the affiliated school are both public institutions within my state. I'm not sure how Rush would form one of those affiliations being a private institution, but like I said, definitely contact the admissions office, financial aid office and possibly the medical education department about this!

 

[ridethecliche]

You can do an MPH during residency or fellowship depending on the program you get into. Many of the attendings I've talked to think that's a better use of it since it's more fresh when you actually want to do projects.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Sometimes when you pursue the MPH further down the training pathway, i.e. fellowship, you increase your odds of having it funded. At my current location students essentially do an away year to do the MPH at another institution.

 

[Say]

I think you should wait till after first year of med school to make a decision on pursuing an additional degree (except MD/PhD ofc). I had the idea of doing an additional degree like MBA or MPH, but now as a second year I can't imagine doing anything else except becoming a practicing clinician as soon as possible. Consider what you want to get out of the degree, and if it is worth the extra year go for it. For example if you want to have it just to make yourself look better in Thanksgiving dinner conversations, it may not be worth. Perhaps later on I will do an MPH, but for now I question its utility.

 

[Medstart108]

Do it during residency or fellowship. I don't think there is a rush to do it now unless you plan on using it now.

 

[bluetovah]

I had a PI (he wasn't an MD. MPH/PhD.) tell me that MD/MPH dual programs are fine. But if you go back to school after your MD, you might as well just get a PhD. In his opinion, going back for the MPH feels like "going back to undergrad" and seems like a waste when you could just get a PhD. That advice has me rethinking what I'm doing.