MPH in ND Good Gap Year Option?

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Considering applying to the MPH program at NDSU/UND, and could really use some advice (especially seeing since the deadline is May 1st

Unfortunately, I tried and failed to get into a DO school for fall of 2013. I made a bunch of mistakes in the application process (applied too late, took the MCAT in september, had flighty LOR, too low sgpa) and am working on fixing those and believe I have a good shot for this next cycle. However, I am worried about being bored out of my mind during my gap year. I am working on getting a CNA job, but I've done that work before and it's just not that intellictually simulating. TBH I hate the idea of having a BA and doing a job I could have done in high school.

A friend told me about the MPH program and I am considering applying, the only issues seem to be that I would have to finish up my thesis and some course work during the first semester (or year) of med school which seems very stressful. Also I am worried about the difficulity of course work combined with a distance program, because I live 45 minutes away from Fargo I will be doing most of the work online and am worried about staying motivated.

Thoughts? I am also worried about what med school adcoms with think of this and if they will want to wait until my fall grades come in to make a decisions (which would suck). In the future I really want to work with teens and sex ed in some context and there is a really interesting specialization in policy making at UND, which is why I got interested in the first place.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated

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[TennisFan013]

Well if you're considering it at all, you'd better apply because May 1 is practically here. If you get in, then you'll have a few weeks to decide.

 

[touchpause13]

Well if you're considering it at all, you'd better apply because May 1 is practically here. If you get in, then you'll have a few weeks to decide.

They said they would extend the deadline so as long as I start the application by then I'm fine. I just don't want to start it then decide halfway through filling out the app that I've changed my mind

 

[TennisFan013]

Is the program 1.5 years? Are you sure you'd have to finish it while you're starting medical school?
M1 is a bear. I don't think you'd want to complicate things for yourself after potentially working so hard to get in. Could you finish MPH at a later date?

Also, adcom's would only "wait" for your fall (or even spring) term grades if what they already have from you isn't enough to give you admission. What I'm trying to say is that if they see you as a good candidate who they want (and they know you're in a good grad program), they wouldn't put your application on hold to evaluate your MPH grades.

If I were you I'd apply and in the meantime contact the admissions departments of perspective schools and ask them what they think of taking your program. They will probably ask you how many science courses you'll be taking and how this could help your sGPA.

Lastly, if you're doing this online, there might be programs that start this summer that would do every bit as much for your application and gap year as the program at ND. Is ND really affordable? Does ND have a school that you want to go to? Otherwise, you could be applying to MPH online programs at any number of schools.

 

[touchpause13]

Is the program 1.5 years? Are you sure you'd have to finish it while you're starting medical school?
M1 is a bear. I don't think you'd want to complicate things for yourself after potentially working so hard to get in. Could you finish MPH at a later date?

Also, adcom's would only "wait" for your fall (or even spring) term grades if what they already have from you isn't enough to give you admission. What I'm trying to say is that if they see you as a good candidate who they want (and they know you're in a good grad program), they wouldn't put your application on hold to evaluate your MPH grades.

If I were you I'd apply and in the meantime contact the admissions departments of perspective schools and ask them what they think of taking your program. They will probably ask you how many science courses you'll be taking and how this could help your sGPA.

Lastly, if you're doing this online, there might be programs that start this summer that would do every bit as much for your application and gap year as the program at ND. Is ND really affordable? Does ND have a school that you want to go to? Otherwise, you could be applying to MPH online programs at any number of schools.

All very good things to consider thanks for your advice, I am going to talk it over with family and make a decision. Calling adcoms is definately a good call, I will look into that. North Dakota would be vastly easier for me to do , as I am in-state and tuition is very very cheap.

 

[wholeheartedly]

They are pretty new program, so you might have more headaches to deal with while they figure things out. Not sure, have they graduated a class yet? If so try to talk to students that have completed the program to get a feel for how well organized it is. Also, are they accredited yet?

I worked with a few faculty in one of the associated programs at UND and can't say I was impressed. Some of UND/NDSU's programs are really well set up, so it all depends on what they decided as the final set-up. But there are a quite a few online programs that seem pretty well respected. I think Hopkins has a program that's mostly online as well and one of my coworkers is doing an online program through a school in Michigan. If most of your work through the ND program will be online, it might be worth looking into all your online options other places as well.

Even the University of MN is transitioning to having lots of online options, so it might be possible to do that from where you are as well. That's my current program for MPH and I love it.


Definitely talk to current students though.

 

[HSUReddie]

Some things to consider...

Are you applying to any MD schools next year? I am not sure how the system for DO works, but I know that AMCAS still lists sGPA's for undergrad and grad school separately. Post-bac programs, if I'm not mistaken, get tagged into undergrad GPA. MPH won't though.

Would the program be doable in one year? Are there any other options out there available to you that are just a year? Just to take away that stress of completing a semester while in med school.

And lastly, does the school you want to apply to for DO even allow you to matriculate with an unfinished, at the time, graduate degree? I know the med school I am matriculating to has a strict rule that you have to have your graduate degree completed by the time you arrive for orientation.