MPH or SMP? Read this response

[pdiddy916]

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I am beginning to decide my next step towards medical school and have been accepted to a few SMPs already (BU,EVMS,UNT,etc) , waitlisted (Georgetown, UCinn) and am waiting to hear back from a few more. So I email a relative who is a director of a residency program about where I should go because some programs will cost a lot more than others and I wanted to see if the particular program mattered to admissions committees. This is the response I got, what do you guys think?

I am not sure how useful a masters degree in Biology or Biomedical sciences is going to be. It is more of the same (I assume you majored in Biology) and will not help you develop skills that will ultimately help you in medicine. I would rather suggest a Masters in Public Health, a masters in Epidemiology/Statistics, or an MBA. These degrees would make you a more attractive candidate to medical schools - the first two (public health or epi) will help you should you decide to pursue a career in academic medical research. The MBA will help you no matter what - the world of medicine has become a world of money, understanding the flow, where it comes from, how it is spent. Additionally these degrees are stronger "back-ups" should you later decide not to pursue medicine - you would be able to get a job in the bio-technology/research sector.


Do you guys agree?

 

[drizzt3117]

I think a SMP will be more useful purely for med school admissions, that said, it really depends on your profile and stats. I think if you're a candidate who is close to getting in w/o a SMP (3.4/31 etc) then another path besides a SMP would be a very viable and even smart path, while if you're 3.0/30 or so and want to go into a MD program, SMP is really your only option.

 

[DrMidlife]

The person who answered your question doesn't know what an SMP is. The person who answered your question is likely unaware of the existence of low-GPA candidates attempting to get into med school. Very few people who are not active in med school admissions know about our demographic.

I think you should save this person for residency-related questions within his or her specialty.

If your academic credentials are not good enough to get you into medical school, then adding an MPH or MBA won't either. Candidates with strong apps can add an MPH or MBA to round out their app and make their futures more interesting, but there are tons of opportunities to get these degrees during or after med school.

The point of an SMP is not to get a useful degree or get you into a residency: it's to get you into medical school.

Best of luck to you.

 

[caseofthemndays]

The person who answered your question doesn't know what an SMP is. The person who answered your question is likely unaware of the existence of low-GPA candidates attempting to get into med school. Very few people who are not active in med school admissions know about our demographic.

I think you should save this person for residency-related questions within his or her specialty.

If your academic credentials are not good enough to get you into medical school, then adding an MPH or MBA won't either. Candidates with strong apps can add an MPH or MBA to round out their app and make their futures more interesting, but there are tons of opportunities to get these degrees during or after med school.

The point of an SMP is not to get a useful degree or get you into a residency: it's to get you into medical school.

Best of luck to you.

DITTO!!
It sounds like this person might think you're just looking for a program to do during your gap year or something.

 

[Perrotfish]

An SMP is good for getting you into medical school. GREAT at getting you into medical school, actually (I think EVMS is actually near a 90% accept rate). Once you're into medical school, though, it might as well not have happend. It will never positively impact your career again, unless taking some medical school classes twice boosts your board school.

An MPH, on the other hand, seems to have a very small (though positive) effect on your med school admissions chances, no matter how well you do. However it will positively impact your career for years to come. It will improve your shot at a residency, then fellowships (I think they're almost mandatory for Infectious diseases), then leadership positions in the hospital. BTW, make sure you don't accidently sign up for a 2 year program instead of a 1 year program if you decide to do this.

So the question is, how bad is your app currently? Low GPA and a middlin MCAT? Enjoy EVMS (or whatever). 3.8 and a 37? That doc is absolutely right, you should do an MPH.

MBAs are 2 year programs and the ones that are even slighly respected require you to have either work experience or some graduate education. It is not a suitable program for a year off. Also it's value to a civilian doctor is a rather debated point right now. Hospital admins and boards aren't normally docs, and docs (even department heads) generally don't deal with kind of cash flows and investments that an MBA teaches you about. There's a real question about what kind of return you get on your investment here. Of course, lot's of docs are in business for themeselves, but an MBA doesn't teach you about that. For that you'd be better off with something like a couple of accounting courses at a CC + some common sense.

Finally, what I might take from that ADCOM member's letter is that a high linkage program is better than a low linkage program. Low linkage programs only work to improve your app when the ADCOMs' have heard of them. That's fine for the GTown program, which I believe was founded by Cortez on his way to fight the Aztecs and has therefore had a while to get it's name out there, but for the BU program some ADCOMs still might not know about it. However with a high linkage program like EVMS, where all the successful grads continue on to that same medical school, you have a much more definite idea of how completing the program impacts your chances. Of course, then you're stuck with EVMS, which might not be your dream school, but I still think that's a the better deal. Just my opinion.

 

[drizzt3117]

An SMP is good for getting you into medical school. GREAT at getting you into medical school, actually (I think EVMS is actually near a 90% accept rate). Once you're into medical school, though, it might as well not have happend. It will never positively impact your career again, unless taking some medical school classes twice boosts your board school.

An MPH, on the other hand, seems to have a very small (though positive) effect on your med school admissions chances, no matter how well you do. However it will positively impact your career for years to come. It will improve your shot at a residency, then fellowships (I think they're almost mandatory for Infectious diseases), then leadership positions in the hospital. BTW, make sure you don't accidently sign up for a 2 year program instead of a 1 year program if you decide to do this.

So the question is, how bad is your app currently? Low GPA and a middlin MCAT? Enjoy EVMS (or whatever). 3.8 and a 37? That doc is absolutely right, you should do an MPH.

MBAs are 2 year programs and the ones that are even slighly respected require you to have either work experience or some graduate education. It is not a suitable program for a year off. Also it's value to a civilian doctor is a rather debated point right now. Hospital admins and boards aren't normally docs, and docs (even department heads) generally don't deal with kind of cash flows and investments that an MBA teaches you about. There's a real question about what kind of return you get on your investment here. Of course, lot's of docs are in business for themeselves, but an MBA doesn't teach you about that. For that you'd be better off with something like a couple of accounting courses at a CC + some common sense.

Finally, what I might take from that ADCOM member's letter is that a high linkage program is better than a low linkage program. Low linkage programs only work to improve your app when the ADCOMs' have heard of them. That's fine for the GTown program, which I believe was founded by Cortez on his way to fight the Aztecs and has therefore had a while to get it's name out there, but for the BU program some ADCOMs still might not know about it. However with a high linkage program like EVMS, where all the successful grads continue on to that same medical school, you have a much more definite idea of how completing the program impacts your chances. Of course, then you're stuck with EVMS, which might not be your dream school, but I still think that's a the better deal. Just my opinion.

Certain schools REALLY like MPHs (I go to one of them) and fully 10% of the class have MPHs, some of which are reapplicants, so I figure it makes a pretty big difference at some schools.

 

[Perrotfish]

Certain schools REALLY like MPHs (I go to one of them) and fully 10% of the class have MPHs, some of which are reapplicants, so I figure it makes a pretty big difference at some schools.

Some schools like MPHs more that others, but not many schools like an MPH enough to compensate for a sub 3.2 GPA.

 

[drizzt3117]

Some schools like MPHs more that others, but not many schools like an MPH enough to compensate for a sub 3.2 GPA.

I'd agree with that, but I think a 3.3-3.4 GPA individual with a decent MCAT might benefit more from a MPH than from a SMP at some schools (some of which aren't low tier)

 

[pdiddy916]

thanks for the advice i appear to be one of the candidates that is on the lower end of the spectrum.. 3.1/32 so I believe an SMP will suit me better. Now where should I go, BU, UNT, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, etc. ive gotten wait listed at EVMS and Gtown, think there's a chance I will get in to either?

 

[drizzt3117]

thanks for the advice i appear to be one of the candidates that is on the lower end of the spectrum.. 3.1/32 so I believe an SMP will suit me better. Now where should I go, BU, UNT, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, etc. ive gotten wait listed at EVMS and Gtown, think there's a chance I will get in to either?

Where do you prefer going to school? I know a bunch of people who did the Loyola MAMS that had good things to say about the program.

 

[pdiddy916]

i prefer somewhere that is decently priced, but more than anything, the program that is the best or will best prepare me for medical school.

 

[ImmunoRocks]

i prefer somewhere that is decently priced, but more than anything, the program that is the best or will best prepare me for medical school.

I don't know about your "best preparing you for medical school" criteria... keep in mind that in these programs you may be taking 4-6 medical school classes depending on which one you go to. when you enter, be prepared to work like you're in medical school already, maybe even harder.

That being said, feel free to peruse the huge EVMS thread listed a couple threads below if you want more information about the program. We'd be happy to answer anymore specific questions that haven't already been addressed there!

Good luck with your choice