MPH + Peds = ?

[untildawnbreaks]

Hi everyone,

I have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm enrolled in a MD/MPH program which I'm starting in June. Now I'm only going to be an MS-1, so I know I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I have always been interested in peds and I was wondering how pediatrics/neonatology/adolescent medicine integrates with public health. I've worked Child Life specialists in hospitals so I've met a few docs w/both degrees but how exactly do you (or your collegues) integrate the two disciplines?

Thanks

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[oldbearprofessor]

Hi everyone,

I have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. I'm enrolled in a MD/MPH program which I'm starting in June. Now I'm only going to be an MS-1, so I know I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I have always been interested in peds and I was wondering how pediatrics/neonatology/adolescent medicine integrates with public health. I've worked Child Life specialists in hospitals so I've met a few docs w/both degrees but how exactly do you (or your collegues) integrate the two disciplines?

Thanks

There are many, many pediatricians actively involved in public health issues, some with MPH's others not. This includes advocacy regarding things like helmet use, anti-drugs, STD prevention, etc. In neo, one of my favorite docs has made an academic career of working with the March of Dimes on public health projects regarding prevention of prematurity, etc, especially among minority populations. The combination fits in well with academic medicine especially "general academic pediatrics" (the people who run clinics in medical schools staffed by residents and caring for underserved populations), ER docs, neonatologists and a few others, including adolescent medicine.

Regards

OBP

 

[doc05]

integrating peds with public health has a ton of potential. when you've gone through some clinical rotations, you'll realize how closely related peds is to social and public health issues. give it some time and you'll think of a ton of applications and research projects.

 

[14022]

a physics professor once told me that

MPH + Peds = spontaneous combustion

you have been warned

 

[14022]

seriously though, just think about the plethora of social issues affecting children...from education access, to child abuse, to vaccines, to children having children (there is a baby in the nicu at my program whose mother is 12 years old- started having sex at the age of 10- over 20 partners in her life-disgusting and sad all at the same time- the mother's mother [or baby's grandmother] was kicked out of the delivery by the obgyn because she was high and acting inappropriately)

pediatrics allows you to reach out to one child at a time

public health allows you to reach out to an entire society...pretty empowering and gratifying if you ask me

it is not for me, but if you are interested, i think the possibilities are endless

 

[docmartin]

Untildawnbreaks,
I agree with the above posters. I received my MPH before med school and it has made me that much more marketable for residency. I hope to continue w/ public health research during my residency. And like the above posters stated, tons of overlap b/w pediatric issues (child abuse, school based programs, immunizations, teen pregnancy, etc) and public health. Not to mention, that you will understand/appreciate the whole health industry and primary prevention issue that much better.
Good luck.

 

[kristing]

I think peds and MPH are the best fit, except for maybe occupational health. So much of what you do in peds is preventative medicine.

My MPH helped me in numberous ways, not the least of which was being able to do stats, and when one of my preceptors found this out added me on to his research study and now I'm published. And I didn't even try and go and find a research opportunity.

 

[pedsid]

my problem ...

I'm a 3rd year taking off next year to work on an MPH, my key interests are in policy, etc.

In any event, for me I'm having a hard time deciding between peds critical care (or maybe one of the other specialties) or peds surgery ... any take? I'm at a really small school and I don't have a ton of exposure to a lot of peds surgery, etc. Any advice on this?

 

[jackjinju]

One thing I'm thinking of doing during NICU fellowship for research is doing something with medical informatics. Any ideas about that OBP (or anyone else)?

Thanks!

 

[oldbearprofessor]

One thing I'm thinking of doing during NICU fellowship for research is doing something with medical informatics. Any ideas about that OBP (or anyone else)?

Thanks!

Hi - not obvious on this one. Research has to be publishable and so it depends on what you do with this. There have been papers about medical informatics in neonatology, so it's possible. The caution is that sometimes when people find out about someone who really knows how to set up databases, etc, they can get "used" to do other peoples bidding. for example, everyone wants to know their hospital's outcomes by gestational age, birthweight, etc, but be sure that you don't spend time doing that for others. If you can combine some statistical projects with the informatics, that might be a better idea.

Regards

OBP

 

[notstudying]

I also did an MPH (and some research) before med school, and it definately helps your marketability (not to mention your understanding of the system).

For pedsid-peds surgery is such a different route than any peds fellowship-it is incredibly long (5+ years of residency plus I think 3 of fellowsip). You have to really like surgery. I don't know of anyone combining peds surg and policy but it's probably a wide open area.

Many fellowships where I am are now including the MPH as part of the curriculum (not just general academic peds, but neo, adolescent, ED etc). In fact we are trying to encourage resident interest in research as well. Even the more system based subspecialties (cardiology, renal) can benefit from MPH training in the research they do.

As far as integration... Since academics in any of the specialties you mentioned usually integrates research, the MPH gives you a head start in understanding population based research and evaluation. This can go from studying outcomes of very premature infants, to analyzing adolescents' reasons for deferring medical care (not insurance by the way-more because they were worried their parents would find out!), to evaluating the role of CT in diagnosing head injury.

We actually have several neos here who are interested in informatics-they keep coming up with competing information systems! The other interesting area in informatics is reducing error-there's some interesting work being done (by surgeons at this point) that integrates knowledge from the airline industry on reducing errors. Since neo is so technical, there are so many details, and the scales are so different than with larger patients (the equipment may not be designed for such small babies; the doses are 10x smaller...). If you can come up with solutions or or checking mechanisms this allows for interventional studies (which are always nice since you are doing something to solve a problem, rather than just defining it!).

I am actually rotation back to the NICU next week for a month! (On vacation now...sigh!).

 

[doc05]

my problem ...

I'm a 3rd year taking off next year to work on an MPH, my key interests are in policy, etc.

In any event, for me I'm having a hard time deciding between peds critical care (or maybe one of the other specialties) or peds surgery ... any take? I'm at a really small school and I don't have a ton of exposure to a lot of peds surgery, etc. Any advice on this?

peds surgery requires 5 years in g-surg + 2 year fellowship. there are only about 20-30 spots/year in peds surg, so most have done 2+ years in the lab (during residency) to make themselves more competitive for fellowship (ie, 9 years total). peds surg generally means practicing in a tertiary care setting, medium-large city, operating on many referral cases, very sick kids, etc.

most important is that you really love surgery, and considering that there are so few spots in peds surg, if you change your mind/don't get a spot, you'll be a general surgeon. that should be something you'd be willing to do. if peds is your main interest, I suggest doing a pediatrics residency.