MPH vs. MBA

[samisab786]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

So I'm going to be a second year pharmacy student in a six-year program. I was considering getting a dual-degree to have more opportunities and variety in terms of careers. I was considering getting an MBA b/c my school has a program in which I could graduate with a PharmD/MBA but I was also curious about the MPH because I've been looking into public health for a while. I just don't know what kind of careers you can have as an MPH. And although I kind of dropped the idea, I considered getting a masters in chemical or materials engineering for possible industry related jobs, but again, I don't really know my options in that kind of a field and it seemed like an MBA was more versatile. If anybody has some good insight, it would be kindly appreciated.

 

[EBT12]

I am starting MPH classes this month. All the pharmacists I have met with MPH degrees have carved out unique positions, but it definitely seems to take some time. There isn't necessarily as specific career path for PharmD/MPH individuals (and there aren't a ton of pharmacists with this degree combination). As a comparison, there are many pharmacists with MBA degrees and you can get a good idea of what types of jobs you would be eligible for through networking. Potential career opportunities for PharmD/MPH include working for a public health department, industry, PBM, federal jobs and academia.

Based on discussions with current pharmacists, I do not expect an MPH degree to add significant monetary value (i.e. higher pay). My recommendation is to only pursue a MPH degree if you decide that you have clear public health career interests. Also, keep in mind that some programs are targeted towards working professionals. If you're unsure about your interests now, it may be beneficial to gain some more experience before picking a career path.

 

[Rockefella]

I actually had the same thought in mind. Could anybody give examples of jobs that people get with PharmD/MPH?

As of now, I considered getting an MBA because I wanted to have a better round if I'm doing pharmacy-as in, something that can be non-health related to have opportunities that can either combine or be separate from my degree so that I can have a variety as well. But the thing about an MBA is that I'm not sure how much it would give focus to benefiting society/helping people; an MPH seems to be more useful in that way but I wasn't sure if I needed an MPH to have a job in public health.