My Experience so far in a Combined Degree

[Dr.BadVibes]

I do have a question for you Dr. BadVibes: is it a lot of work for you to have to complete regular dental school work and take classes for your Masters in Public Health? Would you recommend dual degrees?

There were many questions about the combined degree on the Columbia thread, so I thought to start a new thread dedicated to talking about it for interested pre-dents.

SO the question posed to me was, is it a lot of work? well, yah! Im taking two extra courses in the semester, which means more class time, more work, more tests!!!

For my two extra MPH courses, I have one extra class each week for each course.

So for instance on Tuesday, I have Restorative Dentistry from 8-11:30. Then I have Gross Anatomy from 1-4:30. Then I have my MPH course in Healthcare organization from 4:45-7:15pm.

So basically my Tuesday is from 8am-7:15pm. On Wednesday, i have class from 1-7:15pm. Sounds brutal, eh? Well its actually not as bad as it seems. Its only twice a weeks and the extra work is not difficult and with persistent time management, I actually do not notice the extra courses....they have just become second nature to me.

I still get to go out, have free time and have fun...I still get to study for all my dental courses.....and Im not stressed out at all...so Im pretty happy with the dual degree so far. Unfortunately, the two courses Im taking are boring core courses which I absolutely hate, but its like any other degree. At the beginning you have to take the uninteresting compulsory courses, but as time goes by, you have more freedom in the courses you get to choose.

So in the end....Would I recommend dual degrees? Definitely!! It definitely makes you stand out from your fellow classmates, will help you shine when applying to specialities, gives you extra credentials which could never hurt (and also three extra letters after your name!!) and if you are interested in your other degree as I am (I love public health), then its a complete win-win situation for me.

Perhaps other SDNers in combined degrees can jump in with their experiences. Cheers!

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[Blackstars]

Excellent post Dr. Badvibes, do you have to spend another year or two in school because of the dual degree?

p.s. I noticed on your signature you've travelved to 30 countries so far, that's the list include Ghana

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

Excellent post Dr. Badvibes, do you have to spend another year or two in school because of the dual degree?

p.s. I noticed on your signature you've travelved to 30 countries so far, that's the list include Ghana

well at Temple, the combined degrees are designed to be completed within the 4 year time frame of the DMD degree.....at the other schools with dual degrees I interviewed at, Columbia and Tufts, it was the same case.

but I didnt wanna overkill myself, so I started my dual degree in freshmen year so it will be spread over the 4 years nicely.....so to answer your question, no I will not spend any more years on the dual degree.

As for your other question....nope havent gone to Ghana....Africa is a continent I plan to explore when I have more money cause its expensive to get to....I have been to Morocco though, but that was only because of its proximity to Spain. Are you from Ghana?

I met a guy from Ghana in Germany...he was cleaning the toilets at the train station and I talked with him for like an hour about his experiences moving from Ghana to Germany....he was such a nice guy and really made me want to goto Ghana one day!!!

 

[ItsGavinC]

Perhaps other SDNers in combined degrees can jump in with their experiences. Cheers!

Our MPH/MHA content at Arizona is done through UNC-Chapel Hill. UNC is an awesome program for public health (ranks #2 in the nation typically) so the school for sure knows what they're doing.

I have a huge disdain for the coursework, however. Granted I've only done one class thus far (dealing with health policies and administration) but the content just doesn't interest me as of yet.

The workload isn't hard, to the contrary it's on the level where it's so easy that it's more like a nuisance. It's just something I have to do.

 

[paolorossifan]

I have 2 questions:

1. How many more courses in total does it take usually to get that MPH.
2. Does getting a loan for your MPH become difficult if you already have one for your DDS.

Thanks.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

I have 2 questions:

1. How many more courses in total does it take usually to get that MPH.
2. Does getting a loan for your MPH become difficult if you already have one for your DDS.

Thanks.

1. I dont know the exact number of credits, but i think its around 25-30 extra credits over the 4 years. That equals about 1-2 more courses per semester.

2. At temple, the combined degrees are at no extra cost so I dont take out anymore loans...correct me if Im wrong Gavin, but I think Arizona is also free as well. From my interview experiences, Columbia and Tufts wanted an extra $30K for the extra degree....pretty brutal in my opinion....but since I was never considering doing that, i never looked into the financial aid part of it. Perhaps you can call the school and ask them. I remember the guy at Columbia was super nice and brilliant. He is a very famous guy in dental public health.

 

[Dr.BadVibes]

By the way...the contact at Columbia for the DDS/MPH is Dr. Burton Edelstein. He is a pediatric dentist and very very famous in the field of dental public health. ANd he is an extremely nice guy...we had a great conversation on the phone. Here is his personal website:

http://cumc.columbia.edu/research/Faculty_Profiles/profiles/edelstein_bl.htm

 

[paolorossifan]

By the way...the contact at Columbia for the DDS/MPH is Dr. Burton Edelstein. He is a pediatric dentist and very very famous in the field of dental public health. ANd he is an extremely nice guy...we had a great conversation on the phone. Here is his personal website:

http://cumc.columbia.edu/research/Faculty_Profiles/profiles/edelstein_bl.htm

Thanks for the info man.

 

[DB#1]

Does anyone know about the amount of work a DMD/MBA dual degree involves?
Is it a lot of extra classes?
And are they taken during the summer?

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[paolorossifan]

Here's another burning question:

I've let my grades slip big time since getting into Columbia, by 0.10-0.15 grade points. Does Temple's MPH Dept. look at your dental school grades or UG grades, or both and/or is it the DAT? What I mean to say is: Since were in the dental school is getting admitted to the MPH program just a matter of applying (assuming good standing in dental school of course)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[airvent]

What are the benfits of having a MPH or an MBA? I can see if you want to go into academis or policy making org. a MPH might help. A MBA if you want to run an HMO maybe. But if you want to specialize or just be a GP I don't see a benefit. I ask because I was thinking of pursuing a MPH also, but then thought I may just work as a GP. I think that many of us have worked hard torwards reaching goals most of our lives and simply don't know when to stop going to school and just work.

 

[paolorossifan]

What are the benfits of having a MPH or an MBA? I can see if you want to go into academis or policy making org. a MPH might help. A MBA if you want to run an HMO maybe. But if you want to specialize or just be a GP I don't see a benefit. I ask because I was thinking of pursuing a MPH also, but then thought I may just work as a GP. I think that many of us have worked hard torwards reaching goals most of our lives and simply don't know when to stop going to school and just work.

I'm looking to do as many degrees as I cab while becoming a great GP. Its more a personal satisfaction of continuing to gain knowledge and the distinction superfluous degrees bring to a family den wall.

 

[balance]

Do you guys pay an extra tuition for the extra classes that you are taking towards the second degree i.e. MPH, MBA or M.S.?

Also, What is more important, having an extra degree or being involved in a research, in order to be more competitive for specialty programs?


Please advise.

Thanks

I'm looking to do as many degrees as I cab while becoming a great GP. Its more a personal satisfaction of continuing to gain knowledge and the distinction superfluous degrees bring to a family den wall.

 

[paolorossifan]

Do you guys pay an extra tuition for the extra classes that you are taking towards the second degree i.e. MPH, MBA or M.S.?

Also, What is more important, having an extra degree or being involved in a research, in order to be more competitive for specialty programs?


Please advise.

Thanks

1. We pay about $45,000 ofr the Columbia MPH I think.
2. I've been told an MPH will help in general fro specialty consideration but research related to your chosen specialty is even better.