Stroszeck said:
I was wondering how good programs, such as the one at San Francisco State University, are that do NOT require GRE scores? The reason I'm asking is I wanted to be a doctor but was promptly rejected from Med school so I decided to go to MPH. (I know some people object to that, but oh well.)
I would appreciate an honest, unbiased position on these programs for two reasons: a-) As additional coursework to pad future medical applications and b-) if that still doesn't get me into med school, then what sort of job outlook will I be looking at? I mean will graduating from one of the non-Berkeley schools prevent me from getting a good paying job. Thanks a lot.
Hi,
I'll be as honest as I can - but the answers I have are not going to be very nice. First off, most people who want to go to medical school after an MPH elect to do an MPH in edpidemiology since it is the most science-based sub-track available. However, I honestly don't think many medical schools will be very impressed with the MPH degree since it is (quite frankly) easier to get into and pass through than some of the more formal post-bacc programs that have you take MS1 medical classes. If your application is slightly below what is needed for medical school, the MPH might help you improve your application enough to get in. However, if your GPA is way below what it should be (I'd say less than 3.2-3.3), don't bother wasting your time - I don't think it's gonna help. If this is the case, SFSU has a post-bacc program where you can take more undergraduate courses to help your GPA before you move on to graduate or medical school. Many schools will let you use your MCAT scores in lieu of the GRE, so I'd look into that as well. However, most of the deadlines for this coming fall have already passed, and only a few remain open since it's almost March.
Regarding job opportunities - if you elect to do epidemiology, there are jobs available, but they are (in my opinion) boring and taxing - there's a lot of number crunching and data analysis. If you're the kind of aspiring physician who likes patient contact, these types of careers might bore you. Community health and health education, among othe types of MPH sub-tracks also exist, but the salaries for MPH graduates are not going to be anywhere near what a physician makes. From my understanding, prepare to make about $30,000-$55,000/year starting salary. If you're a California resident (since you mention SFSU and Berkeley, and especially if you're in the bay area) prepare to starve with those wages - it's honestly not that much better than what a good college degree will get you. I know people making around $50,000/year who just graduated with a Biology BS from Berkeley last year. The only sub-track that seems to pay a lot more is health management and policy, and for that they often require not only science but also business courses (and all of the good programs will require GRE scores). The starting salaries for Health Management and Policy can sometimes be $75,000+/year (and some people like exmike on SDN know some people who graduated from Berkeley who made close to $100,000/year, I believe).
I hope this helps (and I wasn't too harsh), but that's just how I see things. If you have any other questions please respond back!
