OHSU question

[buffy]

Has anyone interviewed for the MD/MPH program at OHSU? I'm interviewing there in March and haven't been able to find a lot of information on their website. I know it takes an extra year to get the MPH, but do you know when most students do this? Does OHSU have a school of public health, or do students go elsewhere in Portland for this degree? Also, I've heard there's a requirement that you pursue a career as a community-based primary care doc. Any more info on this? And--last question, I promise--what was the interview like in the MPH program? Thanks for your help!! :wink:

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[jude979]

tapperoo

 

[buffy]

anyone?

 

[irongirl]

I didn't apply to the MD/PhD program, but I was accepted to the MD program. I believe they have their own school of Public Health. They don't require you to pursue a career in rural primary care, about half of their students go on to specialize. They do require a ROTATION in rural medicine, where you spend some time (I believe it's about six weeks?) in a rural part of Oregon working in primary care. I hope that helps.

 

[KING LEAR]

OHSU is probably the best medical school there is. OHSU is also in the nicest city in the world. I'd say Portland State is the best undergrad and OHSU the best medical school.

 

[SMW]

I liked OHSU a lot when I interviewed there last week. The students all sound exactly like you, KING LEAR!! So is that where you're going? I agree about Portland, too. But Portland State?

Sorry we're not being much help to you, carberry. Why don't you call or email the MPH people there?

 

[buffy]

Hey, no worries about not being able to answer my MPH questions. How were the interviews there? Did you have lots of time to meet students there and check out Portland?

 

[jude979]

how did the interview go SMW? i have one there in a couple weeks...sounds like you liked Portland

 

[SMW]

My interviews there went fine, although one guy was a little confrontational about whether or not U. Washington wouldn't be my first choice, and my multicultural interviewer mistakenly thought I was an Alsaka native (I'm part Hispanic). I had written them a letter detailing all my family ties to Oregon. The students there were SO enthusiastic I couldn't believe it. I spent hours talking with them after lunch. They really talked up how much free time they have. They did badmouth the UW program a bit, and since when I interviewed there the next day I also liked it a lot, it makes me wonder a bit about some of their opinions. But the school did go up significantly in my estimation while I was there. Oh, and I stayed with a student host, like I do wherever I interview. She lives in a really neat neighborhood in NW Portland, and helped me get to the school on public transportation the morning of my interview (she usually rides her bike). I spent hours talking with her the night before.

I've been visiting Portland regularly since I was an infant, actually since I was in utero :wink: and love it. It's big enough to have everything I need in a city including a great live music scene, clean and environmentally conscious, great public transportaion, and easy access to the ocean, the mountains, and wilderness areas. My sister lives there now, and I stayed with her for a few days before my interview, and also drove to Corvallis to visit my Grandma and Aunt and Uncle. So I didn't do a lot of checking out the city since I already know it well. Did have a great meal in a Cuban restaurant. There are a lot of really great restaurants in Portland.

Godd luck on your interviews, carberry and jude979!!!

 

[DJ W.R.]

Just adding my $0.02:

OHSU shot to number one on my list after I interviewed there in mid-Jan. The program/curriculum is fantastic, the students are very friendly, Portland is a great city (although it rains/is cloudy a little more than I'd like), the campus is spectacular, the list goes on and on. Some people may think I'm crazy but I am probably going to go there over Cornell and WashU.

 

[AceRockolla]

I concur with SMW and DJ W.R.

I interviewed at OHSU at the beginning of February, and really fell in love with the area and the school. Haven't heard back from them yet . . . and if I somehow got in, it would be very difficult to go elsewhere.

The one negative thing about my interview experience was that one of the interviewers was not very excited about the interview. He had a long list of run-of-the-mill questions that he read directly from his notepad, and we really didn't converse much. He was a nice guy, but not very interesting to talk to. Oh well.

Conversely, I had a great first interview and I really enjoyed visiting the school and the city. To coaborate SMW's view of Portland's resturant scene, there was a great place we went for dinner the night before. Their speciality was Turkey, and they did not disappoint. Mmmmmm, Turkey.

 

[none]

I loved the school as well and also had an interviewer who was very concerned about what was my top choice school and where else I was interviewing. In general, that turns me off to schools, but it definitely didn't overcome my like for OHSU.

 

[reba95]

Dear Carberry:

I think I may be able to answer a couple of your questions. I have not interviewed for this program (actually, I recently decided not to pursue medicine, so I guess I never will..more on that later) but this was my number one program/number one school after visiting there last summer.
Concerning the location of the Public Health school, as I understand it, if you do get accepted to this program then the majority of the classes you take for the MPH is through OHSU at the OHSU campus (so, yes, I believe they do have their own Public Health school). However, it is a requirement for all MD/MPH students to take 9 credit hours (I think, maybe a little more or less) at either Portland State University or the other university there in Portland (it escapes my mind at this moment). I believe the classes which you take away from OHSU at these other sites are required classes (i.e. core classes).
Concerning the timing of the year which you take off......unfortunately there is no cookie cutter plan for this. It is entirely up to the student and their advisor(s) to decide the most appropriate course load. From speaking with other MD/MPH students and graduates, it appears that the most common time to take the year off is in between 2nd and 3rd years of medical school in order to obtain the MPH. At OHSU, those who are admitted take a three week epidemiology course before the first quarter of Medical School, and then (on average) the MD/MPH student will take one MPH course each quarter in conjunction with the regular load of Medical School coursework until such a time when the student decides to pursue Public Health exclusively for the one year. I have spoken to former students of this degree (not necessarily from OHSU) who have taken the year off between 1st and 2nd years, and the general consensus is that you lose ties with your fellow classmates who you enter Medical School with and have to form new relationships with the incoming class. This doesn't seem so bad, but apparently it does bug people. Conversley, I have spoken to a couple of students who took the year of MPH coursework between 3rd and 4th year, and they stated this was probably the worst time to do it because of breaking the continuity of rotations. Again, you really just have to pick when the best time is for you. OHSU will be relaxed about whatever decision you make (or so it appears!).
Well Carberry, congratulations on your interview at OHSU (which goes for all of those above who have also been so lucky). I hope I have been helpful. Like I said earlier, I have recently decided to not pursue medicine as I think I would be extremely unhappy in the first two years of Medical School (as well as the next three years of my life as I had originaly planned to obtain second and third Bachelors in Biology and Psychology). I am really unhappy with the method of teaching and learning these upper science classes involve/require. Memorization for memorization's sake alone just does not sit well with me. But I digress. Good luck to you, Carberry, and to all of those applying in this cycle and coming years. And thank you to all those who have replied to my PM's concerning different topics....you really have been of great help. Best wishes...

Drew

 

[buffy]

Drew--Thanks for all the info. That was very helpful! and good luck with your future pursuits. It's much better to find out now that med school's not the thing for you than to realize that after starting!

 

[WMN]

Got interview invite to OHSU and will be there on March 19. Sounds like it is a good place to be, and I do like the idea of free time. SMW,can you give me any advice? How did you defend OHSU vs UofW. If I did not have a family to consider, I think I would move to a school with fewer lecture hours than WWAMI but Alaska is our home.

 

[SMW]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by WMN:
•Got interview invite to OHSU and will be there on March 19. Sounds like it is a good place to be, and I do like the idea of free time. SMW,can you give me any advice? How did you defend OHSU vs UofW. If I did not have a family to consider, I think I would move to a school with fewer lecture hours than WWAMI but Alaska is our home.•••••Congrats, WMN!! I predict you will love OHSU (and Portland).

It was my first interviewer of the day who challenged me about UW, and I just said it was very competitive to get into, and that I had chosen my schools carefully and would be happy to go wherever I got in. I hadn't really seen enough of the school at that point to know how enthusiastic I was about it, so I made sure to write him a thank-you note conveying my enthusiasm the minute I got home. Fewer lecture hours might be good for your family! On the other hand, the additional debt might not be.