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So whats your take on that? I have received various answers , personally I would think MPH is better than repeating classes from undergrad...so😀
PostBACC or MPH? which one do they prefer
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The question is 'which one do you prefer?' And not all post-baccs make you repeat lower division work. Search for the other threads about post-baccs
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well, i think it depends on what your goals are now. if you are trying to boost a science GPA, i would do the post-bacc. if you're more aiming to boost your overall application or enriching your life or whatever, i would think either would be great (in that case, i'd do the MPH - i think more doctors should know a thing or two about public health anyway.)
don't forget a lot of MPH programs don't accept people straight out of undergrad. be sure to check.
good luck!
don't forget a lot of MPH programs don't accept people straight out of undergrad. be sure to check.
good luck!
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Well the reason I am asking is cause I have been hearing conflicting opinions. I am actually finshing up my first semester of MPH...4.0 gpa 😀 ...a big contrast from undergrad ( even though bio was up there....chem and the rest of the classes were on the low side) ...... I do agree with you on the fact that MDs should be more knowledgeable about public health....
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Just be aware that your MPH gpa will not make up for your low undergrad gpa.
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I disagree. I am graduating from an MD/MPH program and the MPH was tremendously helpful in my application for residency. I think you will find that MDs screen applications as well as PhDs (I don't think you can really say that most people are PhDs) and that many physcians feel that public health is a very important field for physicians to have a solid understanding of. In my own opinion, an MPH would have greater benefit for the OPs future life after med school than an MS which would basically be a stepping stone to med school.
I think MPH is great (but I am biased). Do what you want, just make sure you have a reason to share with your interviewers when you do apply to med school.
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An MPH doesn't really show you could really handle graduate level science compared to an MS. An MPH is more of a "nice to have" degree but an MS IS better at showing your abilites in science. Just think about this...are medical school courses more like MPH courses or MS courses?
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YOUCH! I'm a 4th yr med student getting a "better than nothing" MPH. Lots of opinions flying here, but use your common sense.
I've interviewed a ton of premeds by now so I'm speaking from experience.
Don't get an MPH, MS, or even an MD if you don't have a genuine interest. Also don't determine your interest or disinterest in volunteering based on how it MIGHT look on your application.
If the major weakness of your application is that you have seriously bad science grades, that will be the limiting factor. An MPH can't 'undo' that. A post-bacc or a great MCAT performance may show you have science potential not reflected in your GPA.
Alternately, if you did nothing in college but cloister yourself in the lab, study, and have no social skills, maybe you need to branch out and find out something about the world by learning about public health or volunteering for an organization you actually care about.
All this is for YOU to be a better doctor, and to be sure of your career decision, not to get phony people into medical school. More important than a litany of things you've done is a GENUINE mature, reflective sense of what it means to you. That will impress me much more.
An MS in biochem will not do you a lick of good unless you're interested in biochem. You'll be lucky to EVER use that knowledge again after step 1 of the boards.
The MPH is absolutely a worthwhile degree for those interested in medicine. Though, if you do it before med school it will take twice as long (2yrs instead of 1).
Good luck
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I'm not sure how it was concluded that I don't see any value in an MPH degree or that I feel that it is somehow valueless.
So please allow me to clarify:
For getting admitted into med school if you've been rejected, an MPH has - in my humble opinion - far less value than an MS in science or a good post-bach.
I can assure you that the perception in most medical schools (and rightfully so) is that work done in an MS program more closely approximates a medical school courseload than in an MPH program.
As for the value of any master's degree after you get admitted into medical school - it all depends on what use you put it to and what you get out of the coursework.
As for interviewing, just be yourself. Don't worry about impressing anyone else or living up to what they think a medical student should be.
If you want to be a doctor for the money or the prestige (which is partly why everyone goes into medicine) but want to be a good physician who does good work, that's fine, there's a place for you. If you want to do humanitarian work, public policy work, there's also a place for you.
Every medical school every year admits malignant personalities. Why? Because high-powered professions like medicine attract such individuals in droves.
What is contemptible is that we've created a system that rewards duplicitous behavior. Every single one of us has different motivations for going into medicine - why should we ostensibly present ourselves as someone we aren't?
Be honest but keep in mind that medicine is about the patient and not just you.
If you've done all the right things and worked hard, noone has any right to deny you a chance to be a medical student.
So please allow me to clarify:
For getting admitted into med school if you've been rejected, an MPH has - in my humble opinion - far less value than an MS in science or a good post-bach.
I can assure you that the perception in most medical schools (and rightfully so) is that work done in an MS program more closely approximates a medical school courseload than in an MPH program.
As for the value of any master's degree after you get admitted into medical school - it all depends on what use you put it to and what you get out of the coursework.
As for interviewing, just be yourself. Don't worry about impressing anyone else or living up to what they think a medical student should be.
If you want to be a doctor for the money or the prestige (which is partly why everyone goes into medicine) but want to be a good physician who does good work, that's fine, there's a place for you. If you want to do humanitarian work, public policy work, there's also a place for you.
Every medical school every year admits malignant personalities. Why? Because high-powered professions like medicine attract such individuals in droves.
What is contemptible is that we've created a system that rewards duplicitous behavior. Every single one of us has different motivations for going into medicine - why should we ostensibly present ourselves as someone we aren't?
Be honest but keep in mind that medicine is about the patient and not just you.
If you've done all the right things and worked hard, noone has any right to deny you a chance to be a medical student.
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I sound exasperated not because of the posts here, but my own observations of some people preparing for medical school.
I've worked extensively with pre-med students, including teaching in a post-bacc program. It IS often someone's lifelong dream to be a doctor, but I've often found that in pursuit of this dream, people don't reflect enough on their true desires and may be propelled by outside factors or their own momentum (how much time, work, identity, etc already invested in becoming a doctor).
There are definitely people out there whose entire college and post college experiences are shaped by what might look good or what they're supposed to do to get into med school. It's not everyone, but too many.
While I think it is important to know strategies and tips, I was merely reminding people to make sure they like their destination before they chart their course. I don't know where you got that idea that I'm hoping for anyone's misfortune.
I've worked extensively with pre-med students, including teaching in a post-bacc program. It IS often someone's lifelong dream to be a doctor, but I've often found that in pursuit of this dream, people don't reflect enough on their true desires and may be propelled by outside factors or their own momentum (how much time, work, identity, etc already invested in becoming a doctor).
There are definitely people out there whose entire college and post college experiences are shaped by what might look good or what they're supposed to do to get into med school. It's not everyone, but too many.
While I think it is important to know strategies and tips, I was merely reminding people to make sure they like their destination before they chart their course. I don't know where you got that idea that I'm hoping for anyone's misfortune.
