Thoughts on an MPH during gap year (help!)

[nathan_4]

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[GCS-15]

Are you actually interested in public hearth and think you'll use the MPH degree as a future physician? If not - I wouldn't do the MPH because that's wasting money. Peace corps could be good or a scribe job if you need clinical exposure


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[nathan_4]

Are you actually interested in public hearth and think you'll use the MPH degree as a future physician? If not - I wouldn't do the MPH because that's wasting money. Peace corps could be good or a scribe job if you need clinical exposure


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I am actually interested in public health, I was apart of a PH learning community my first two years of undergrad. But I am more interested in medicine!

 

[RunawayGrape]

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[Pagan FutureDoc]

get it later in your career. Everyone these days gets an MPH to help their chances and adcoms are aware of it.
If you have a real passion for public health, you can always get it later.

That being said, if you have an unsuccessful cycle it can make a good plan b

 

[yungspleen]

Honestly just get a chill scribe schedule and study non stop for the MCAT.

 

[OchemOficionado]

Study for MCAT. Don't add anything to your schedule, but more of that.

 

[patientvomits]

It really depends what your goals are. I'm using my gap year to do an MPH. You can't do a traditional MPH in a year, but a few programs in the country have One Year options for their curriculum.

Like I said, the value is in what your goals are. If you are applying while doing your MPH, it won't really help you get in for medical school. It will teach you about PH, it will give you opportunities to do research (which it seems that you already have), and engage you intellectually.

However, my MPH is 45k a year, and at that price, I would say it's not worth it. I can learn all the things I learn just by using a PH textbook, and the opportunities are things you can find if you look (call physicians, contact researchers with project ideas).

The reason I say it's not worth it is most financial. During the MPH, you see how important primary care is and prevention is. However, since my family is low income and the coursework is fully loaded, this program is going to add about 70k of debt to what will be a gigantic medical school debt. Therefore, I won't even be able to practice family medicine or pediatrics or general IM if I want a fair lifestyle.

If you can pay for it easily and have family financial support that's happy to cover it, then by all means, do it.

If you want to further your knowledge, I would buy a textbook on introductions to public health, basic public health statistics, social theories in public health, US public health policies and laws, and then pick a few topic areas you're interested and spend the year learning more (maternal health, global health, diabetes, etc). Also contact public health departments and jobs, as well as professors that research in the field you are interested in, and see if you can do an internship or work for them. That education will be 80% of the MPH, for less than $500 (1/90 of the cost).

 

[Ehwic]

get it later in your career. Everyone these days gets an MPH to help their chances and adcoms are aware of it.
If you have a real passion for public health, you can always get it later.

That being said, if you have an unsuccessful cycle it can make a good plan b

See I hate that assumption as I got my MPH first and it really expanded how I approach the whole healthcare thinking. The last thing that I want to do is for people to assume oh this person did a MPH as a booster of any sort

 

[Ehwic]

It really depends what your goals are. I'm using my gap year to do an MPH. You can't do a traditional MPH in a year, but a few programs in the country have One Year options for their curriculum.

Like I said, the value is in what your goals are. If you are applying while doing your MPH, it won't really help you get in for medical school. It will teach you about PH, it will give you opportunities to do research (which it seems that you already have), and engage you intellectually.

However, my MPH is 45k a year, and at that price, I would say it's not worth it. I can learn all the things I learn just by using a PH textbook, and the opportunities are things you can find if you look (call physicians, contact researchers with project ideas).

The reason I say it's not worth it is most financial. During the MPH, you see how important primary care is and prevention is. However, since my family is low income and the coursework is fully loaded, this program is going to add about 70k of debt to what will be a gigantic medical school debt. Therefore, I won't even be able to practice family medicine or pediatrics or general IM if I want a fair lifestyle.

If you can pay for it easily and have family financial support that's happy to cover it, then by all means, do it.

If you want to further your knowledge, I would buy a textbook on introductions to public health, basic public health statistics, social theories in public health, US public health policies and laws, and then pick a few topic areas you're interested and spend the year learning more (maternal health, global health, diabetes, etc). Also contact public health departments and jobs, as well as professors that research in the field you are interested in, and see if you can do an internship or work for them. That education will be 80% of the MPH, for less than $500 (1/90 of the cost).

I personally think it's based on what you take away from your program. Yes, it's expensive given the professional degree, but what textbooks don't offer is the actual experience of learning. If OP goes through the degree just as a student then it wouldnt be worth the investment.