thoughts on the pa/mph joint program?

[gstead245]

I work alongside with a pa and I was saying how I am interested in the PA/masters of public health joint program that some university offers. She was against it saying that if you want to be a PA you should solely focus on that and you need to excel at that because you will be treating patients. I argued that the PA/mph program is 3 years so 2 years of PA and im assuming 1 year of public health so its the same regardless. Because most pa schools are around 2 years, so its not like im sacrificing anything, just adding on another year to take on the public health one.

Plus having dual masters with being a PA and masters of public health will provide me with much more options... and having more options is always good. What are your guys thoughts on the dual PA/Masters of public health joint programs?

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[PAC2DO]

I went to a combined PA/MPH program and my mph degree is useless. I was told the same thing when I interviewed about possibility of different positions and how I will be able to hold admin position and etc but the reality is different. You can always work as a PA and go for MPH if you really want to down the road. Also the course load will be significantly more if you were to do dual degree. I would not recommend it at all.

 

[pamac]

I was invited to interview at a dual PA/mph program. As expensive as the program was to begin with, the tacked on mph didn't justify the extra time and expense of attending. You are much more valuable to an employer producing revenue as a provider than you would be managing nuts and bolts, and pushing papers. And you definitely are missing out on a year of income, not to mention the extra year of expenses while you are in school. The employers who would be excited about your MPH won't be employers that will pay you more than you would make seeing patients, it would be as faculty or working in a public health setting. The working conditions might be more appealing to you under those circumstances, but I'd argue that the spread of jobs that would demand your mph related talents would be far fewer than what would be available to you with just more experience as someone who treats patients.

If you want an MPH, wait until after you become a PA, and then get a far cheaper MPH from a place that offers it online. You'll laugh all the way to the bank.