To whoever has both an MD and an MPH

[doctorDoctor.]

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1. Why did you pursue an MPH?
2. Was obtaining an MPH worth it?
3. What did obtaining an MPH do to your student debt?
4. Pros of obtaining an MPH?
5. Cons of obtaining an MPH?

I'm considering to do an MPH either before or after medical school and am looking for some new perspectives on the matter to aid my decision (to do or not to do an MPH).

 

[cocoapelli]

I've been thinking about an MPH for a long time. So far what I've heard from mentors is that it's best to do it after med school, if you're sure you want to do both. Some residencies will let you do an MPH as part of the program, which means they pay for it👍, but also if you get an MPH after working as an MD for a few years, you'll have a much better idea of what kind of MPH program you'd like to go into, and what you want do with/if you still want the extra training.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

For the typical medical student, getting a MPH before medical school is not worth it. I agree with everything cocapelli says above.

I applied to, and very nearly attended, a MPH program before starting medical school. My final decision came down to the debt/time/utility not being worth it. Post-doctoral MPH programs can often be finished in one year and paid for by your program if necessary.

 

[masaraksh]

For the most part, an MPH is like asking a patient how they feel and how they'd rate their pain during an exam. It's a waste of time.. but someone's gotta do it.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Moving to pre-allo.

 

[Cytarabine]

Busy so not going to expand on it right now, but did one with med school, I'd wait till after

 

[22031 Alum]

I have a close friend who did one before med school, and called it a waste frequently and loudly. She said she didn't know enough about her clinical or research interests to make it meaningful. Now she's in private practice doing no research and essentially considers it two years of lost salary.

 

[GoPens]

If you get an MPH before med school with the intention of boosting you app, it will be a waste. If you get it before med school with the intention of working in public health for a while, then applying to med school, you can get some great experiences if you look for them. Generally though, if you know now that you want both degrees, you should probably get your MD first. I encountered clinicians of all sorts while getting my MPH, and they always seemed to both get more out of and contribute more to the classes.