Transition from MPH to Medical School

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Jeffy

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I have heard people mention that MPH programs (in addition to the post bac's) are often times very helpful in gaining admission to the medical school at the same school. How much truth is there to this and does anyone know which schools may do this?

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I think this is pretty common. I don't know if it helps a lot, but I can only imagine that knowing something about healthcare in general can only help you. Personally, if i had a year to improve my application, I'd want to spend that time learning something new rather than re-learning something. For that reason alone I'd do public health rather than post-bac.
 
Can anyone else help me with this?
 
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FYI, an interviewer at NYMC personally told me that an MPH before applying does not necessarily boost your application. I don't remember why though (this was months ago).
 
Well in general, I'm sure that an MPH looks good simply because its a graduate degree. But what I was wondering if obtaining an MPH from School A helps one get accpeted to School A College of Medicine. I'm pretty sure I read something similar once on SDN but never really found anything doing a search.
 
i'll take a shot at it...
1.) a lot of SPHs (Hopkins, Harvard, Yale...probably more) require X years of public health experience or a MD/PhD to be eligible for their MPH programs. Of course, MD/MPH combined is OK. So at these schools, this route wouldn't be possible. Hopkins does have another masters program...I did it, I don't know if it's helped me with med school admissions - I didn't bother applying to Hopkins Med.
2.) If the school does admit BA/BS's into their MPH program (Emory is the only one I'm 100% sure about), I bet it could influence future admission to med school at the same institution. If anything, you could make contacts that could write some very influential rec letters. And, there's always that thing about proving that you can handle graduate level work. And you're showing an interest in health - maybe in community health or international health...something that shows that you're dedicated to the profession.
So, I would go to http://www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=200 and check out schools' admissions requirements. Good luck!
 
Great link Manta! Thanks for the help.
 
I think it's like every other degree - it's not so much that you have it, but what it allows you to do. If you can't explain how your MPH will help you, or what you've learned doing your public health coursework, you might as well have twiddled your thumbs. But if you can convey to an adcom, both in your personal statement, essays, and interviews, that you know much more than all the 21 year old college seniors, and that you'll be a much better doctor for having the MPH, then you're golden.
 
With the growing awareness of bioterrorism, emerging infections like SARS and West Nile virus, renewed focus on outcomes research, the "problem of the uninsured" and the current state of the US health care financing system, etc, there is going to be more demand for people with training in public health.

Public health is a poorly defined, wide open field. Training in public health is applicable to many many many things. So, if you think you would enjoy the coursework, you will have no problem finding a way to apply your expertise in the future.

Also, to answer the actual question, I imagine it would have some impact on med school admissions, but I have no idea if it would help at that particular school.
 
Ok, this issue is dear to my heart.

For me, I decided between an MPH and a one-year MS program in Physiology (or something similar like Biomedical Sciences, etc). Hard core science has NEVER been my bag - so I was very scared to sign up for one of those Master's programs where you supposedly prove yourself and then you get into med school. For me, I didn't have any serious study habit problems when I took my pre-med classes - I just flat out found them very hard - even though I tried as hard as I can. So its not that I think I couldn't handle an MS Science program - its that I probably wouldn't dominate it.

I'm much more fascinated from a personal/intellectual viewpoint in Public health, outcomes, bioterrorism, healthcare for the underserved - and consequently I'll do much better in these classes because they genuinely interest me. I agree with Adcadet - an MPH degree can be as marketable as you choose to make it. If you want you can turn an MPH into an amazing experience that would clearly set you apart from Joe Applicant. Or you could just add it to your AMCAS application and not say much about it - in which case it probably won't really help you too much. As far as getting into the school where you are getting the MPH - that probably depends on the school. But the way I see it - if you are applying to X School of Medicine, it can't possibly hurt to have a few recommendations that are written on X's letter head.

So, I would say that if your end goal is simply getting into medical school, and you are sure you can not only handle hard core medical school level sciences, but actually do WELL in these classes - then I'd do a one year MS in Physiology (either Gtown, Finch, BU, etc.) The bottom line is that there is considerable data out there that supports the fact that an MS in Physio helps you get in. Thats what these programs are designed for.

However, if you are like me, and you are more interested in public health, and if you view the first two years of med school as a necessary evil en route to being a doctor, then I'd do an MPH - you'll be happier, and you'll therefore do better.

And Dartmouth has a nine-month MPH program

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cecs/educational_programs.html

that would allow you to enter med school right after - but you won't find it on the ASPH website since this is the first year of the program and it therefore won't be accredited until June when the first class graduates. Good luck.
 
Personally I would probably not ever consider an MPH program that was not ASPH accredited - though I'm not sure what I'd do it it were about to be accreditd.

I'm also not sure what to think about MPH programs that are less than 2 years in length. For me, things really required about a year for the public health perspective to sink in. Furthermore, (at least with epi) I think it really helps to have had a full year of epi and biostats before taking advanced epi and biostat courses. I just don't know how you can squeeze in ~45 credits, a field experience, and a master's thesis (or equivilant - I assume all ASPH-accredited schools have to do both a field experience and thesis for the MPH) into a period of less than a year and a half. And I think a field experience and thesis are what really sets MPH students apart from other applicants. Perhaps I'm also scarred that one-year (or 9 months) MPH programs will get confused with one-year master's programs that are designed only to get your into medical school. I think you want to make it clear, both in your application to MPH programs, and to medical schools, that doing an MPH was not just a way to pad your resume and get into medical school, but rather as a way to learn valuable skills to will be important to your career and that you won't (easily) get elsewhere. If you do a 1-year master's in applied physiology, you can argue that you'll just get that stuff in med school. But you will most likely never learn even a small chunk of the stuff you learn in a 2-year MPH program in medical school or residency.
 
I disagree on the 2 year MPH vs. 1 year MPH argument. I agree that epi/biostats takes a good while to sink in - and certainly its tough to take higher level epi classes in a 9 month window. However, for the prospective or current MD - a one year MPH is considered standard. Most MD/MPH programs take 5 years - which means the MPH component takes 1 year. If someone wants to go into public health for a career - or perhaps someone that wants their medical practice to be pretty much centered on public health - then yes, 2 years is better than one. But for the aspiring physician that wants to better understand their practice in a public health context - one year seems fine to me.

And as far as accreditation goes - for anyone considering Dartmouth - DO NOT WORRY - It is getting accredited this Spring. Call ASPH or CEPH if you want to verify it. And as far as people saying they wouldn't even consider a program unless it was ASPH accredited? Well its DARTMOUTH, its in the IVY LEAGUE, its not like its some bootleg online junior college thats run out of an apartment building. Keep in mind your degree says MPH, and your school. It doesn't say MPH - 1 YEAR or MPH - 2 YEAR.
 
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I would just like to add to this thread from my own experience as an MPH applying for med schools.... Its important that you are aware that admissions committees are not naive. They know when students have been pursuing a degree (be it for an MS or MPH) simply to get into their med school. I finished up my MPH in January at Columbia and can tell you that unless you truly want to learn about public health, it will not be worth your time. I've interviewed at a bunch of schools and they have ALL asked me in one form or another why I wanted the MPH and why I pursued it before getting an MD. It is ESSENTIAL that you have a good reason for getting an MPH for it to be at all useful in terms of getting into med school. If you have a Bull-**** reason for getting the degree it will come through in an interview and will most likely hurt you rather than help. I can also tell you that as far as it helping with the particular school... it is not that helpful....Columbia is obviously a ridiculously hard school to get into and they really have the capability of turning down a full class of 4.0's and 37 MCATS if they want to....With that said if you don't cut it in the first place, the MPH from Columbia will not take you very far. However, if you are border line for a spot at the school it will certainly stand out.

So...if you are planning to do an MPH at a school w/ a MD program you should be aware of the calibur of their Med school and your true competitive standing as an applicant....If you can't get into hopkins med by any means, than getting an MPH from hopkins will probably do nothing for you....(except for having an excellent public health background)

anyway, just something to think about
 
i completely agree with MEF- i'm finishing my degree at columbia in epidemiology. don't count on the degree to get you any interviews... also, if you do get the degree- know that it won't increase your undergrad science gpa... they WILL ask you why you went this route vs. MD then MPH. if you are happy with your mcat and undergrad GPA and want to go to med school... go to med school first. if you can't get in and think that the MPH will help you, it may help you at schools where most applicants are non-trads... no one REALLY knows any which way. but, good luck. pomona rocks- ;)

p
 
if by 'rocks' you mean so much sweeter then the ****holes in the East, then yes.
 
I am just finishing up my MPH at Tulane and will be going to med school in August and I know that a lot of people get an MPH and then go to the med school directly. Not that it is guaranteed, but the dean at the med school definitely likes Tulane MPH students and he specifically told me that once you are in the Tulane family you have a much better chance of getting in. I won't be going to Tulane, but I think getting an MPH can only help you. That said, I wouldn't waste your time if you are only getting it to get into med school. But it will certainly give you a different perspective on medicine!

One thing he did say is if you are going to grad school to improve your GPA you better get close to straight A's or it might hurt you. IN his opinion, it is much easier to get good grades in grad school so if you don't it looks bad. Don't know how true that is but that's what he told me.

:p
 
Originally posted by ANJ

One thing he did say is if you are going to grad school to improve your GPA you better get close to straight A's or it might hurt you. IN his opinion, it is much easier to get good grades in grad school so if you don't it looks bad. Don't know how true that is but that's what he told me.

:p

I mostly agree with this. Regardless of whether it is or is not easier to get good grades in an MPH program (or MS for that matter) is somewhat irrelevant - some people think that it is, so by not getting mostly A's you're screwing yourself. Furthermore, if someone is doing graduate work and not getting mostly A's, you've gotta wonder why - and none of the probable explanations are very good - work is too hard, person isn't committeed, or person doesn't care.
 
I graduated with my MPH from Columbia last year and definitely think it helped me to get interviews, epecially one at Columbia. However whether having the MPH helped me actually get accepted, I am not sure. I didn't get into Columbia but was accepted elsewhere. As we all know this whole process is a crapshoot.
The only thing i can say is that if you are just going to get your MPH to get into med school you are wasting your money and time.Only get this degree if you think public health is a field you are interested in. Just my 2 cents.

-curlyq
 
Originally posted by curlyq

The only thing i can say is that if you are just going to get your MPH to get into med school you are wasting your money and time.Only get this degree if you think public health is a field you are interested in. Just my 2 cents.

-curlyq

Yup. But don't forget that public health, and a the MPH degree, is incredibly broad. I find my epi courses to be of great benefit to my bench research, for example. So if you're interested in public health but aren't yet ready to commit your life to "public health" (whatever definition you use, and it's probably too narrow anyway), don't worry too much. Many MPH students go on to do other things and are better off for having the MPH.
 
I definitely agree with you Adcadet. Alot of my classmates are going into fields like law with a MPH. So there are definitely alot of options. However you could end up paying alot for the degree (depending on where you go)...so just think about it before you go down that path.

-curlyq
 
Is anyone familiar with either the Univ. of Texas at Houston OR Tulane's MPH program in epidemiology??

I'm thinking about getting my MPH and then possibly applying to med school afterwards. Any advice on what to write in my career statement when I apply to these schools? I'm clueless right now!


Thanks!
 
Originally posted by bobmarley77
Is anyone familiar with either the Univ. of Texas at Houston OR Tulane's MPH program in epidemiology??

I'm thinking about getting my MPH and then possibly applying to med school afterwards. Any advice on what to write in my career statement when I apply to these schools? I'm clueless right now!


Thanks!

I'm not familiar with either program. I did an Epi MPH then applied (and got in) to med school. When you apply to the MPH program, don't make it sound like you only want the MPH as a stepping stone. And when you apply to medical schools, don't make your MPH sound like it was only to get you into medical school - be clear about all the ways in which is has helped you other than just getting you into medical school.
 
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