Usefulness of MPH as a physician?

[Phange]

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Is there a general consensus on the usefulness of an MPH to a physician? I'm in an interesting situation in that I earned my MPH before attending medical school, and I can definitely see the huge value public health offers, but there's such a huge disconnect between allopathic medicine and public health.

Also, does it impact residency competitiveness?

 

[235009]

the usefulness of the MPH depends on what you concentrated in ...if you did something along the lines of health policy and management then it can come in handy if you want to have an administrative role whereas if you did epidemiology or biostatistics it will help you in conducting research during residency and beyond.

i heard from a reputable source that residencies that require research (during residency) will look more favorably at people with an MPH and a research-heavy concentration. I'm assuming though that - as is the case with EMT certification and med school admissions - simply having the degree isn't as impressive as actually putting it to good use

 

[EgotiStick]

i heard from a reputable source that residencies that require research (during residency) will look more favorably at people with an MPH and a research-heavy concentration. I'm assuming though that - as is the case with EMT certification and med school admissions - simply having the degree isn't as impressive as actually putting it to good use

This. IF you do interesting and cool things and publish it will do nothing but positive things for you.

If you're just hoping that the letters will make an impact, you're sorely mistaken. Many MPH students got it for similar reasons people do post-bacc and SMP programs, so make sure you don't accidentally fall into this niche.

 

[MightyMoose]

This. IF you do interesting and cool things and publish it will do nothing but positive things for you.

If you're just hoping that the letters will make an impact, you're sorely mistaken. Many MPH students got it for similar reasons people do post-bacc and SMP programs, so make sure you don't accidentally fall into this niche.

There is nothing wrong with doing an MPH prior to matriculating into med school, even if it was to boost your stats to get an acceptance. I think the credentials alone make you a little more appealing to research/academic institutions, regardless of your reasons for getting the degree.

 

[DrJosephKim]

Having an MPH can put you in a better position to focus on population health management, disease prevention, and epidemiological research. If you're planning on going into family med or infectious diseases, the MPH will be of great value.