What can you do with a Masters in Public Health?

[868651]

Also could an MPH degree help me get into med school?

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[LizzyM]

An MPH degree is a nice but it won't overly impress an adcom. Often the degree requires some research and field work that can be listed in the experience section of your application. I've seen that help an applicant who was weak in that area prior to the MPH. Your grades in the MPH should be stellar because it is considered academically "easy" so doing anything less than exceptionally well will raise doubts about your ability to do well in medical school.

What you can do with an MPH depends on the academic area you focus in... it is rather like asking "what can I do with a Bachelor's degree?". Focusing your MPH on managment/policy is different than having a focus on environmental toxicology or epidemiology or biostatistics or health education.

MPH degree holders who don't have a BSN or MD or other credential can work as managers of federally qualified health clinics and health departments, in program development for advocacy organizations, and in research and data analysis positions in pharma and academic medical centers, but very much depending on the area of study taken in the MPH degree.

 

[mariposas905]

An MPH degree is a nice but it won't overly impress an adcom. Often the degree requires some research and field work that can be listed in the experience section of your application. I've seen that help an applicant who was weak in that area prior to the MPH. Your grades in the MPH should be stellar because it is considered academically "easy" so doing anything less than exceptionally well will raise doubts about your ability to do well in medical school.

What you can do with an MPH depends on the academic area you focus in... it is rather like asking "what can I do with a Bachelor's degree?". Focusing your MPH on managment/policy is different than having a focus on environmental toxicology or epidemiology or biostatistics or health education.

MPH degree holders who don't have a BSN or MD or other credential can work as managers of federally qualified health clinics and health departments, in program development for advocacy organizations, and in research and data analysis positions in pharma and academic medical centers, but very much depending on the area of study taken in the MPH degree.

Is this true for all MPH programs?

I'm planning to start a rigorous 1 year program this fall with a math, science and data-analysis heavy concentration (one of the toughest at this school). Some of the courses like pediatric epidemiology, cardiac disease epi, advanced microbiology etc. are taught at the medical school and most of the professors are also MDs. I wouldn't say this program is academically easy...especially since it requires like 15-20 graduate credits per term when most people only take about 9 in two year programs. I'm still going to do well, and put in my best work. But it's disheartening that medical schools would think of my progress as "too easy."

 

[benjamin94559]

Is this true for all MPH programs?

I'm planning to start a rigorous 1 year program this fall with a math, science and data-analysis heavy concentration (one of the toughest at this school). Some of the courses like pediatric epidemiology, cardiac disease epi, advanced microbiology etc. are taught at the medical school and most of the professors are also MDs. I wouldn't say this program is academically easy...especially since it requires like 15-20 graduate credits per term when most people only take about 9 in two year programs. I'm still going to do well, and put in my best work. But it's disheartening that medical schools would think of my progress as "too easy."

I think in away, its akin to how schools dont give you much leeway for GPA regardless of what you majored in.

 

[bbdylan87]

Do MD's with MPH make more than those with just MD? Will an MPH help an MD "climb up the corporate ladder" so to speak? I'm just trying to figure out if a MPH would be worth the time/money from an investment POV during a gap year.

 

[Med Ed]

Do MD's with MPH make more than those with just MD? Will an MPH help an MD "climb up the corporate ladder" so to speak? I'm just trying to figure out if a MPH would be worth the time/money from an investment POV during a gap year.

For the purposes of income and career enhancement, an MPH will do absolutely zero. You get paid for the job you have, not the letters after your name. Public health knowledge is likewise not transferrable to any generic corporate ladder.

MPHs were once really novel in medical school admissions, but those days are long over.

 

[Med Ed]

Is this true for all MPH programs?

I'm planning to start a rigorous 1 year program this fall with a math, science and data-analysis heavy concentration (one of the toughest at this school). Some of the courses like pediatric epidemiology, cardiac disease epi, advanced microbiology etc. are taught at the medical school and most of the professors are also MDs. I wouldn't say this program is academically easy...especially since it requires like 15-20 graduate credits per term when most people only take about 9 in two year programs. I'm still going to do well, and put in my best work. But it's disheartening that medical schools would think of my progress as "too easy."

This is why transcripts exist.

While there is some variation in grading systems for graduate programs, most commonly A's are expected, B's are the undergraduate equivalent of C's, and C's are F's.

 

[Goro]

just to add to this. You do not know how old this makes me feel to actually say this but late in the last century, before there were so many postbacc and SMPs, weak or rejected applicants had a few options to enhance their records: hard science masters or MPH. At some point, late 80s/early 90s, there were significant numbers of applicants with weaker records using the MPH and it gained a very negative perception among many adcoms that applicants were trying to hide behind it. That perception still exists especially with so many postbaccs and SMPs to choose from. So it tends to raise a "notice" flag as in "why is this person in an MPH?" So if you have a background / connection to the field it may add to your "story" but most undergrads have no connection. Hence is can be more a risk than a benefit

In addition, aceing Anatomy or Physiology in a postbac or SMP we can grasp. But "Women's Health in the Third World"? "Health Disparities?"

 

[Cheenghee Koh]

In addition, aceing Anatomy or Physiology in a postbac or SMP we can grasp. But "Women's Health in the Third World"? "Health Disparities?"

I know this thread is a bit old.....but can I know a bit more? In fact I taught "Health Disparities", and have been doing research on women's health in the third world..... Sorry if we made the classes too easy? I will remember to include topics like "theories and meta-synthesis", "metric development and testing", "approaches of probability sampling", "Bayesian inference", "machine learning and health disparities", "Monte Carlo simulation" and some other stuff in my next draft of syllabus....... Hopefully the students can learn something.....

 

[Goro]

I know this thread is a bit old.....but can I know a bit more? In fact I taught "Health Disparities", and have been doing research on women's health in the third world..... Sorry if we made the classes too easy? I will remember to include topics like "theories and meta-synthesis", "metric development and testing", "approaches of probability sampling", "Bayesian inference", "machine learning and health disparities", "Monte Carlo simulation" and some other stuff in my next draft of syllabus....... Hopefully the students can learn something.....

Nice stats stuff, but not anything that convinces me that people can handle Anatomy + Micro + Pathophysiology+...etc.

 

[curkholderia]

I know this thread is a bit old.....but can I know a bit more? In fact I taught "Health Disparities", and have been doing research on women's health in the third world..... Sorry if we made the classes too easy? I will remember to include topics like "theories and meta-synthesis", "metric development and testing", "approaches of probability sampling", "Bayesian inference", "machine learning and health disparities", "Monte Carlo simulation" and some other stuff in my next draft of syllabus....... Hopefully the students can learn something.....

your words made sense but your sarcastic tone didn't

 

[Causing_A_Commotion]

just to add to this. You do not know how old this makes me feel to actually say this but late in the last century, before there were so many postbacc and SMPs, weak or rejected applicants had a few options to enhance their records: hard science masters or MPH. At some point, late 80s/early 90s, there were significant numbers of applicants with weaker records using the MPH and it gained a very negative perception among many adcoms that applicants were trying to hide behind it. That perception still exists especially with so many postbaccs and SMPs to choose from. So it tends to raise a "notice" flag as in "why is this person in an MPH?" So if you have a background / connection to the field it may add to your "story" but most undergrads have no connection. Hence is can be more a risk than a benefit

A medical school classmate of mine got an MPH as a fall back plan: in case, he didn't get in to medical school, he was going to become an office manager for a couple of medical practices.

 

[queencaffeine]

I pursued an MPH to widen my understanding of health as it is impacted by other areas besides medicine. I have strong stats and other ECs otherwise, so I don't think adcoms will see it as something that I did to "boost" my application. I just wanted this degree, whether it be in medical school or beforehand. I think it will make me a more well rounded physician and certainly more cognizant of the factors that actually shape medicine (law, policy, the environment, etc.)