What exactly is an MPH?

[RoccoWJ]

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Could someone please explain to me what a Masters of Public Health is exactly? Honestly, I have no clue!



Thanks,

Rocco😕

 

[lola]

there's an mph forum...

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Another useless degree used to boost subpar GPA's before applying to medical school, unless they actually care about public health.

 

[Rose122]

Some of the best MPH programs accept a preponderance of physicians into their programs. I think it is a good tool to understanding populational medicine where there is a sociological/business aspect of a less personal type of medicine.

 

[Kalel]

Most people who get MPH's don't have MD's and work for places like the CDC and NIH with statistical analysis and addressing public health issues. Physicians who get MPH's frequently deal with administrative issues. Many preventative medicine residency programs allow you to get an MPH for free, so if you really want to do something in the public health field, I would reccomend waiting until residency to get it.

 

[Zweihander]

An MPH is a fantastic degree that absolutely any physician would benefit from having. It gives you background in the healthcare system and how healthcare in this country functions. You can also focus on fields such as international health or epidemiology; there is a far degree of scope to this degree.

 

[exmike]

quite simply, MPH deals with the health of populations (with areas of concentratioons that address almost every single aspect of population health such as biostats, epi, maternal/child health, evironmental health, infectious disease, health policy, nutrition, international health, health management, ), whereas MD deals with the health of individuals.

 

[calcrew14]

Originally posted by Kalel
Most people who get MPH's don't have MD's and work for places like the CDC and NIH with statistical analysis and addressing public health issues. Physicians who get MPH's frequently deal with administrative issues. Many preventative medicine residency programs allow you to get an MPH for free, so if you really want to do something in the public health field, I would reccomend waiting until residency to get it.

Some of those MPH's says that one doesn't advance well in the career without an MD degree. I don't know if a DO helps?

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by calcrew14
Some of those MPH's says that one doesn't advance well in the career without an MD degree. I don't know if a DO helps?

why not? they are the functional equivalent of an MD.

 

[calcrew14]

Originally posted by jlee9531
why not? they are the functional equivalent of an MD.

I guess that it is very difficult for an MPH to climb to the top of the ladder without some doctorate degree, especially an M.D. It might be just another opinion from that unhappy MPH. But it did make me lose my short term interest in the field of public health.

(Believe it or not, all 4 dentists and their workers complained of a lot of stresses in their practices. And even though all pharmacists I met were very happy with their 9 to 5 routine, I didn't heed their advices because of the reason posted in "scared!!!!" thread in Financial Aid Forum.)

 

[doctorcynical]

This is a tough one since most of us were forced to learn everything in SI units. It stands for Miles Per Hour. Seriously if you don't know this I hope this pre-med thing is a phase.

 

[CalBeE]

You can combine your MPH background with many different specialties you go for. I was talking to a director of a MPH program at a school, and she said that the previous year two of the MD/MPH students chose to be radiologists (I think they're interested in population studies in that field). So MPH is not just for those with interest in primary care or health admin.

 

[zinjanthropus]

Originally posted by Pinkertinkle
Another useless degree used to boost subpar GPA's before applying to medical school, unless they actually care about public health.

this is just an utterly silly thing to say. the goals of an mph degree are not to help you get into med school and there are very few students in most public health departments that have medical school as a goal.

an mph is used to enter the professional field of public health care. usually, a public health school is divided into analysis (biostats and epidemiology) and policy (health care management, education). some of the job goals of students might be academic preventive medicine, disease monitoring (e.g. CDC), local health statistics and monitoring, hmo management, legislation, etc.

 

[calcrew14]

Does an MD need MPH to become more successful in the field of pulic health care?

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by calcrew14
Does an MD need MPH to become more successful in the field of pulic health care?

I think background in the area is more important than a formal degree, but quite a number of physicians go back to get a MPH after practicing for a few years.

 

[Zweihander]

Originally posted by calcrew14
Does an MD need MPH to become more successful in the field of pulic health care?

Depends on what you want to do with it. For example, there are certain positions (depending on local legislation), such as that of health commissioner for areas of a particular size and above, that require the MD/MPH.

 

[bubbajones]

will a MPH help gain acceptance to med school for borderline applicants?

 

[Alcon]

I am considering a combined 4-year MD/MPH program. My question is, during residency application time, will I be questioned as to my motivation for getting the degree, and my future plans with it? In other words, would the dual degree limit the specialties or residency programs for which I would be seriously considered?

Thanks

 

[bubbajones]

will a MPH help gain acceptance to med school for borderline applicants?

 

[CalBeE]

Originally posted by bubbajones
will a MPH help gain acceptance to med school for borderline applicants?

Depending on the weakness in your app, I think.

If your problem was low science GPA/bad grades in science pre-req, a better way to improve your application is to take more upper division science classes and do well.

 

[calcrew14]

Originally posted by CalBeE
You can combine your MPH background with many different specialties you go for. I was talking to a director of a MPH program at a school, and she said that the previous year two of the MD/MPH students chose to be radiologists (I think they're interested in population studies in that field). So MPH is not just for those with interest in primary care or health admin.

Is it easier to get in a medical school by way of MD/MPH program?
Those two "defections" to the same popular specialty may not be just a coincidence. It might be a "who you know" thing.

By the way, I am guessing that, in the field of public health care, a policy maker will have a better chance to go to the top than an analyst counterpart but the analyst will have a much easier life. Am I too far off? May be both of them will have easier life.