MPH prior to MD?

[Louise25]

Hey all,

 

I've recently been accepted to two medical schools in Canada (Queen's and Ottawa), as well as the Master's of Public Health program at Columbia University in NYC.

 

I know how hard it is to get into med school, and I know how hard I've worked to get here, but I really, really want to go to Columbia. The problem is that it's a two year degree, which means the med schools won't defer my acceptance.

 

I was just wondering if anyone had had any experience with this and how crazy it would be to turn down a med school in favor of a masters.

 

I am super interested in public health, and I've nearly killed myself for the last four years of undergrad. I'm feeling burnt out and I didn't have the time to experience life or pursue any other (academic) interests that weren't geared somehow towards medicine. I know you can do the MPH after the MD, but I don't feel that I'm going to want to, considering how much time I will have spent in school by that point.

 

Any thoughts?

[MD2015]

Hey Louise,

 

Think of the end game! Being a physician.

 

It is an easy no-brainer to me that you must accept med school, no matter how tempting coveted Columbia may be. Acceptance to med school is a privilege and a gift. Others who have turned down acceptance, have lieved to regret it and lost the only opportunity given to them. So, please don\t blow it. The MPH can and must wait for another day

and, in the future, it will happen or not.

 

 

Hey all,

 

I've recently been accepted to two medical schools in Canada (Queen's and Ottawa), as well as the Master's of Public Health program at Columbia University in NYC.

 

I know how hard it is to get into med school, and I know how hard I've worked to get here, but I really, really want to go to Columbia. The problem is that it's a two year degree, which means the med schools won't defer my acceptance.

 

I was just wondering if anyone had had any experience with this and how crazy it would be to turn down a med school in favor of a masters.

 

I am super interested in public health, and I've nearly killed myself for the last four years of undergrad. I'm feeling burnt out and I didn't have the time to experience life or pursue any other (academic) interests that weren't geared somehow towards medicine. I know you can do the MPH after the MD, but I don't feel that I'm going to want to, considering how much time I will have spent in school by that point.

 

Any thoughts?

[chrail]

There are pretty cool residency positions in community medicine (with the shift to start calling it public health medicine).

 

You do PGY1 and PGY2 as a family resident, then during PGY3 you get your MPH, and then PGY4 and 5 you do public health medicine. Sounds awesome.

 

So, I say stick with meds, and then you can match to one of these community medicine programs and get paid to do your MPH during third year.

 

I have an MPH and this would SOOOOO have been the better route for me in hindsight.

[TheCat'sMeow]

Getting your mph will technically make you a stronger candidate for med school however you have no idea how strong the applicant pool will be in 2 years. I wouldn't risk it, you can Get your mph anytime after your md and I think it'll have more relevance to you at that point.

[sunshinesky101]

Hey Louise,

 

Think of the end game! Being a physician.

 

It is an easy no-brainer to me that you must accept med school, no matter how tempting coveted Columbia may be. Acceptance to med school is a privilege and a gift. Others who have turned down acceptance, have lieved to regret it and lost the only opportunity given to them. So, please don\t blow it. The MPH can and must wait for another day

and, in the future, it will happen or not.

 

I second this....you should go for the med school, MPH is great but it can wait for later...you should really consider yourself blessed to have been given an acceptance to a Canadian med school....don't let that opportunity go.

[thehumanmacbook]

^ +1 I agree. MPH can come after; in fact, some doctors at sick kids I know do their MPH while they were working.

[keepontrying]

Do MD first. I'm a MPH graduate and I can tell you that the content will become much more relevant and applicable when you are a physician already. I'm currently working at the ministry of health and although the research that I'm doing is super interesting (outbreak control/surveillance, immunization strategies planning/research, etc), I always feel that I can offer much more if I have had medical education - hence reason why I'm applying to med.

[dentalmontreal]

Wow! First, congrats twice on both acceptances (Med+MPH Columbia). Second, why don't you try to discuss your issue with your futur med school? I'm sure they can understand. If they really can't differ 2 years :

 

Defer 1 year, Do Year 1 of MPH, Back 1 year to med, Take a year off from med, Finish MPH.

 

It's crazy plan but I'm sure you can work it...you've got your career in your hands and you can't let any opportunity pass. But if you have to make a choice, Med first hands down. I did research in public health and my supervisor had the same issue when finishing his b.sc : med or mph ? he finished med and got in the same school where he wanted to do mph.

 

good luck!

[Buddah]

doing a MPH at a prestigious school like Columbia will definitely open more doors, but dude its medicine man, thats like the hardest thing to get into in Canada these days, this is a tough situation but i say go for the MD, MPH is good but you can easily attain that degree anytime and its less competitive.

 

Goodluck on your decision though!

[Lactic Folly]

Are you perhaps experiencing some ambivalence towards medical school?

[powermed]

Louise, I can definitely understand the draw of a prestigious school like Columbia and living in New York for a few years would be amazing. Your Masters is only two years though, you should make your decision based on the career you want at the end of those two years.

[Louise25]

Thanks so much for all the input. I'm really, really struggling with this decision.. I do want to be a doctor, and have for a long time, and I've worked so hard to get here..but sometimes I worry that I've just had tunnel vision for medicine and haven't considered all the options out there.

 

On a personal level- I know that I'm supposed to jump at the chance to do medicine and that the selection process in Canada is nuts and in many ways a "lottery", but I've worked so so hard and I haven't really enjoyed my life or my undergrad... I kind of wanted the two years to explore other academic interests, get some amazing work experience (I have a couple of friends at Columbia right now... one is interning at the WHO in Geneva and the other is working with the anti-terrorism dept in NYC), develop as a person, and THEN go to med school. I want some life experiences before I'm thirty and realize that my youth has been spent in a library.

 

I know I can get the MPH later, but I feel as though once I'm done med I won't have the time/drive/freedom to go down to Columbia and do the degree.

I also think I'll get a really valuable perspective of health and healthcare and that this will be useful in med school and beyond.

 

Also- I know I can't predict the applicant pool, and given the new MCAT coming out within the next two years I'm worried my scores won't be competitive anymore (35T but I got a 10 in verbal), but at the same time, it's an ivy league! It's a great school with some great opportunities- I thought this would strengthen my application!

 

Sorry for all the whining, but I needed a release!

 

** by the way, I haven't made up my mind- I have a whole host of reasons to do med first- but since everyone in the thread said MD first I thought I'd share my reasons for wanting the MPH.

[Louise25]

There are pretty cool residency positions in community medicine (with the shift to start calling it public health medicine).

 

You do PGY1 and PGY2 as a family resident, then during PGY3 you get your MPH, and then PGY4 and 5 you do public health medicine. Sounds awesome.

 

So, I say stick with meds, and then you can match to one of these community medicine programs and get paid to do your MPH during third year.

 

I have an MPH and this would SOOOOO have been the better route for me in hindsight.

 

Hey this sounds super interesting- could I do this anywhere? Ie New York? Where did you do the MPH? Are you a doctor now? Haha sorry for all the questions you can PM me if you want!

[idiopathic]

I thought of doing an MPH as well before entering med school - the public health side of things indeed would give you a better understanding of our healthcare system!

 

It's great that you're considering your options, but I would agree with the above in doing medical school first and seeing where your head is at later on in your career. If you still want to do an MPH at that point, great. I wouldn't see why you couldn't do the MPH at Columbia or another prestigious university with a medical degree under your belt. If you decide the MPH isn't for you anymore, that's great too - you'll have had 4 years of journeying through medical training to see what you want to do with your career/life and things will surely change.

If you start to lose drive in a few years, I'd say it's probably better to lose drive to do an MPH, then to lose drive during your medical training when times will be super stressful during clinical years.

 

I'm only finishing up my first year in med, but I'm thinking of doing an MPH as well after med school/during residency, when it's more applicable to the type of medicine I will end up practicing. Even the field of 'public health' is so broad and I think it would be helpful to narrow down what that means to you, and apply that knowledge to a more specific area of clinical medicine.

 

Adding two more cents to the pile!

[tron]

Thanks so much for all the input. I'm really, really struggling with this decision.. I do want to be a doctor, and have for a long time, and I've worked so hard to get here..but sometimes I worry that I've just had tunnel vision for medicine and haven't considered all the options out there.

 

On a personal level- I know that I'm supposed to jump at the chance to do medicine and that the selection process in Canada is nuts and in many ways a "lottery", but I've worked so so hard and I haven't really enjoyed my life or my undergrad... I kind of wanted the two years to explore other academic interests, get some amazing work experience (I have a couple of friends at Columbia right now... one is interning at the WHO in Geneva and the other is working with the anti-terrorism dept in NYC), develop as a person, and THEN go to med school. I want some life experiences before I'm thirty and realize that my youth has been spent in a library.

 

I know I can get the MPH later, but I feel as though once I'm done med I won't have the time/drive/freedom to go down to Columbia and do the degree.

I also think I'll get a really valuable perspective of health and healthcare and that this will be useful in med school and beyond.

 

Also- I know I can't predict the applicant pool, and given the new MCAT coming out within the next two years I'm worried my scores won't be competitive anymore (35T but I got a 10 in verbal), but at the same time, it's an ivy league! It's a great school with some great opportunities- I thought this would strengthen my application!

 

Sorry for all the whining, but I needed a release!

 

** by the way, I haven't made up my mind- I have a whole host of reasons to do med first- but since everyone in the thread said MD first I thought I'd share my reasons for wanting the MPH.

 

I did an MHSc prior to med school. Wasn't actually planning on med school when I applied to the MHSc though.

 

I do know of someone who took a year off for the reasons you describe - he ended up getting in both years, though at different schools.

 

If your stats are strong enough then you'll likely be able to apply to an MD program in the future and get in. You just risk the targets for different schools moving on you.

 

Earlier advice on do the career oriented one first is good advice. You just need to know what that career is A clinician first? Or a clinician working within public health?

[Louise25]

I did an MHSc prior to med school. Wasn't actually planning on med school when I applied to the MHSc though.

 

I do know of someone who took a year off for the reasons you describe - he ended up getting in both years, though at different schools.

 

If your stats are strong enough then you'll likely be able to apply to an MD program in the future and get in. You just risk the targets for different schools moving on you.

 

Earlier advice on do the career oriented one first is good advice. You just need to know what that career is A clinician first? Or a clinician working within public health?

 

^^ I wish I knew the answer to that, I think it would definitely help with the decision. I can almost guarantee an interview at two schools, because they only look at certain years..but once in the interview it's a bit of a crapshoot and that's what's scaring me.