Considering PA/MPH dual degree - thoughts?

[kabyrose]

Hi everyone,

 

Would like to hear people's thoughts on dual PA/MPH programs, particularly if you know anyone who has completed one. I am considering such a program because I like the idea of being able to practice as a PA for perhaps 10 years, and later on work in the public health field, possibly doing some international health policy work.

 

Here are my reasons... I am a very hands-on person and a natural caretaker, and while I don't have HCE yet, I've been working at a gym in which I give people (mostly seniors) orientations, teach them how to exercise, and talk to them about appropriate aspects of their personal health, goals, etc. I know I'm good at it and people feel well attended to when working with me. But, I am also passionate about activism and looking at the bigger picture. My undergrad was in Conservation and Resource Studies, an interdisc. field in which I did take public health, international development, and other courses about environmental-social issues. And I've done activism about factory farming, raising awareness about how it affects water resources and public health in the U.S.

 

So having the MPH seems like a good back up to a PA degree. I realize you make less money in the public health field, so that's why it seems like something to do once I've paid back my loans and saved some. I also might like to, somewhere down the line, perhaps work part time in both fields. Does that sound viable?

 

Currently doing pre-reqs and volunteering in an inpatient rehabilitation clinic. Looking at Touro University's PA/MPH program b/c it's local. 

 

Would appreciate any feedback! Thank you.

[EMEDPA]

I'm a fan of the dual programs. many on here are not. do a search of the forums. the pros/cons of this have been discussed many times before.

[cm7sus4]

The MPH is an admnistrative degree - there is no job title created specifically for this degree.  Many pursue the MPH as a means to advance a career in which they are already well established - a close coworker of mine recently agonized between health admin and MPH (ended up choosing health admin).  If you look on usajobs.gov for "masters public health" you will find a lot of admin director positions, health systems specialists and such.  Clinical positions indicating this degree are for folks who already hold clinical degrees like MD and NP, and are mostly administrative, dealing with hospital/network policy.

 

You may be able to score a spot with the CDC in epidemiology, but MPH degrees that offer concentrations in epidemiology are not as common as those which offer concentrations in some sort of public health policy, and many times the epidemiologists are MDs pursuing practice on a national or global scope.  Every person I have known who holds an MPH degree uses it in some local administrative fashion or does not use the degree at all in any official capacity.

 

The public health field is not clinical, it is community based on its smallest scale; this is an entirely different world than practicing clinical medicine as a PA.  If you are looking into both fields, as it seems you are, and plan on pursuing both to see which way that either takes you, then it may be advisable.  When a friend comes to me with a question like this, I encourge them to pick one idea and stick it with all the resources they have, rather than be spread out thin trying to reach in too many directions at once.

 

Also, consider these four points of view: 1) you will graduate with more debt than with only a PA degree, 2) it will take you longer to enter into the workforce to pay off said degrees, 3) off the top of my head, I am not aware of any public health specialist which is a PA and 4) you always have the option to pursue a doctorate later in your life after you have experience and cashflow.  Ymmv, of course.

 

Best of luck!