A Fork in the Road

The fork on EXCITEMENT ROAD by ~Hyoni on deviantART

I feel like I've just reignited the "fork in the road" dilemma. Recall that just prior to coming to med school, I did a year of a Master's in Public Health (MPH) at UM SPH. While I loved my MPH education and appreciated the perspective on health that it gave me, when I started med school I readied myself for the possibility of never being able to complete my MPH.

Then I met an infectious disease specialist who I had the privilege of shadowing (twice, ^_^). When we first met, I mentioned how I began a MPH but didn't finish. When I said I was still considering the possibility of completing my MPH, he promptly sent an email to the MPH course director here and just last Thursday I followed up and met with her.

From the outset of our meeting, the MPH director here told me that 1.) I have to finish my MPH because it's so valuable, and 2.) that I should go back to UM SPH to complete it. My MPH was in Hospital & Molecular Epidemiology (MHE) and I further specialized it with an emphasis on genetics. That degree of specialization was something that the MPH program here couldn't accommodate. She said something to the effect of, "We could give you an MPH degree here, but it'd just be a title and probably not what you want or need." So we quickly reached the consensus that it's best if I returned to UM SPH to complete my MPH. Now the bigger question is: when?

That question is the question that had been plaguing me. I have several options: take a break between M2 and M3 year to complete my MPH, take a break between M4 and intern year to complete my MPH, or get accepted to one of UM's residency programs and complete my MPH during residency and extend my residency an extra year. I rejected all those options for various reasons.

I didn't want to do it between M2 and M3 year because it would separate me from my cohort of classmates. As I'm required to do my M3 rotations at my med school, I didn't want to go into my M3 year not really knowing anyone rotating with me. It can be important, at least emotionally, to have another person you at least recognize and can commiserate with. I didn't want to do it between M4 and intern year because every doctor I spoke to, without fail, strongly recommended against it; as such, I wouldn't even consider this an option. And lastly, completing my MPH as a part of my residency and extending my residency time. This requires me to bank on getting into one of UM's residency programs, and there are no guarantees and so I feel that this option takes too great a chance.

With all these options exhausted, when could I possibly complete my MPH? My MPH credits are only good for 5 years after I disenroll from UM SPH. The MPH director then mentioned a possibility that I didn't even know existed (or thought feasible): take a break between M3 and M4 year to complete my MPH. After mulling it over, I believe this to be the best option for me, and here's why:

I would stay together with my cohort of classmates through M3 year. At that point, I might want a break from med school anyway. So returning to UM SPH to complete my final year of my MPH would be useful for preventing "burn out." Then for my M4 year, I won't even bother signing an apartment lease back near my med school. Instead, I'll do several away rotations at institutions that I would consider applying to residency programs anyway.

This options has several advantages. First, I'll be able to complete my MPH before I apply to residencies, thus giving me an "edge" on many other med students applying for the same residency programs. Second, it allows me to take a breath of sorts from med school to recoup (it's pretty nice getting breaks back, because after M2 year there are no more breaks until the end of M4 year). Third, it almost forces me to do away rotations, and everyone seems to recommend doing away rotations if at all possible. I know that if I wasn't forced to go away from med school, I probably wouldn't go through the hassle of doing away rotations.

All of this in addition to completing the MPH itself, which is again hugely valuable. Just the thought of it brings back waves of nostalgia. To walk through UM central campus again, to go to some of the restaurants and eateries that I've loved for 5 years, to walk through the Chem building, Nat Sci, the UGLi, and to GSI again! Oh how I would love to GSI again (and the accompanying tuition waiver and stipend are definitely wonderful perks!).

The thought of all this potentially working out makes me super excited! It's a win-win situation all around. Going through M1, M2, and M3 years without worry, completing my MPH, possibly not adding to my debt for a year (lol), doing away rotations during my M4 year, and getting an edge on many other med students during residency applications. It just all depends on how away rotations work my M4 year and how many away rotations I can do.

The weird thing is - if this all does work out - I could be graduating from UM SPH the same time as my youngest brother, Kevin, graduates from UM undergrad; and if my other brother, Eric, gets into med school this year, I'll be graduating from med school the same time as he graduates from med school. o_O Ah well, such is life.