MCAT for MPH programs?

[Catria]

Maybe some of you have had the experience of applying to MPH programs with a MCAT score. Some of you might have gotten into MPH programs without having taken the GRE. So, what's a competitive MCAT score if one wanted to apply to MPH programs on top of MD/DO?

Which test will public health schools prefer, MCAT or GRE?

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[364462]

Maybe some of you have had the experience of applying to MPH programs with a MCAT score. Some of you might have gotten into MPH programs without having taken the GRE. So, what's a competitive MCAT score if one wanted to apply to MPH programs on top of MD/DO?

Which test will public health schools prefer, MCAT or GRE?

I would imagine that a competitive MCAT score is the one that is also competitive for a MD/DO program. Since the MCAT score is more towards the MD that you plan to pursue, should not the score be as competitive/as high for that? Also, some programs will accept the MCAT in lieu of the GRE under certain conditions. If you are enrolled in a MD/DO program and plan to take "a year off" to pursue the MPH, programs will more likely welcome the MCAT score. However, if you plan to do the MD/DO after the MPH, it is less likely (though no impossible) that a program will accept the score in lieu of the GRE, since they cannot be assured that you will pursue the MD/DO thereafter - and therefore, the MCAT cannot presume to reflect your (testing) abilities. My recommendation is to shoot for the score that not only best reflects your overall capabilities but also best fits the MD/DO program to which you hope to gain admission.

 

[Abbeyroad1791]

As someone who used an MCAT to apply to MPH programs with the intention of going to medical school after my MPH (so I'm not doing a dual program), you are limited by the schools you can apply to. I had a really great list that I was happy with, but there are a lot of schools that won't accept the MCAT in lieu of the GRE. However, I got into all 6 programs I applied to so I wouldn't say it affects your changes at all. If you have any questions feel free to PM me!

 

[KungFu]

I would imagine that a competitive MCAT score is the one that is also competitive for a MD/DO program. Since the MCAT score is more towards the MD that you plan to pursue, should not the score be as competitive/as high for that? Also, some programs will accept the MCAT in lieu of the GRE under certain conditions. If you are enrolled in a MD/DO program and plan to take "a year off" to pursue the MPH, programs will more likely welcome the MCAT score. However, if you plan to do the MD/DO after the MPH, it is less likely (though no impossible) that a program will accept the score in lieu of the GRE, since they cannot be assured that you will pursue the MD/DO thereafter - and therefore, the MCAT cannot presume to reflect your (testing) abilities. My recommendation is to shoot for the score that not only best reflects your overall capabilities but also best fits the MD/DO program to which you hope to gain admission.

Most of this post is conjecture, with the general advice that if you take a standardized test, such as the MCAT, it behoves you to do as good as possible and properly prepare.

If you are enrolled in a MD/DO program, you're already in the middle of completing post-graduate studies (successfully), and MPH schools are often keen to admit medical students as the MPH can be useful with clinical work.

For premeds who are looking for a career change, or looking to do public health before medical school, some schools allow applicants to use the MCAT in lieu of the GRE. Realize that what school you choose for the MPH is a big deal, in terms of career goals and even financial issues, don't fork over extra tuition money, or limit yourself, just because you don't want to have to take the GRE.

That being said, I would guess that the average MCAT scores for those admitted to public health schools are probably lower than for those admitted to medical school, if only because medical school admission is more competitive. You could call a specific school and ask them if your MCAT score is competitive, or if you should take the GRE with the goal of showing improvement.

 

[andoraminx7]

As someone who used an MCAT to apply to MPH programs with the intention of going to medical school after my MPH (so I'm not doing a dual program), you are limited by the schools you can apply to. I had a really great list that I was happy with, but there are a lot of schools that won't accept the MCAT in lieu of the GRE. However, I got into all 6 programs I applied to so I wouldn't say it affects your changes at all. If you have any questions feel free to PM me!

Hey!

Would you mind telling me which programs accepted your mcat scores ?
I really don't want to have to take the gre if I can avoid it.
Thanks

 

[beaverbhav]

As someone who used an MCAT to apply to MPH programs with the intention of going to medical school after my MPH (so I'm not doing a dual program), you are limited by the schools you can apply to. I had a really great list that I was happy with, but there are a lot of schools that won't accept the MCAT in lieu of the GRE. However, I got into all 6 programs I applied to so I wouldn't say it affects your changes at all. If you have any questions feel free to PM me!

Hey,

Would you mind telling me which programs accepted your mcat scores?

Thanks!

 

[NeurosciTMS]

I got into the University of Michigan School of Public Health with my MCAT. JHSPH also accepted my MCAT Scores and I am waiting for an admissions decisions. I applied to all epidemiology programs though.

 

[beaverbhav]

I got into the University of Michigan School of Public Health with my MCAT. JHSPH also accepted my MCAT Scores and I am waiting for an admissions decisions. I applied to all epidemiology programs though.

Thanks for the info!

 

[doinitswell]

Hey,

I'm currently going through the admissions process. I applied using my MCAT scores and so far have been accepted to:

University of Michigan MPH HME
University of Pittsburgh MPH Infectious Disease PEL
Tulane MPH Epi
Emory MSPH Epi

My MCAT was bad in PS, good in verbal and BS. I'm really a horrible timed test taker in quant related things I've realized. I studied bioinformatics though and have taken quite a bit of math so maybe that has helped prove my quant abilities?

I actually found every program I was interested in, aside from Harvard, accepts the MCAT. (I also applied to GW MS Public Health Microbio and Emerging ID, Yale MPH Epi EMD, and JHU MS MMI but haven't heard back yet)

If your MCAT is competitive for medical school then it will be great for MPH. Also, it seems they actually give a holistic review of your app so make sure you write an awesome statement of purpose, have great letters of rec, and a good GPA and you'll be golden.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know/discuss more. Good luck!

 

[cg122]

I'm in just about the same boat. I got a decent score on the MCAT and didn't want to have to retake another standardized test.. to save you some legwork, here is the list of schools I applied to that all accept the MCAT:

Emory
Yale
UPenn
Thomas Jefferson
Columbia
Boston U

 

[NeurosciTMS]

The general rule that I was told, at least from the University of Michigan, is that if you get above a 28 (which is at or above 50th percentile of applicants that apply to medical school) you should be fine. However I feel that most schools value public health experience rather than scores in their admissions processes but I could be wrong.