MD/MPH Program Requirements

To receive both the MD and MPH degrees, students must fulfill all requirements for graduation from both schools before the graduation deadline. The MPH degree through the dual program is 45 credits. This includes 15 credits of core courses, 15 credits of programmatic courses, 1 credit for the APE, 1 credit for the ILE, 1 credit for the IPE and 12 credits of electives transferred from SOM coursework.

While students develop MD/MPH competencies specific to both their medical and public health curricula, the bridge between public health and medical education provides MD/MPH graduates with the ability to use their experiences to apply population-based findings and principles in assessing individuals and groups at risk of disease and injury. MD/MPH graduates have the necessary skills to translate these findings and principles into recommendations and actions for improved health in clinical practice settings.

WSPH Requirements and Competencies

In addition to completing their School of Medicine curriculum, MD/MPH dual degree students must also complete the following requirements:

  • Required core and programmatic courses in the Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (WSPH)
  • Applied Practice Experience (APE): fulfilled via the MD/MPH Rotation in T4 year
  • Integrative Learning Experience (ILE): MD/MPH students are required to complete a public health analysis that requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences. Your ILE should demonstrate to your public health advisor that you have mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in core and departmental competencies. This is normally completed in T4 year.
  • Interprofessional Collaboration and Practice (IPE): MD/MPH students complete the IPE through an online course in the first year of the program.
  • Additional departmental requirements: each department has specific requirements for programmatic and elective courses. Students should verify with their WSPH faculty advisor and department.

Students should verify all requirements with their WSPH department and contact their faculty advisors each semester to confirm their progress toward their degrees.

MD/MPH department track competencies, requirements, and model course schedules are available at the following links:

SOM Requirements

Courses in the School of Medicine that provide public health content and that MD/MPH combined degree students are required to take include the following:

  • Foundations in Medicine I & II
  • Family and Community Medicine clerkship
  • MD/MPH rotation (4th year)
  • Medical microbiology (Intro to Infectious Disease)
  • Genetics
  • Clinical diagnosis (evidence-based medicine)

Any changes in the School of Medicine curriculum that reduce the public health content courses may require that MD/MPH combined degree students complete additional credit hours in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine to meet degree requirements.