MD/MPH Program Requirements

To receive the MD/MPH combined degree, students must fulfill all requirements for graduation from both schools before the graduation deadline.  

While students develop MD/MPH competencies specific to both their medical and public health curricula, the competency that bridges the public health curriculum with the medical school curriculum is that MD/MPH students graduate from the MD/MPH program with the ability to use educational experiences in the School of Medicine to apply population-based and public health findings and principles in assessing individuals and groups at risk of disease and injury and to translate these findings and principles into recommendations and actions for improved health in clinical practice settings.

SPHTM Requirements and Competencies

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

  • Required core and programmatic courses in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM)
  • Applied Practice Experience (APE) (formerly the practicum): fulfilled, in part, with MD/MPH rotation
  • Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). All MD/MPH students are required to complete a culminating experience which requires students to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences. Your culminating experience should demonstrate to your public health advisor that you have mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in core and departmental competencies. 
  • Additional departmental requirements: each department has specific requirements for programmatic and elective courses and the culminating experience. Sometimes, departments may have additional requirements that students should verify with their SPHTM department.

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

MD/MPH competencies for each department mirror that department's general competencies, which 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 one-month rotation (3rd or 4th year)
  • Medical microbiology
  • 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.