This program is intended to provide students who are pursuing the MD an opportunity to complete the professional degree in public health to expand career opportunities and permit interested professionals to apply the principles of both medicine and public health for the betterment of mankind. Completion of the MPH program can enhance physicians ability to receive primary certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Physicians who are considering certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine should review the requirements here.

Prerequisite

To be a candidate for this combined degree the applicant must be accepted into the MD program as a condition of acceptance into the combined degree. This may occur concurrently but the condition of acceptance into the MD must be made before final acceptance into the MPH program. The admission committees of the two colleges will independently review the candidate for acceptance into the combined degree. For information on admission to the MD program, please see https://medicine.uiowa.edu/md/admission-medical-school-md.

MPH Core Courses (18 s.h.)

The following courses are required of students in the MPH program. Students are expected to earn ≥ B- (2.67) on each core course and must earn a ≥ B (3.0) cumulative grade point average on all core courses. When necessary, a student may repeat a course to achieve this standard.

Number	Title	Hours
CPH:5100	Intro to Public Health	3 s.h.
BIOS:4120	Intro to Biostatistics	3 s.h.
CBH:4105	Intro to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention	3 s.h.
EPID:4400	Epidemiology I: Principles	3 s.h.
HMP:4000	Intro to the US Healthcare System	3 s.h.
OEH:4240	Global Environmental Health	3 s.h.

Practicum Requirement (3 s.h.)

The experience from this course, including a final written report and poster presentation constitute the final examination for the MPH.

Number	Title	Hours
CPH:7000	MPH Practicum Experience (possible COM elective)	3 s.h.

 

Pre-Requisite to MPH Practicum:
Students must complete all of their MPH core courses and the majority of other MPH coursework prior to registering for the Practicum.

Required Courses (21 s.h.)

College of Medicine Focus Courses (12 s.h.)
Twelve hours of coursework from the MD curriculum also count as credit toward the MPH.

Number	Title	Hours
MED:8122	Medicine and Society I	3 s.h.
MED:8132	Medicine and Society II	4 s.h.
MED:8222	Medicine and Society III	4 s.h.
MED:8121	Clinical and Professional Skills I, II, III	1 s.h.

College of Public Health Focus Courses(9 s.h.)

Nine semester hours of coursework must be selected from the College of Public Health curriculum.  Coursework must provide knowledge for population-based applications.

Summary of Degree Requirements

Area	Hours
MPH Core	18 s.h.
Practicum	3 s.h.
MPH Focus Courses	9 s.h.
MD Focus Courses	12 s.h.
Total	42 s.h.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to take both the GRE & MCAT?
No.  Your MCAT scores are acceptable.

What happens if I’m applying to both programs at the same time and don’t get admitted into the MD program? Can I still begin the MPH?
Yes, though you will have to change your application and apply to a departmental subtrack. Communicate with Lexie Just, Assistant Director, MPH Program throughout the application process.

What is the typical schedule for the MD/MPH Program?
Students typically take MPH classes between their 3rd and 4th years of medical school. Since MD/MPH students cross-count hours, the MPH degree can be completed in 3 semesters (one year). The typical schedule is 9 s.h. in the summer session, 12 s.h. in the fall semester and 9 s.h. in the spring semester.

How does tuition work?
Medical school tuition for 4 years and MPH tuition during the year that you step out to pursue the MPH Program.

Can I begin in MPH classes prior to the start of my M1 year?
Perhaps.  Contact the MPH program with specific information for a more clear answer based on your situation.

Do I really need to complete two application forms?
Yes. These are two distinct colleges and educational systems requiring different data to make an admission decision, and separate systems to operate.

Do I get the MPH degree as soon as I complete the course work?
No, both degrees must be conferred in the same semester.

Do I get one or two degrees?
Two separate degrees will be conferred.

Who is the College of Medicine contact for the MD/MPH degree?
Matt Edwards
Registrar, Carver College of Medicine
Office of Student Affairs and Curriculum
319-335-8046
matthew-c-edwards@uiowa.edu

 

Competencies

In addition to mastering the MPH core competencies, graduates of the combined MD/MPH will be able to:

Discuss the relationship between medicine and ethics.

Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and health policy, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.

Describe the influence of cultural, environmental and socioeconomic factors on access to health care and competent provision of care.