As you prepare to become a physician, you’re likely spending a lot of time thinking about the type of impact you’d like to have as a doctor. For many, the question “What type of doctor should I be?” boils down to choosing a specialty such as anesthesiology, cardiology, or emergency medicine.
But if you find yourself thinking less about the type of work you want to perform and more about the positive effect you want to have on entire communities of patients, you might discover your purpose in public health.
Medical students at St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine have the opportunity to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree alongside their Doctor of Medicine (MD) with an MD/MPH dual degree program. Read on to learn more about this interdisciplinary opportunity and the paths it could lead down.
Why work in public health?
Doctors are specialists. Regardless of their chosen specialty, once armed with an MD, they’re expected to be top-of-the-line experts in their fields. And that’s no different when it comes to public health.
But what does that actually look like as a medical student and physician?
When Dr. Casie Wiley first decided to go into medicine, she didn’t necessarily have public health in mind. But the more she learned about the state of healthcare around the world, the more she felt drawn to this career path.
“I realized there is so much more to medicine than treating individual diseases.”
“After taking a global medicine class in undergrad, I realized there is so much more to medicine than treating individual diseases,” Dr. Wiley explains. “The environments people live in, their education and job opportunities, government policies, and access to resources all have a greater impact on someone’s health than their genetics and individual behaviors.”
There are a number of different ways physicians working in public health can utilize the knowledge and skills they gain from an MD/MPH dual degree program to make a community-wide impact. If you want to focus on clinical research, for example, MPH coursework can help you develop a framework from which to do so. In fact, many residency programs that focus on academic research look favorably on applicants who have public health training.
Those who are interested in working in healthcare policy will also benefit greatly from studying public health. An MPH curriculum can provide you with a crucial understanding of how the US healthcare system works and how policy affects healthcare delivery.
If you have a passion for working with underserved populations or focusing on improving international healthcare, public health training will help equip you for making an impact. Many MPH courses focus on issues that affect marginalized communities both in the US and in developing countries. You’ll learn to provide comprehensive patient care by considering things like social histories, economic backgrounds, cultures, and other factors that could directly or indirectly impact your patients’ well-being.
“While I love being a doctor and helping individuals with their own health, the world of public health allows me to improve the health of my whole community.”
MD/MPH students learn a community-based approach to patient care with a mind for things like disease prevention and health education. “While I love being a doctor and helping individuals with their own health, the world of public health allows me to improve the health of my whole community,” Dr. Wiley shares. “One small policy change or community project can improve quality of life for generations of people.”
How can an MD/MPH dual degree impact your medical career?
“When I went to medical school, I wanted to have as many career options available as possible,” explains Dr. Andrew Kowalski. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to earn an MPH in tandem with his MD at SGU. He says the dual MD/MPH program helped not only in multiplying his career opportunities, but also in making him a more well-rounded physician.
“The coursework dove into aspects of medicine that I was unaware of,” he says. “We had in-depth discussions about populations’ access to care, the influence of insurance, and the thought process patients go through about [a new] diagnosis. I use the principles and practices that I learned in the MPH program more than I thought I ever would have.”
“I use the principles and practices that I learned in the MPH program more than I thought I ever would have.”
Most doctors earn their MDs and expect to go into some form of clinical practice. In addition to this route, MD/MPH dual degree holders may pursue careers related to disease prevention, health education, research, implementation science, and policy making. A dual program like this prepares medical students to work as physicians in a public health setting, where they can use their training to research to identify public health issues and implement an evidence-based approach to health improvement.
“An MPH degree gives you more options. And taking into account what you’re taught in [less than] one extra year, I think it’s extremely valuable to have,” Dr. Kowalski says.
What can you expect from an MD/MPH dual degree program?
The MD/MPH dual degree program at SGU offers a unique perspective on integrating medical care at both a universal and a patient level. In addition to medical coursework, the public health degree presents students with the fundamentals of epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health.
All MPH students undergo several applied practice experiences. This includes a 120-hour field-based practicum, as well as a Capstone Integrated Learning Experience, which applies classroom knowledge to real-world public health challenges.
As a result, MD/MPH students will learn to do the following:
- Integrate and apply general biological, microbiological, and parasitological concepts into public health research and practice.
- Identify and address the ethical and social issues implied by public health biology.
- Utilize evidence-based medicine concepts to inform public health policies and regulations.
- Apply the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and public health.
An MD/MPH professional will complete SGU’s program with the credentials and expertise to interface as a multidisciplinary and inter-professional public health practitioner. And the hands-on experiences provided at SGU can have a longstanding impact on medical students’ careers.
“The most rewarding part of the MPH program was getting involved in the international public health community,” Dr. Wiley shares. “In Grenada, we were able to apply our new knowledge to community outreach and local programs focusing on sustainable ways to improve health.”
Through SGU, Dr. Wiley was able to connect with public health professionals from across the world. She had the opportunity to speak at the United Nations at their Sustainable Development Goals Conference and traveled to Macedonia as the public health representative for Grenada through the International Federation of Medical Students Association.
“These connections and experiences have continued to fuel my passion even today,” she shares.
Maximize your impact through public health
No two doctors are exactly alike, but the odds are good that they all have one thing in common: a desire to help. If you’re looking to increase your influence at a macro level, studying public health can provide you with the specialized training and skills you’ll need to extend your reach across entire communities.
Earning two degrees at once can seem daunting, but Dr. Wiley feels SGU does a great job at making it manageable, adding that some of the MD courses overlap with the MPH curriculum, so you don’t have to do double the work.
“Having both my MD and my MPH has established me as a leader in my field.”
“To earn a whole master’s degree with only about six extra months of work was definitely worth it,” Dr. Wiley says. “Having both my MD and my MPH has established me as a leader in my field.”
Eager to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Wiley and Dr. Kowalski by making a difference in the world of public health? Check out our MD/MPH dual degree program page to learn more.
What Can You Do with an MD/MPH Dual Degree?
As you prepare to become a physician, you’re likely spending a lot of time thinking about the type of impact you’d like to have as a doctor. For many, the question “What type of doctor should I be?” boils down to choosing a specialty such as anesthesiology, cardiology, or emergency medicine.
But if you find yourself thinking less about the type of work you want to perform and more about the positive effect you want to have on entire communities of patients, you might discover your purpose in public health.
Medical students at St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine have the opportunity to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree alongside their Doctor of Medicine (MD) with an MD/MPH dual degree program. Read on to learn more about this interdisciplinary opportunity and the paths it could lead down.
Why work in public health?
Doctors are specialists. Regardless of their chosen specialty, once armed with an MD, they’re expected to be top-of-the-line experts in their fields. And that’s no different when it comes to public health.
But what does that actually look like as a medical student and physician?
When Dr. Casie Wiley first decided to go into medicine, she didn’t necessarily have public health in mind. But the more she learned about the state of healthcare around the world, the more she felt drawn to this career path.
“I realized there is so much more to medicine than treating individual diseases.”
“After taking a global medicine class in undergrad, I realized there is so much more to medicine than treating individual diseases,” Dr. Wiley explains. “The environments people live in, their education and job opportunities, government policies, and access to resources all have a greater impact on someone’s health than their genetics and individual behaviors.”
There are a number of different ways physicians working in public health can utilize the knowledge and skills they gain from an MD/MPH dual degree program to make a community-wide impact. If you want to focus on clinical research, for example, MPH coursework can help you develop a framework from which to do so. In fact, many residency programs that focus on academic research look favorably on applicants who have public health training.
Those who are interested in working in healthcare policy will also benefit greatly from studying public health. An MPH curriculum can provide you with a crucial understanding of how the US healthcare system works and how policy affects healthcare delivery.
If you have a passion for working with underserved populations or focusing on improving international healthcare, public health training will help equip you for making an impact. Many MPH courses focus on issues that affect marginalized communities both in the US and in developing countries. You’ll learn to provide comprehensive patient care by considering things like social histories, economic backgrounds, cultures, and other factors that could directly or indirectly impact your patients’ well-being.
“While I love being a doctor and helping individuals with their own health, the world of public health allows me to improve the health of my whole community.”
MD/MPH students learn a community-based approach to patient care with a mind for things like disease prevention and health education. “While I love being a doctor and helping individuals with their own health, the world of public health allows me to improve the health of my whole community,” Dr. Wiley shares. “One small policy change or community project can improve quality of life for generations of people.”
How can an MD/MPH dual degree impact your medical career?
“When I went to medical school, I wanted to have as many career options available as possible,” explains Dr. Andrew Kowalski. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to earn an MPH in tandem with his MD at SGU. He says the dual MD/MPH program helped not only in multiplying his career opportunities, but also in making him a more well-rounded physician.
“The coursework dove into aspects of medicine that I was unaware of,” he says. “We had in-depth discussions about populations’ access to care, the influence of insurance, and the thought process patients go through about [a new] diagnosis. I use the principles and practices that I learned in the MPH program more than I thought I ever would have.”
“I use the principles and practices that I learned in the MPH program more than I thought I ever would have.”
Most doctors earn their MDs and expect to go into some form of clinical practice. In addition to this route, MD/MPH dual degree holders may pursue careers related to disease prevention, health education, research, implementation science, and policy making. A dual program like this prepares medical students to work as physicians in a public health setting, where they can use their training to research to identify public health issues and implement an evidence-based approach to health improvement.
“An MPH degree gives you more options. And taking into account what you’re taught in [less than] one extra year, I think it’s extremely valuable to have,” Dr. Kowalski says.
What can you expect from an MD/MPH dual degree program?
The MD/MPH dual degree program at SGU offers a unique perspective on integrating medical care at both a universal and a patient level. In addition to medical coursework, the public health degree presents students with the fundamentals of epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health.
All MPH students undergo several applied practice experiences. This includes a 120-hour field-based practicum, as well as a Capstone Integrated Learning Experience, which applies classroom knowledge to real-world public health challenges.
As a result, MD/MPH students will learn to do the following:
- Integrate and apply general biological, microbiological, and parasitological concepts into public health research and practice.
- Identify and address the ethical and social issues implied by public health biology.
- Utilize evidence-based medicine concepts to inform public health policies and regulations.
- Apply the relationship between nutrition, physical activity, and public health.
An MD/MPH professional will complete SGU’s program with the credentials and expertise to interface as a multidisciplinary and inter-professional public health practitioner. And the hands-on experiences provided at SGU can have a longstanding impact on medical students’ careers.
“The most rewarding part of the MPH program was getting involved in the international public health community,” Dr. Wiley shares. “In Grenada, we were able to apply our new knowledge to community outreach and local programs focusing on sustainable ways to improve health.”
Through SGU, Dr. Wiley was able to connect with public health professionals from across the world. She had the opportunity to speak at the United Nations at their Sustainable Development Goals Conference and traveled to Macedonia as the public health representative for Grenada through the International Federation of Medical Students Association.
“These connections and experiences have continued to fuel my passion even today,” she shares.
Maximize your impact through public health
No two doctors are exactly alike, but the odds are good that they all have one thing in common: a desire to help. If you’re looking to increase your influence at a macro level, studying public health can provide you with the specialized training and skills you’ll need to extend your reach across entire communities.
Earning two degrees at once can seem daunting, but Dr. Wiley feels SGU does a great job at making it manageable, adding that some of the MD courses overlap with the MPH curriculum, so you don’t have to do double the work.
“Having both my MD and my MPH has established me as a leader in my field.”
“To earn a whole master’s degree with only about six extra months of work was definitely worth it,” Dr. Wiley says. “Having both my MD and my MPH has established me as a leader in my field.”
Eager to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Wiley and Dr. Kowalski by making a difference in the world of public health? Check out our MD/MPH dual degree program page to learn more.
