MD-MPH Program

Curricular Requirements

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Graduate Program in Public Health offer a Dual MD-MPH Program that can be completed either during the 4 years of medical school or over a 5-year period with a “Scholarly Year” in medical school.

Four-Year Option

MD-MPH students choosing the Four Year Option take courses in the Graduate Program in Public Health beginning at 4 pm, after medical school classes have ended. Typically, four-year dual degree students complete all coursework and the Applied Practice Experience during the first two years of medical school and then complete the Culminating Experience during the last two years of medical school.

Five-Year Option

The five-year option allows current and new students to devote an entire year to MPH degree requirements. Students will be expected to complete at least three core courses during their first year of medical school (Introduction to Biostatistics, Introduction to Epidemiology, and Introduction to Global Health or Public Health). Typically, during the fifth year, students will take a Scholarly Year to complete the MPH requirements. Complete information about how to arrange a Scholarly Year is in the Scholarly Year packet available from the Medical Student Research Office which is located in the Annenberg Building, 13th floor room 13-30. The timing of the Scholarly Year is flexible and up to each student, though many may choose to begin the MPH year after completion of their third year medical clerkships.

It is important to note that not all MPH specialty tracks can be completed in this five-year option. Careful and early planning with the Dual MD-MPH degree advisor is necessary in order to ensure completion of degree requirements.

Furthermore, it is important that students speak with the Student Financial Services early on in their planning to ensure that all financial aid requirements are met.

Interested students should contact Academic Program Office to set up an appointment to discuss their individual interests and needs.

Dual MD-MPH Degree Expectations and Credit Benefits

Students who are pursuing a medical degree and a Master of Public Health degree must meet with the MD-MPH Academic Advisor at the beginning of the first year to plan for the next two years of coursework. Students pursuing both degrees have special demands that require careful attention to planning their public health courses along with medical school curricula.

MD-MPH students benefit from pursuing both degrees simultaneously. MD-MPH students may earn a maximum value of 12 MPH credits by completing certain MD requirements. Please see the list of credit benefits below.

• Ambulatory Care Clerkship: 4 MPH credits. This course is taken by medical students during Year 3 and has an emphasis on Clinical Preventive medicine as well as population medicine. Students incorporate population-based medicine and evidence-based medicine into direct patient care by analyzing and applying USPSTF Guidelines; socio-behavioral models of health and illness; and culturally sensitive models of care giving.

• InFocus Weeks: Maximum of 8 MPH credits. InFocus weeks are innovative and immersive courses taught through all four years of the medical school curriculum. They provide learning in topics critical to medical practice and biomedical research in the 21st century.

• Receive 4 weeks of elective credit in the medical school for MPH activities during Years 3 and 4 of medical school. Students should plan well ahead of time to ensure that they have ample time to finish MPH Applied Practice Experience activities and Culminating Experience requirements prior to graduation from the medical school.

Please contact the Academic Program Office and the Medical School Administration for information on how to formally process these benefits and inquire about any additional waivers or exemptions that may exist.

Status Change in Medical School and/or Graduate School

Dual MD-MPH students whose status changes in the medical school (e.g., leave of absence, probation, dismissal) are considered to have the same status change in the Graduate Program in Public health until and unless the circumstances are presented to the Academic Advisory Committee for review. The same applies to all students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The MPH Program reserves the right to determine the students’ status in the MPH Program independently from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor

Dual MD-MPH students should meet with the dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor as early as possible during or prior to matriculating at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. If an MD-MPH student chooses to pursue a specialty track, they must meet with the Specialty Track Advisor as well. The Dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor will offer insight in managing the demands of both degrees and ensuring that students complete all necessary requirements for both programs.

Elizabeth J. Garland, MD, MS Dual MD-MPH Academic Advisor Email: [e-mail]