Advanced study in medicine and public health is available through a dual degree program offered to medical students with the M.P.H. program in the School of Public Health. The dual degree M.D. and M.P.H. program allows students to earn two degrees in five years with a reduction of nine credits in the M.P.H. degree requirements, due to applicable coursework completed in the M.D. curriculum, reducing the time to earn the M.P.H. degree.
The M.D./M.P.H. dual degree program provides an opportunity for medical students who wish to pursue a public health or research-oriented career to graduate from medical school trained in both clinical and preventive, population-oriented medicine. The program offers concentrations in applied public health, cancer health equity science and epidemiology. The M.P.H. program trains students to develop educational competencies established by the program’s accrediting body, the Council on Education for Public Health. These competencies may be viewed on the School of Public Health website.
Graduates from this program gain insight into public health issues and the role of social determinants of health in health outcomes. They also learn to select and apply appropriate epidemiological methods. The program is well-suited for students who wish to work in preventive medicine, primary care, research, community-based health centers, and state and local health departments. The Master of Public Health program boasts experiential learning, a highly interactive environment, accessible and approachable faculty, and student involvement in research and community-based projects.
Program goals
The objectives of this dual degree program are to provide students with the skills required to advance to positions as public health practitioners in a broad spectrum of positions and settings, preparing graduates trained in medicine who can also:
- Apply epidemiological research methods
- Collect, analyze and evaluate public health or patient population data
- Administer patient and community health promotion programs
- Plan, implement and evaluate public health interventions
- Apply results of evaluations and data analyses to policy development as necessary
- Promote public health through educational campaigns
The program's structure provides a framework for the progressive development of a mastery of the current state of public health and an ability to synthesize and apply this information to the identification of key areas of practice and research in public health and medicine.
Among the many benefits offered by participation in the dual degree program are the following:
- Students earn two degrees in a reduced period of time
- Students may increase competitiveness for residency placements by holding a graduate degree in public health.
- Students will be able to apply research methods and analyze large data sets, preparing them to contribute as research team members and to further knowledge in their chosen medical or population health focus area(s).
- Students will have the skills to assess the impact of social determinants of health on population health outcomes and the effectiveness of health promotion programs and interventions.
The diplomas for this dual degree program are awarded simultaneously upon completion of the requirements of both degree programs.
Student learning outcomes
The student learning outcomes described on the M.P.H. program concentration pages also apply to M.D.-M.P.H. students.
Admission requirements
To be considered for the VCU M.D.-M.P.H. program, prospective students must already be enrolled in the M.D. program. During the application process to the medical school through the American Medical College Application Service, it is appropriate, but not required, to designate “Combined Graduate/Medical Degree” on your AMCAS application. The application to the M.P.H. program is submitted separately from the application to the M.D. program, through sophas.org during the M3 year. VCU also requires a supplemental application for the M.P.H. program. Information on the application process is available on the M.P.H. program application website.
Degree requirements
In addition to completing VCU School of Medicine requirements for the M.D. degree and the general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours in the M.P.H program. In addition, medical students will complete a public health elective during the M-4 year at a placement approved by the M.P.H. program director, in lieu of the required public health internship. Students receive nine credit hours toward the M.P.H. degree for completion of course work in the M.D. program.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EPID 571 | Principles of Epidemiology (satisfied by Population Health and Evidence Based Medicine) | 3 |
| EPID 693 | Public Health Internship (satisfied by a minimum of one public health elective during the M-4 year) | 3 |
| IPEC 563 | Interprofessional Complex Care Coordination (satisfied by M4 ICCS course) | 2 |
| Elective (satisfied by Patient, Physician and Society) | 1 | |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Curriculum requirements for the M.D.
Based on the equivalent knowledge acquired by successfully completing MEDI 100, MEDI 150, MEDI 200 and MEDI 250 during the M1 and M2 years and additional courses completed during the M3 and M4 years, nine credits are satisfied (for EPID 571, EPID 693, IPEC 563 and one credit of elective course work). Courses taken to satisfy M.P.H. requirements do not satisfy M.D. requirements.
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M1 year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| Transition to Medical School | ||
| Practice of Clinical Medical Bootcamp | ||
| Molecular Basis of Health and Disease | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Principles of Autonomics and Pharmacology | ||
| Immunity and Infection | ||
| Foundations of Disease | ||
| Practice of Clinical Medicine | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Population Health and Evidence Based Medicine | ||
| Ultrasound | ||
| Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Geriatrics | ||
| Spring semester | ||
| Marrow (Hematology/Oncology) | ||
| Movement (Musculoskeletal) | ||
| Gastrointestinal | ||
| Endocrine | ||
| Reproduction | ||
| Practice of Clinical Medicine | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Population Health and Evidence Based Medicine | ||
| Ultrasound | ||
| Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Interprofessional Education | ||
| Geriatrics | ||
| M2 year | ||
| Fall semester | ||
| Cardiovascular | ||
| Pulmonary | ||
| Renal | ||
| Neuroscience | ||
| Practice of Clinical Medicine | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Population Health and Evidence Based Medicine | ||
| Ultrasound | ||
| Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Geriatrics | ||
| Anatomy Rounds | ||
| Spring semester | ||
| Behavioral Science | ||
| Practice of Clinical Medicine | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Diagnostic Reasoning | ||
| Step 1 Study | ||
| M3 year | ||
| Fall and spring semesters | ||
| M3 Transitions to Clerkships | ||
| Internal Medicine Clerkship | ||
| Surgery Clerkship | ||
| OB/GYN Clerkship | ||
| Pediatrics Clerkship | ||
| Family Medicine Clerkship | ||
| Neurology Clerkship | ||
| Psychiatry Clerkship | ||
| Ambulatory Clerkship | ||
| Foundational Career Exploratory Elective (FE) | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Population Health | ||
| Telehealth | ||
| Geriatrics | ||
| M4 year | ||
| Fall and spring semesters | ||
| Transition to M4 | ||
| Two acting internships, one ward and one critical care (four weeks each) | ||
| Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exam | ||
| 44 weeks of electives (24 weeks minimum of clinical elective time/20 weeks maximum of non-clinical elective time) | ||
| Patient, Physician and Society | ||
| Geriatrics | ||
| Interprofessional Critical Care Simulations | ||
| Transition to residency | ||
Curriculum requirements for the M.P.H.
Based on the equivalent knowledge acquired by successfully completing MEDI 100, MEDI 150, MEDI 200 and MEDI 250 during the M1 and M2 years, and interprofessional training during the M3 and M4 years, nine credits are satisfied (for EPID 571, EPID 693, IPEC 563 and one credit of elective course work).
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required core courses | ||
| BIOS 543 | Graduate Research Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 571 | Principles of Epidemiology (satisfied by M1/M2 study) | 3 |
| EPID 580 | Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| EPID 593 | Foundations of the Public Health Profession | 2 |
| EPID 604 | Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| EPID 693 | Public Health Internship (satisfied by M1/M2 study) | 3 |
| EPID 694 | MPH Capstone Project | 3 |
| HCPR 601 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| IPEC 563 | Interprofessional Complex Care Coordination (satisfied by M4 ICCS course) | 2 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| Concentration courses | ||
| Select one of the concentrations below. | 9 | |
| Applied public health concentration | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation | ||
| Health Disparities and Social Justice | ||
| Cancer health equity science concentration | ||
| Cancer Epidemiology | ||
| Fundamentals of Cancer Health Equity | ||
| Community-engaged Research and Cancer Disparities | ||
| Epidemiology concentration | ||
| Graduate Research Methods II | ||
| Applied Data Analysis Lab | ||
| Epidemiologic Methods | ||
| Elective courses | ||
| Select a minimum of nine credit hours of course work chosen according to the area(s) of interest in public health. See the list below. (1 credit satisfied by Patient, Physician and Society in M4) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for the M.P.H. curriculum toward the dual degree is 36.
Noncurricular program requirements
In addition to course work, students must attend 12 public health seminars and complete 20 hours of community-based service-learning.
Electives
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS 549 | Spatial Data Analysis | 3 |
| CCTR 630 | Design Implications in Clinical Trials | 3 |
| CCTR 631 | Adaptive Clinical Trials | 1 |
| EPID 601 | Contemporary Issues and Controversies in Public Health | 3 |
| EPID 606 | Epidemiologic Methods | 3 |
| EPID 620 | Cancer Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 624 | Chronic Disease Epidemiology | 3 |
| EPID 645 | Public Health Genomics | 3 |
| EPID 646 | Epidemiology of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders | 3 |
| EPID 692 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| GRAD 614 | Introduction to Grant Writing | 1 |
| GRTY 501 | Physiological Aging | 3 |
| GRTY 510 | Aging | 3 |
| GRTY 603 | Social Gerontology | 3 |
| GRTY 604 | Problems, Issues and Trends in Gerontology | 4 |
| HEMS 505 | Contemporary Issues in Health | 3 |
| HEMS 550 | Exercise, Nutrition and Weight Management | 3 |
| HEMS 604 | Nutrition for Health and Physical Activity | 3 |
| HEMS 605 | Psychology of Physical Activity | 3 |
| HEMS 606 | Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity | 3 |
| HGEN 611 | Data Science I | 3 |
| HGEN 620 | Principles of Human Behavioral Genetics | 3 |
| HSEP 601 | Foundations in Emergency Management | 3 |
| HSEP 603 | Risk Assessment | 3 |
| HSEP 650 | Public Health Preparedness | 3 |
| PSYC 660 | Health Psychology | 3 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| SBHD 609 | Research Methods in Social and Behavioral Health I | 3 |
| SBHD 630 | Theoretical Foundations of Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| SBHD 632 | Health Disparities and Social Justice | 3 |
| SBHD 636 | Community-based Participatory Research | 3 |
| SBHD 638 | Applications in Qualitative Research Methods | 3 |
| SOCY 510 | Domestic and Sexual Violence in Social Context | 3 |
| SOCY 524 | Aging and the Minority Community | 3 |
| SOCY 603 | Seminar in Population Studies | 3 |
| SOCY 607 | Seminar in Racial and Ethnic Relations in America | 3 |
| SOCY 611 | Studies in the Community | 3 |
| SOCY 620 | Seminar in Criminology | 3 |
| SOCY 624 | Community and Community Services for the Elderly | 3 |
| SOCY 632 | Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence: Medical Practice and Policy | 3 |
| SOCY 633 | Application of the Policy Process to Issues of Violence | 3 |
| SOCY 634 | Social Contexts of Childhood and Violence | 3 |
| SOCY 635 | Theorizing Gender Violence | 3 |
| SOCY 645 | The Sociology of Health and Illness | 3 |
| URSP 521 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| URSP 621 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| URSP 622 | Community Socioeconomic Analysis Using GIS | 3 |
| URSP 625 | Spatial Database Management and GIS Modeling | 3 |
Sample plan of study for M.P.H. year
| Year one | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall semester | Hours | |
| BIOS 543 | Graduate Research Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 580 | Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| EPID 593 | Foundations of the Public Health Profession | 2 |
| HCPR 601 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| Electives and concentration courses | 9 | |
| Term Hours: | 18 | |
| Spring semester | ||
| EPID 604 | Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| EPID 694 | MPH Capstone Project | 3 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| Electives and concentration courses | 9 | |
| Term Hours: | 18 | |
| Total Hours: | 36 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for the M.P.H. curriculum toward the dual degree is 36.
Contact
Juan Lu, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.D.
Professor and graduate program director
jlu1@vcu.edu
(804) 828-9786
Additional contact
Katherine Peterman, M.P.H.
M.P.H. Education administrator
petermankb@vcu.edu
(804) 628-2868
Program website: https://sph.vcu.edu/education/mph/dual-degree/
M.D. program (admissions)
Michelle Whitehurst-Cook, M.D.
Associate dean of admissions
medschool.vcu.edu/admissions