The MD/MPH joint degree program is offered jointly by the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and and the School of Health Sciences for students who are interested in acquiring public health knowledge and skills.
The educational mission of the MD/MPH joint degree program is to graduate physicians with an enhanced understanding of the social, behavioral, economic and political determinants of health, and the skills necessary to apply this knowledge to improve the health of populations through leadership in patient care, research, education, health care policy analysis and community empowerment.
Students are eligible to apply for admission to the MD/MPH degree during their 3rd year. The goal of the MD/MPH Program is to facilitate the attainment of both degrees within five years. Accepted MD/MPH students will take an additional year between their third and final (fifth) year of training to complete the majority of their MPH coursework during one year's time. Most MD/MPH students will use a portion of their elective time during their 4th year of medical school to complete the field internship and culminating research experience.
Students accepted into the MD/MPH program will be granted credit toward the MPH degree based on the Patient, Physician and Society components, including the Initial Clinical Experience (ICE) of their First 100 Weeks curriculum, and the Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE Continuity Clinic) of the Second 100 Weeks. MD/MPH students also are required to complete 36 credit hours of public health core courses, including a 3-credit supervised field internship and a 3-credit supervised culminating research experience.
*The guidelines reported here regarding admissions, curriculum and financial information for the MD/MPH applies only to Zucker School of Medicine students.
More Info About MD/MPH
Admissions
Interested MD students must be in good academic standing, complete a simple application to the program, and submit it by March 1 of the year prior to program entry. The application will be reviewed by a small committee representing the MD and MPH programs.
Curriculum
Summer I (after completion of 3rd year of medical school)
- COMH 210 Strategies for Assessing Outcomes in Community Health Programs
- MPH 220 Environmental and Occupational Health
Fall 1
- MPH 200 Introduction to Public Health
- HADM 200 US Health System
- MPH 204 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
- MPH 221 Research Methods for Quantitative Studies
Spring 1
- MPH 202 Epidemiology
- MPH 203 Biostatistics with Lab
- MPH 222 Research Methods for Qualitative Studies
- MPH 223 Global Health Issues
Summer II
- MPH 230 Public Health Internship and Leadership Seminar
- MPH 231 Culminating Research Experience
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the MPH component of the MD/MPH dual degree program, students will be able to:
- Explain and apply an understanding of the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, and societal determinants of health and disease.
- Understand the factors affecting the etiology, incidence, and prevalence of major health problems in populations
- Explain the sociocultural and health sector responses to health conditions in society
- Understand the factors affecting the need, demand, and use of health care and public health services
- Explain and apply an understanding of the economic, social, technological, political, and regulatory factors shaping the financing and organization of health services
- Explain how the availability, financing, and organization of health services affects access, costs, quality, and outcomes
- Explain the context, structure, functioning, and effectiveness of public health systems and other programs aimed at protecting and promoting the health of the public
- Explain and apply an understanding of the economic, social, and political factors that influence health policy
- Understand the importance of and be able to balance science and values in the development and advocacy of policy positions
- Plan, implement, manage, evaluate, and continuously improve health programs and services
- Collaborate with the community in assessing health problems, designing and implementing programs to address these problems, and mobilizing action
- Describe and be able to apply principles and strategies for improving access to and delivery of health services and for addressing community health problems, drawing on health sector and non-health sector resources
- Describe and be able to apply strategies for health promotion at the individual and community levels
- Design and conduct evaluation studies of the effectiveness, efficiency, and outcomes of programs, interventions, and policies aimed at improving the health of individuals, populations, and/or communities
- Critically read and apply quantitative and qualitative research findings contained in medical, public health, and social science journals
- Describe and be able to apply epidemiological principles and techniques to the measurement of health and disease
- Evaluate the validity and weaknesses of data, information, and study designs
- Describe and be able to apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods in the design and conduct of scholarly studies to answer meaningful questions
- Develop the competence to work in and with diverse cultures and communities
- Develop change agent and leadership skills
- Demonstrate strong analytic and problem-solving skills; and
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing.