The MD/MPH Combined Degree Program offered by the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine provides an opportunity for entering medical students to obtain a professional degree in public health while pursuing a medical education. The Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine is a partner in a consortium with departments at Oregon State University and Portland State University to offer various areas of specialization within the field of public health. The epidemiology and biostatistics track is being offered at OHSU to outstanding first-year medical school applicants.
Admission into the combined degree program for entering medical students is designed for superior students who have special or unique prior experience or research in the public health area. Successful applicants must show evidence of potential for excellent performance in both the MD and MPH programs and a firm commitment and potential for a career in which the population-based clinical practice model would be particularly useful.
The curriculum for the program is designed to allow students to complete the requirements within a five-year period. The actual time needed depends on the individual student's rate of progress in fulfilling the requirements for both the MD and MPH degrees. Soon after admission the student and a faculty adviser from the program will formulate a schedule for the remaining years which encompasses graduate and clinical courses and the MPH thesis.
Interested entering students must complete the MD/MPH Combined Degree Application Addendum as well as the other forms required of all medical school applicants. This application is automatically sent to you with the OHSU Secondary Application. The MD/MPH program committee screens the credentials of all applicants.
Policies and requirements for admission (including letters of recommendation) for the MD/MPH Combined Degree Program for entering students are the same as for the MD program, with the exception or addition of the criteria listed below:
- In addition to the required letters of recommendation for the MD program, include at least one letter of recommendation from a public health source noting evidence of the unique background that makes the applicant particularly suited to a career in public health.
- With the MD/MPH Combined Degree Application Addendum, include a one-page statement of purpose explaining your desire for entering the MD/MPH program and outlining your ambitions regarding your career development.
It is required that applicants complete an undergraduate course in statistics prior to matriculation.
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