MD/Master of Public Health (MPH)

PSOM medical students should read through the MD/Master's Overview page for general information applicable across all MD/Master's programs. This page provides specific information regarding the MD/ Master of Public Health (MD/MPH).

The MD/MPH program is designed Perelman medical students interested in studying medicine with a special focus on population or community health. The goal of the program is to provide strong interdisciplinary training to individuals with a variety of career interests including clinical practice, disease prevention, health behavior, health education, research, implementation science, and policy making.

Please note that the guidelines below apply only to Perelman medical students. If you are a medical student at another institution, you may apply for the MPH program directly, but the information provided here will not be applicable.

The first step of the process is to gather information regarding the MD/MPH program. Helpful resources and key contacts include:

  • MPH Program — the Master of Public Health program website provides detailed information on the program and application process, as well as fieldwork experiences and capstone projects.
  • Advisory Deans — students are encouraged to discuss career and academic goals with their Advisory Dean and other faculty advisors.
  • Dr. Hillary Nelson — Penn medical students should contact Dr. Hillary Nelson, MPH Program Director, to discuss the Master of Public Health program.
  • Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) Financial Aid Office — as soon as a student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Masters program, students should reach out to Mike Sabara for financial aid counseling and planning.
  • MD/MPH Directory — here you will find current/recent MD/MPH student profiles. Prospective students are encouraged to speak directly with current students for more complete and nuanced insights. As always, it is also a good idea to seek out advice from multiple resources (e.g., including faculty mentors, Advisory Deans, etc.) to help inform your decisions.
  • Take an MPH Course — some students may choose to take an MPH course to learn and explore the field of public health (check out the Policies & Procedures section for how to register). Contact Dr. Hillary Nelson for advice on courses that will fit with your schedule.
  • Center for Public Health — this website provides information on the Center, including free seminar series and other public health events that medical students are welcome to attend.
  • Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics events — The Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (Penn LDI) offers multidisciplinary seminars, panel discussions, and conferences to hear national experts discuss some of the most pressing issues related to health, health care, and health policy.
  • The Center for Global Health Office events — The CGH mission is to improve health equity worldwide – through enhanced public health awareness and access to care, discovery and outcomes-based research, and comprehensive educational programs grounded in partnership. They hold events throughout the year that are open to all students.
  • Bridging the Gap Seminar Series — consists of eight evening seminars, which take place during the spring, winter and fall. The seminars highlight people and programs that offer concrete strategies for addressing specific issues affecting vulnerable populations.

Program Requirements:

The following course units are required for the MPH degree:

  • 6 Required core course units
  • 2 Required MPH Capstone course units
  • 6 Electives (3 must contain a PUBH prefix; the remaining 3 may be pulled over as MD curriculum transfer credits* or can be taken outside of the MPH program with advisor permission)

In addition to coursework, all students are required to complete a public health fieldwork experience, which is a minimum of 125 hours of hands-on public health work in a community site (can be local, throughout the US, or in another country).

Required Course Units: 14

* Perelman medical students who are matriculated in the MD/MPH program will earn transfer credit in place of MPH electives in the MD curriculum.

Students can choose electives, fieldwork placements, and Capstone projects that both satisfy their MPH degree and their interests. The students will receive advising along the way to identify opportunities and courses that support their future goals and interests.

For more details about core courses and to get a sense of PUBH elective courses, see the course descriptions.

Mentoring:

MD/MPH students will have the support of an academic advisor throughout their time in the program to offer guidance as they explore their interest. There are a number of faculty with dual training that connect with current students to support and mentor them beyond their coursework. For the MPH Capstone project, which is the culminating project for all students to explore a topic they are passionate about, students will be connected to a mentor that expertise in their project’s topic area and/or methodology.

Certificate in Public Health Medicine Option:

The Public Health in Medicine Certificate is offered through the Master of Public Health (MPH) program. This certificate provides transcript-level recognition for Penn medical students who have made an effort to expand their public health knowledge during medical school by completing required public health-related scholarly activities while enrolled in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. This certificate is only available to students enrolled in the MD program at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Students already enrolled in the combined MD/MPH program are not eligible, because this certificate would be redundant.

Timing:

Completion of the two degrees separately would require six years, but the MD/MPH can be completed in five years. Students are enrolled in the MD program full-time for the first three years and in MPH coursework full-time during year four. Then in year five, students will do a semester of Medical School in Fall and a final semester in the MPH Program in Spring. The sample plans of study below provide details about the timing of MPH coursework for those who are familiar with the PSOM curriculum. The MPH plan of study will be individualized for each student.

MD/MPH Degree Completion Time: 5 Years

Medical School Planning:

There are several things to keep in mind when making your Medical School plans:

To get a sense of how to maximize financial coverage and walk through what a MD/MPH course timeline and schedule could look like, contact Dr. Hillary Nelson.

Admissions process:

Apply to the Master of Public Health Program:
The application is directly through the program, not through SOPHAS. Students are encouraged to contact Dr. Hillary Nelson, MPH Program Director, for more information.

Application Deadline: February 1 of third year

Course Registration:

If you are a current student who wants to register for a course before applying to the program, fill out the MD Student Request for MaC Course Registration to begin the process. If students have any questions or encounter any challenges with this process, please contact the PSOM Registrar’s Office.

Notifications:

Admitted students should immediately notify their Advisory Dean, the Combined Degree Office, Registrar’s Office, and the Financial Aid Office.

PSOM Additional Course Policy:

  • The courses can be taken in any school in the University during the Fall or Spring semesters when the student is actively enrolled (not on a leave of absence or short-term break) and paying MD tuition (not just fees only).
  • To take a course for credit in a Summer semester, MD tuition must be paid in full for the previous Spring and following Fall semesters. Only Perelman School of Medicine (such as: Bioethics, Epidemiology, Health Policy Research, Translational Research, Public Health) or School of Law courses may be taken during the Summer. A student may take only one course in a Summer semester limited to the UPenn course catalogue.
  • In the event that a non-MD course requirement conflicts with an MD course requirement, the MD course must be given priority.

Tuition Policy:

MD/MPH students will be charged 7 semesters of medical tuition (6 semesters in years 1-3 and the Fall semester of year 5). During fall and spring semesters of year 4 and the summer and spring semesters of year 5, MPH will be charged per course unit plus fees.

Tuition Rates and Fees are listed here (https://mph.med.upenn.edu/financing-your-degree/). Tuition is listed per course unit and students are required to take 2 course units per term. 

To learn more information about tuition and fees for the MPH program, visit the MPH tuition page.

Financial Aid:

As soon as a Perelman medical student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Masters Program, financial aid counseling and planning is essential. Students should contact Michael Sabara, Director of Financial Services.  He is available to help explain program costs, the financial aid process, funding options and how to apply for financial aid. Here are some things to consider:

  1. When paying medical school tuition and registered as a medical student, an individual can retain his/her MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and has a Direct loan eligibility of $40,500. When a student is registered as a full time MPH student, they are not eligible for a MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and has a Direct Loan eligibility of $33,000. In accordance with federal regulations, all sources of aid (loan, scholarships, fellowships,) cannot exceed the student budget.
  2. Direct loans have aggregate limits, which are cumulative and include any undergraduate, graduate, and medical school loans borrowed in the Direct loan program. For any semester when a student is a full-time MPH or a full-time MD student, the program aggregate limit is $224,000.
  3. Students needing loans are required to meet with Michael Sabara.

 

For more information about the MD/MPH program, contact:

MPH Program:

Hillary C.M. Nelson, PhD MPH
Director of MPH Program
Assoc. Prof, Perelman School of Medicine
Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics
215-573-7473
hnelson@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

 

Perelman School of Medicine:

Chinwe (ChiChi) Nwadiogbu, MLA
Associate Director
Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-0938
cnwad@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Registrar
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-1165
psomregistrar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu 

Michael Sabara
Director of Financial Services
Financial Aid Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-573-3423
msabara@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Disclaimer

Please note that policies concerning admissions, curriculum, funding and financial aid are subject to change. Additionally, though variations in the curriculum may be possible, any changes will need prior approval and may have financial implications. This website is meant to provide preliminary general overview information only. Students interested in or enrolled in the program should seek personal advising from relevant faculty and staff.