Program Co-Directors: K. Bartholomew, G. Gray
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) offer two combined degree programs to prepare clinician-leaders to help drive the changing healthcare landscape, improve broad health systems, promote the health of communities, and engage in scholarly inquiry. Medical students at GW have the option of also earning a master of public health (MD/MPH) with one additional year of training or they may complete the graduate certificate in public health (MD/graduate certificate) during the four years of medical school.
Both combined programs capitalize on the MD program’s inclusion of its clinical public health curriculum and take full advantage of GW’s location in the nation’s capital, with unique proximity to policymakers, agencies, and organizations engaged in all aspects of health and healthcare. Upon completion of either the MD/MPH or MD/graduate certificate, students may take the national certifying exam in public health.
Dual Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health
MD students can complete an MPH with one additional year of training—four years for the MD and one additional year for the MPH—through a combination of online and residential MPH courses. Students pursue a generalist MPH program that provides them with a broad knowledge of public health while offering a generous number of electives to allow students an opportunity to design a program tailored to their interests and goals.
By capitalizing on the SMHS MD curriculum's inclusion of public health, population health, and health systems in its clinical public health curriculum, the MD/MPH provides 15 cross-credits for Milken SPH courses, with 30 credits to be completed at Milken SPH. Also, 4 credits from Milken SPH will cross-count as four weeks of MD fourth-year electives. Students may begin GWSPH coursework during the summer after their first year, third year, or fourth year of the MD program.
Dual Doctor of Medicine/Graduate Certificate in Public Health
MD students can gain a foundational understanding of the core disciplines of public health by completing a graduate certificate in public health during the four years of the MD program. MD/graduate certificate students begin GWSPH courses during the summer following their first year and complete 10 credits at GWSPH while receiving 5 credits for MD clinical public health coursework. Additionally, the MD program accepts GWSPH coursework as four weeks of MD fourth-year electives.
For more information about both programs visit the Milken Institute SPH website or contact the combined MD Public Health degree program at mdmph@gwu.edu.
Adjusted requirements for the MPH when taken as part of the dual program
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| |
| PUBH 6000 | MPH Applied Practice Experience | |
| PUBH 6002 | Biostatistical Applications for Public Health | |
| PUBH 6003 | Principles and Practices of Epidemiology | |
| PUBH 6007 | Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health | |
| PUBH 6009 | Fundamentals of Public Health Program Evaluation | |
| PUBH 6022 | Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership II | |
| |
| PUBH 6052 | Practical Data Management and Analysis for Public Health | |
| PUBH 6442 | Comparative Global Health Systems | |
| PUBH 6500 | Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs | |
| PUBH 6503 | Introduction to Public Health Communication and Marketing | |
| |
Cross crediting
Completion of 45 credits is required for the standalone MPH program. For the dual MD/MPH, students in both programs must complete a minimum of 30 credits in MPH coursework. Up to 15 credits from the MD curriculum may be cross credited between programs.
- MPH core courses: 11 credits in MPH core courses are required instead of the 17 credits required for the standalone MPH
MD/MPH students take 11 credits of the regular MPH@GW core coursework. In addition, they receive a total of 6 credits from cross crediting MD program coursework. These credits fulfill the requirement for the following MPH core courses: PUBH 6011 Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health (3 credits), PUBH 6012 Fundamentals of Health Policy (2 credits), and PUBH 6021 Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership I (1 credit).
- MPH culminating experience: 2 credits are cross credited from MD coursework
MD/MPH students satisfy the 2-credit MPH requirements in PUBH 6060 (1 credit) and PUBH 6061 (1 credit) by cross crediting of coursework MD coursework.
- MPH program-specific requirements: 10 credits of PUBH-specific coursework
MD/MPH students complete required program-specific MPH courses PUBH 6052, PUBH 6442, PUBH 6500, and PUBH 6503 (10 credits).
- MPH elective requirement: 9 credits in PUBH course
Students must take a minimum of 9 elective credits in any PUBH courses. The MPH program will accept up to 7 credits from the MD program to count toward additional MPH elective requirements.
- Cross-counting MPH credits for MD Year 4 electives
4 credits in MPH coursework taken in PUBH 6007 (2 credits) and PUBH 6009 (2 credits) are cross-counted as four weeks of MD Year 4 electives.
