Dual MPH/MD Program

Program Highlights

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) offers a dual MD/MPH program designed to equip medical students with a comprehensive understanding of public health principles and practices. This program focuses on addressing the evolving public health challenges in California communities by providing a strategic vision for future societal health needs. Students are trained in contemporary public health practice, population-based research, and strategies to improve health outcomes across diverse populations. The curriculum emphasizes the broader determinants of health, including environmental factors, health promotion, preventive medicine, and health policy.

Delivery Modes

The MD/MPH is a five-year, on-campus dual-degree program. The MPH component follows an accelerated track, with coursework primarily undertaken full-time. MPH courses typically commence in the fall of the fourth year, after MD summer clinical rotations, and involve three full-time quarters. A subsequent quarter, dedicated to the Graduate Practicum, can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis during the winter of the fifth year.

Curriculum Overview

The MD/MPH program ensures that students satisfy the total unit requirements for both the MD and MPH degrees. The MPH coursework involves approximately 52 units (18 units in fall, 18 in winter, 16 in spring) spread over three intensive quarters, followed by a Graduate Practicum. Core competencies must be completed before students can take the MPH comprehensive exam to advance to candidacy.

Students integrate their MD projects into their MPH practicum requirement, culminating in a presentation and a written report. The program allows for specialization through emphases. Eligible emphases for the accelerated MPH track within this dual degree include:

• Environmental Health

• Epidemiology

• Sociocultural Diversity and Health

Courses taken as part of a student's medical school training cannot be applied towards the MPH degree requirements.

Admissions Requirements

Prospective students must be currently enrolled in the UCI MD program to be eligible for the dual MD/MPH degree. Key admission components include:

• Current enrollment and good standing in the UCI MD program (completion of three years of medical school training).

• The MCAT score, along with the medical school record, serves as a waiver for the GRE, which is typically required for the MPH program.

• Submission of both the Application for Graduate Admission and the School of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) application during the second or third year of medical school.

Final acceptance into the MPH portion of the dual degree is granted by the Program in Public Health. Enrollment in the MD program does not guarantee admission to the MPH program.

Career & Practical Experience

Graduates of the MD/MPH program are prepared for a wide array of career paths that bridge clinical medicine and public health. Opportunities include roles in:

• Academics

• Clinical medicine with a public health focus

• Research (population-based and clinical)

• Public policy development and analysis

• Health administration

• Global health initiatives

The program aims to produce professionals who can contribute to improving health and life expectancy for diverse populations. A significant component of practical experience is the Graduate Practicum, where students apply their learning by integrating MD projects with public health methodologies, culminating in a presentation and report.