IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2022-2023

IUPUI Bulletins » Schools » Welcome to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health! » Graduate » Degree Programs » MD-MPH

Degree Programs

MD-MPH

Doctor of Medicine - Master of Public Health Joint Degree

Students admitted to the Indiana University School of Medicine, at any of the nine IUSM campuses, are eligible to apply to the joint MD-MPH program at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI. This degree will prepare you to balance your career between direct medical care of individuals and public health practice within communities. It will also expand your career options by making you more marketable for a wide variety of careers (i.e., global health, hospital leadership, health policy, health research, non-profit management, environmental health, and refugee and immigrant health). The MD-MPH program is designed for completion in five years.

Admissions

Medical students who are interested in pursuing the joint MD-MPH degree must apply and be admitted to the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Students must complete an application through the Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application. Students in the MD-MPH program will be considered for limited stipends to offset some of the expenses of the public health coursework. Students are encouraged to apply to the MPH program during their first year of medical school, however, arrangements will be made to facilitate completion of the joint degree program at any point during a student's medical education.

Application to the Fairbanks School of Public Health Process for Current IUSM Medical Students

Medical students who are interested in pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Public Health and/or the MPH degree should apply to the Fairbanks School of Public Health. Students may apply during any year of their medical education. 

Current medical students who are interested in the Certificate in Public Health or MPH degree are required to submit an Online Graduate and Professional Admissions Application. The IU application fee will be waived.

In addition to submitting the IU application, medical students should submit the following items to the Fairbanks School of Public Health Office of Student Services, attention: Shawne Mathis.

• Current Resume or CV
• One-page essay addressing the following two questions:
  • Where did your interest in public health originate?
  • How do you plan to integrate your medical and public health degrees after graduation?
• Completed and signed Form A granting permission to the IUSM Office of Medical Student Affairs to release to the Fairbanks School of Public Health (1) copies of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (2) MCAT scores and (3) at least three letters of recommendation from your application to medical school. For an accessible version of Form A, please contact fsphinfo@iupui.edu.
• Medical students who are interested in applying for a stipend to offset some of the cost of the MPH courses should complete the scholarship application. Preference will be given to those who submit the scholarship application by February 15. For an accessible version of the scholarship application, please contact fsphinfo@iupui.edu.

Curriculum

Indiana University School of Medicine and the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI have developed an innovative coordinated MD-MPH curriculum that integrates medicine and public health training. Students learn key public health topics, including issues related to environmental health, infectious disease control, biostatistics, disease prevention and health promotion, injury control, epidemiological studies, and health policy.

To make it easy to complete two degrees in such a short time, some of the 45 MPH credits are shared with MD credits. The MD-MPH begins with five core public health courses that are typically completed online during the summer after the first year of medical school. The remaining classes are usually completed during an additional year, typically between the fourth and fifth years of medical school, however, other arrangements can be made. To incorporate experiential learning, a final public health internship and project are required.

MPH Concentration Areas

Biostatistics

Biostatistics is the development and application of statistical reasoning and methods in addressing, analyzing, and solving problems in public health, health care, and biomedical, clinical, and population-based research.

Summer

Global and Environmental Health

Students enrolled in this concentration learn to anticipate, recognize, and assess environmental hazards that affect human health. Students study the impact of biological, physical, and chemical factors on the health of communities. Students will acquire the skills necessary to identify susceptibility and intervention factors that lead to disease and/or its prevention.

Summer

• P510 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• P511 – Comprehensive Methods and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• P512 – Communication and Leadership in Public Health (3 credits)
• P513 – Planning, Evaluation and Management in Public Health (3 credits)
• Elective (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)

Fall

• A641 Introduction to Global Health and Sustainable Development (3 credits) (Fall)
• A642 Poverty, Decent Work, and Inequality (3 credits) (Fall)
• A643 Food, Water and Sanitation (3 credits) (Fall)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• A602 Public Health Internship (3 credits) – 240 total hours required; 160 of these hours must be conducted onsite

Spring

• A644 Sustainable Production and Consumption (3 credits) (Spring)
• A645 Resilient Cities and Communities (3 credits) (Spring)
• A646 Preservation and Restoration of Land and Sea (3 credits) (Spring)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• A703 Environmental Health Science Final Concentration Project (3 credits)

Epidemiology

This concentration will prepare students to integrate the social, biological, environmental, and analytic approaches to understanding determinants of health in populations. The principles and methods of epidemiology constitute a foundation essential for policy development related to surveillance activities and prevention strategies. Students will learn how to design and conduct studies, analyze data, and present findings in a variety of formats and for diverse audiences.

Summer

• P510 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• P511 – Comprehensive Methods and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• P512 – Communication and Leadership in Public Health (3 credits)
• P513 – Planning, Evaluation and Management in Public Health (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)

Fall

• B552 Fundamentals of Data Management (3 credits)
• E601 Advanced Epidemiology (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) 
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• E602 Public Health Internship (3 credits) – 240 total hours required; 160 of these hours must be conducted onsite

Spring

• B562 Biostatistics for Public Health II (3 credits)
• E635 Foundations of Public Heath Informatics (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) 
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• E 704 Final Concentration Project (3 credits)

Health Policy and Management

Students in this concentration will acquire skills in policy process, development, and analysis. They will explore in depth current national and state public health issues and make policy recommendations to address those issues. In addition, they will develop strategic capability for managing health services organizations in a policy context.

Summer

• P510 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• P511 – Comprehensive Methods and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• P512 – Communication and Leadership in Public Health (3 credits)
• P513 – Planning, Evaluation and Management in Public Health (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)

Fall

• H641Public Health Ethics (3 credits)
• H616 Leading Public Health Service Organizations (3 credits)
• H619 Financial Management for Public Health Organizations (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• H602 Public Health Internship (3 credits) 

Spring

• H658 Health Policy and Program Evaluation (3 credits)
• H611 Policy Design, Implementation & Management (3 credits)
• H628 Healthcare Information Systems (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• H711 Capstone Experience in Health Policy and Management (3 credits)

Public Health Informatics

This concentration provides a balance of academic theory and real-world experience, ensuring students are prepared for a career in public health. Public health informatics studies and applies information science and computing techniques to public health practice.

Summer

• P510 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• P511 – Comprehensive Methods and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• P512 – Communication and Leadership in Public Health (3 credits)
• P513 – Planning, Evaluation and Management in Public Health (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)

Fall

• PBHL-B 552 Fundamentals of Data Management (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 521 Management Science for Health Services Administration (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 647 Introduction to Population Health Analytics (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• PBHL-E 603 Public Health Internship (3 credits) – 240 total hours required; 160 of these hours must be conducted onsite

Spring

• PBHL-E 635 Foundations in Public Health Informatics (3 credits)
• PBHL-H 628 Healthcare Information Systems (3 credits)
• PBHL-E 645 Information Exchange for Population Health (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)
• PBHL-E 706 Informatics Concentration Project (3 credits)

Social and Behavioral Sciences

This concentration will prepare students to address population health problems by utilizing knowledge regarding individual, cultural, and societal determinants of healthy, behavior change theory, and applied experiences to develop, implement and evaluate health promotion interventions.

Summer

• P510 – Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• P511 – Comprehensive Methods and Applications of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (3 credits)
• P512 – Communication and Leadership in Public Health (3 credits)
• P513 – Planning, Evaluation and Management in Public Health (3 credits)
• Elective (3 credits) (a pre-approved elective from medical school can double count to fulfill this elective)

Fall

• S605 Public Health Biology (1 credit)
• S615 Public Health Qualitative Methods (3 credits)
• S617 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
• S662 Integrated Learning Experience 1: Advanced Program Planning (4 credits)
• S602 Public Health Internship (3 credits) 

Spring

• S670 Health Disparities and Health Equity (3 credits)
• S664 Integrated Learning Experience 2: Research Methods and Program (4 credits)

Global Maternal and Child Health 

• S630 Global Maternal and Child Health (3 credits)
• S660 A Biosocial Approach to Global Health (3 credits)

Public Health Communication

• S625 Applied Public Health Campaigns (3 credits)
• S622 Coaching for Health and Wellness (3 credits)