4-Year Integrated MD/MPH Program
Intro
The MD/MPH program is available in partnership with UIC’s School of Public Health. The joint degree program is designed to prepare students for leadership at the interface of clinical medicine, public health, and preventive medicine. The American health care system needs leadership to facilitate collaboration in clinical services and public health to achieve optimal health status for the population. The joint degree will facilitate careers as high-level clinical health system administrators, consultants, and executives in public health. The 4-year program of study enables graduates to combine clinical knowledge and administrative skills and facilitate delivery of health care services in a wide variety of settings.
Integrated (4-year) MD/MPH Joint Degree Program Description
Integrated (4-year) MD/MPH Joint Degree Program - University of Illinois College of Medicine and UIC School of Public Health
The College of Medicine and School of Public Health collaborate on an Integrated MD/MPH Joint Degree Program granting both the MD and MPH degrees in 4 years. The Joint Degree Program considers applications following admission to the College of Medicine.
Program description:
Combining the strengths of the University of Illinois College of Medicine and School of Public Health, the MD/MPH Joint Degree Program addresses skills and knowledge to enhance population health through collaboration among multiple health organizations and health professionals. The program prepares graduates to serve as leaders and consultants, combining clinical and public health expertise, to facilitate achievement of optimal community health outcomes through collaboration among colleagues across medical and public health specialties.
Students entering the Integrated MD/MPH Joint Degree Program in Spring 2025 can expect to pay no more than $13,100 over the course of the 4-year program in additional tuition beyond the cost of the MD degree tuition. Annual incremental tuition increases to the joint degree program are planned over the next 4 years, with total tuition capping out around $16,000 over the cost of the MD degree tuition for students in the class of 2032.
Program admission:
The MD/MPH Joint Degree application is a supplement to the MD application process. Interested students will have the opportunity to apply for the integrated MD/MPH joint degree program soon after admission to the College of Medicine during fall of the M1 year (application distributed during fall term).
Introductory course:
The MD/MPH joint degree program strongly encourages interested students to enroll in a 2-credit introductory course (IPHS 500: Population Health Seminar for Students in Health Sciences) in the summer prior to matriculation into the College of Medicine, for which tuition is waived.
This introductory course does not require students’ presence on campus and occurs in approximately 10 evening online sessions scheduled during 4 weeks in June and July preceding College of Medicine matriculation.
The introductory course focuses on disease outbreak investigation and field epidemiology. Topics addressed include outbreaks of infectious and noninfectious conditions globally and the terms and methods of epidemiological investigation to prevent, control, and research diseases in populations, methods that are often performed as a rapid response to crisis. Included are presentations by physicians working in public health including several associated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS). Students gain an appreciation for many diseases of public health importance such as the COVID-19 pandemic, whooping cough, Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and chemical poisonings, as well as the role of medical and public health detectives in addressing these challenges.
Program Curriculum
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| IPHS 500 | Population Health Seminar for Students in Health Sciences | 2 |
| IPHS 430 | Epidemics of Injustice | 2 |
| IPHS 401 | Determinants of Public Health | 4 |
| IPHS 403 | Public Health Systems, Management and Community Health Methods | 4 |
| IPHS 404 | Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part I | 3 |
| IPHS 405 | Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part II | 3 |
| IPHS 420 | Interprofessional Education | 0 |
| EOHS 401 * | Ethics and Justice in Environmental and Occupational Health | 2 |
| EPID/BSTT 402 * | Health Policy for Epidemiologists and Biostatisticians | 1 |
| HPA 415 * | Introduction to Public Health Policy | 3 |
| CHS 430 * | Public Health Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
| IPHS 650 | Applied Practice Experience | 3-5 |
| EOHS 502 | Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | 4 |
| IPHS 698 | Integrative Learning Experience | 1 |
| Elective # | MPH electives | 11-15 |
| Total | 42 |
Footnotes
* = Choose one policy course in public health division of interest
# = Select electives in public health division of interest (EOHS, EPID, BSTT, CHS, HPA)
4-year MD/MPH curriculum schedule
* = Choose one policy course in public health division of interest
# = Select electives in public health division of interest (EOHS, EPID, BSTT, CHS, HPA)
Fixed = Must take in assigned semester
Choose one = Select one course among those indicated Flexible = Can take in any indicated semester
4-year MD/MPH curriculum Schematic
Schematic Outlining Student Progress through the Program
Students advising resources:
Students advising resources:
MD/MPH students received advising from three sources:
- Academic advising
- Faculty mentors
- Peer advising
All students receive academic and career advising from assigned faculty mentors from both the College of Medicine and the School of Public Health. Advising occurs through both individual and small group consultation. Mentors provide resources to students throughout the 4-year curriculum. The peer advisors program provides insights from M3 and M4 students to M1 and M2 students.
Student progress assessment:
Student academic performance is evaluated each semester by both faculty advisors/mentors and the faculty teaching the courses during each semester. The evaluations address both student performance in the MD/MPH joint degree and performance in the College of Medicine curriculum. Priority evaluation is achievement required progression in the College of Medicine curriculum. Students who experience challenges progressing in the College of Medicine curriculum will consult with faculty advisors/mentors and determine one of three options: (1) enroll in the gap year (5-year) MD/MPH program, (2) pursue the Public Health Certificate option that requires much less time commitment, or (3) withdraw from the MD/MPH degree program.
Gap year (5-year) MD/MPH option:
A gap year (5-year) MD/MPH joint degree option is also available, and students enrolling in the 4-year integrated MD/MPH program may later convert to the gap year (5-year) MD/MPH program, if desired. However, tuition for the 5-year program will be adjusted. It is not possible to convert from the 5-year to the 4-year program, and cost of the 5-year program varies from the 4-year program based on credits completed during enrollment in the 4-year program.
Public Health certificate:
The SPH also offers a Public Health Certificate that students who wish to obtain a certificate in lieu of the MD/MPH degree may complete (as a terminal qualification or for application toward future MPH completion). To obtain the Public Health Certificate, students must complete the SPH Integrated Core courses.
How to Apply
Applicants to the MD/MPH program must:
- Apply to UI COM through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and check the box expressing interest in the combined MD degree/graduate program
- Enroll in the summer prematriculation IPHS 500 seminar using the instructions found below.
- During M1 year, apply to the UI College of Medicine joint degree program (application distributed during fall term)
- The successful applicant will have completed M1 fall term, preferably scored more than ½ standard deviation above minimum pass level for at least one fall term block exam, have no unmet requirements in M1 fall term longitudinal courses, and have not failed an M1 fall term course.
Length of program: Full-time students may complete the degree in 4 years.
Enrolling in the IPHS 500 seminar
Enrolling in the IPHS 500 seminar (summer 2022)
Students taking the summer seminar should fill out a short application for the course through the UIC Summer Session (instructions below):
- Access the graduate application system via the following link.
- If you have previously applied for a graduate program at UIC since 2018, you can use the same login as a returning user, otherwise you can create an account.
- After you’ve logged in with your existing or new account, click Start New Application.
- If you are prompted to select an application type, select “Applications” then “General Application.”
- At the top of the Background & Residency page, click the checkbox indicating that you’ve been provided a Special Use Code, complete the rest of the page, as applicable, then click Continue.
- You’ll then be prompted to provide the Special Use Code—21iphs500—and can continue to complete the rest of the application.
- Graduate Non-degree applicants are required to upload proof of a Bachelor’s or higher degree, which can be a scanned copy of your diploma or a scanned copy of a transcript on which the degree award is noted.
- The application must be submitted by TBD (note: application fee will be waived).
- Students will receive course registration instructions via e-mail by TBD.
Program Contacts
For additional information, you may contact:
Wayne Giles, MD, MS
Dean
Professor
School of Public Health
wgiles@uic.edu
Jay Noren, MD, MPH
Associate Dean
Professor, Internal Medicine
Director, Clinician Executive Medicine Program
UI College of Medicine
jnoren@uic.edu
Brandon Sieglaff
Assistant Dean, Admissions & Recruitment
School of Public Health
sieglaff@uic.edu
Ron C. Gaba MD MS
Assistant Dean, Joint Degree Programs
Professor, Department of Radiology
UI College of Medicine
rgaba@uic.edu
Ed Zordani, MPA
Assistant Director of Academic Services
School of Public Health
zordani@uic.edu
Julie Mann, MA
Director of Supplemental Academic Programs
Office of Educational Affairs
UI College of Medicine
jlmann@uic.edu