UK College of Medicine and UK College of Public Health

Students admitted to the University of Kentucky College of Medicine are eligible to apply to the combined MD/MPH program. The combined degree will provide well-trained physicians with additional skills and knowledge in public health policies and procedures, enabling them to provide service to individuals within the context of a healthy community and its unique population characteristics. The MD/MPH program is designed for completion in five years.

My hope is that earning a MD/MPH degree will give me a more comprehensive understanding of the health care system within which I operate, a more profound knowledge of health disparities, and an ability to contextualize my work in t4erms of preventative and population-based health. With this dual degree, I will also have the opportunity to surround myself with health professionals who have difference experiences, passions, and career goals, but whose interest are ultimately similar -- the health of a population.

Ali Hall, MD/MPH Program Student

Admissions

In addition to being admitted to the College of Medicine, students applying to the MD/MPH program must meet the admissions requirements for the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky and the College of Public Health. Students must complete an online, centralized application through the School of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS). For more information visit: www.sophas.org.  Applicants should indicate interest in the dual degree program via the AMCAS application by designating an application type of Combined Medical Degree/Graduate.

Curriculum

Students in the MD/MPH program will complete the majority of the public health courses during the third year of the five-year program while enrolled solely in the College of Public Health. However, students in good academic standing may take a limited number of public health courses in the first-, second-, and fourth-year of medical school. Some of these courses may be eligible for credit toward both the MD and the MPH degrees.

Areas of Concentration

  • Biostatistics – the development and application of methodology for quantitative studies in public health and biomedical research.
  • Epidemiology – study of the distribution and determinants of disease and injury in human populations.
  • Environmental Health – the protection, promotion, and maintenance of the health of defined populations.
  • Health Behavior – the prevention of disease, both domestically and globally, through the study of behaviors affecting health.
  • Population Health Policy and Management – improving the quality, availability, and effectiveness of public health and health care systems.

Lexington MD/MPH Program Contact

UK  MD/MPH Program
2195 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 125
Lexington, KY 40504-3504
Phone: 859-323-6711

More information can also be found on the College of Public Health MPH website 

UK College of Medicine and WKU's Department of Public Health

The MD/MPH program, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health at Western Kentucky University, prepares physicians for serving patients within the larger community by understanding unique population characteristics that help prevent disease and promote and maintain its health. Courses include biostatistics, health disparities, public health administration, principles of environmental health and other classes that develop critical thinking skills that apply to local, state, national and global communities. Most students complete the MD and MPH programs in five years, taking the core MPH courses over a one-year period, after either the second or third year of medical school. The program is offered both on campus and in a fully online format.

Admissions

Students must apply formally and independently to each program and meet the admission requirements of each. Medical students must be in good standing to apply to the MPH Program. Students will work directly with the UK COM Bowling Green Campus Registrar in order to apply to the Graduate School at WKU.

Curriculum

Most students complete the MD and MPH programs in five years, taking the core MPH courses over one year after either second or third year of medical school. WKU’s MPH Program is offered both on campus and in a fully-online format.

Bowling Green MD/MPH Program Contact

Todd R. Cheever, MD, Associate Dean for the Bowling Green Campus, at todd.cheever@uky.edu. More information can also be found at the WKU Department of Public Health