M.D./M.P.H.
Prospective medical students with an interest in clinical research, health care policy, international health or underserved populations should consider pursuing the Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health (M.D./M.P.H.) dual degree at UT Southwestern Medical School. The program is a valuable collaboration between UTSW and the UTHealth School of Public Health.
As medicine continues to focus on prevention-based health care, it is necessary for more physicians to have skills and knowledge in core public health disciplines:
- Biostatistics
- Environmental and occupational health
- Epidemiology and disease control
- Health promotion and behavioral sciences
- Management, policy and community health
A dual M.D./M.P.H. degree gives graduates the tools to address social determinants of health and to have an impact on large populations through public health policies.
About the Program
Students can earn the dual degree in four years. Flexibility in the program allows for a combination of traditional M.D. preparation with the M.P.H. practicum requirement. Students will work closely with faculty, staff, and administrators from both schools to develop an individualized degree plan.
“Public health has impact beyond one patient at a time through policy that affects populations and communities.”
– Bijal Balasubramanian, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.
Admissions Process
Students seeking admission must meet the application requirements for both UT Southwestern and UTHealth. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other. Students are responsible for tuition and fee payments for all courses taken at both schools and, upon successful completion of the degree requirements, will receive a diploma from each school.
Waive the GRE
You may waive the GRE requirement for the School of Public Health by applying to both schools at the same time or submitting a formal letter of acceptance from the medical school.
Practicum
These are examples of what some students have done for their practicums:
- Graduate Archer Fellowship Program – Policy Practicum
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
- Office of Research on Women’s Health
- Big Cities Health Coalition (BCHC), a branch of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- Community Health Fellowship – UT Southwestern
- Cost of Adolescent Childbearing in Dallas County
- Trends Among High Frequency Emergency Department Users
- Barriers to Continuity of Care at a Community-Based Free Clinic
- Global Practicums
- World Health Organization – Global Dementia Observatory Global Health Fellow in Geneva, Switzerland
- Malaria Elimination in Thailand
- The Effect of Job Content on Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Peninsular Malaysia.
- Local Practicums
- HCV Care Cascade in an Incarcerated Population
- Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM): Its Utilization and Success at UTSW
- Texas Medical Association’s Fight to Eliminate Maternal Mortality
- Food as Medicine (FAME)
- Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children’s Hospital
Residency Specialties
Here are some of the specialties that our graduates have pursued:
- Anesthesiology
- Emergency Medicine
- Family Medicine
- General Surgery
- Internal Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Plastic Surgery
- Psychiatry
Past Residency Locations
Here are some programs where our graduates have matched:
- Albany Medical Center
- Baylor Scott & White
- Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Harvard Medical School
- Children’s Health Dallas
- Children’s Hospital Oakland
- Dell Medical School
- Duke University Hospital
- Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- Oregon Health & Science University
- Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine
- The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- Tufts Medical Center
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- University of California Davis Medical Center
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine
- University of Kentucky College of Medicine
- University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals
- University of Washington School of Medicine
- UT Southwestern Medical Center
- UT Health San Antonio
Curriculum
The M.P.H. program – 45 credits total:
Core courses (18 credits)
Shared credits from UT Southwestern Medical School (12 credits)
Advanced public health coursework (9 credits)
Integrative learning experience (3 credits)
Practicum (3 credits)
Example Completion Plan
Timeframe | UT Southwestern | UTHealth |
---|---|---|
Summer Prior to Medical School | ||
9 core M.P.H. hours beginning in May through August | ||
Year 1 | ||
Fall | MS1 Curriculum | No M.P.H. coursework |
Spring | MS1 Curriculum | 4 hours of M.P.H. coursework |
Summer | 9 hours of M.P.H. coursework including the M.P.H. practicum | |
Year 2 | ||
Fall | MS2 curriculum | 3 hours of M.P.H. coursework |
Spring | MS2 curriculum | |
Year 3 | ||
Fall | MS3 curriculum | 3 hours of M.P.H. coursework |
Spring | MS3 curriculum | 2 hours of M.P.H. coursework |
Year 4 | ||
Fall | MS4 curriculum | 3 hours of M.P.H. Capstone or Thesis |
Spring | MS4 curriculum |
Students may choose to leave the dual degree program, to take a leave of absence, or to extend the program to five years. They also can choose to earn a Certificate in Public Health, which requires five core classes (16 hours).
Financial Aid
Students can receive financial aid for degrees at two institutions at the same time. Students should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) document online beginning as early as October in the year prior to beginning their medical education. Students should indicate on the FAFSA that results must be sent to both schools: UT Southwestern Medical Center (school code 010019) and University of Texas Health Science Center (school code 013956). UTHealth Tuition and Fee Schedule.
M.P.H. Class Location
The UTSPH has a regional campus in Dallas with full-time faculty. All public health coursework is completed at the campus, which is housed on the seventh and eighth floors of the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions Building. Classes are offered online, via ITV with instructors from other UTSPH campuses, and “live” with local instructors.
Contact Us

Molly Patterson, M.S.e
Student Affairs Coordinator
UTHealth School of Public Health
Dallas Campus
Phone: 972-546-2920

Angela Mihalic, M.D.
Dean of Medical Students and Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Phone: 214-648-2168
