Degree Programs

"Physicians seeing patients in an office everyday while at the same time taking note of the health events happening in their own communities, become aware of the limitations of clinical services in addressing the core causes of health problems. Those core problems are often rooted in aspects of the community itself, such as social, economical or educational issues; and these have to be addressed in a much more comprehensive way than simply improving quality of and access to clinical care. If nothing else, the MPH training helps a physician achieve a broad and comprehensive understanding of population based health problems and the many essential ways they can be addressed."

Richard R. Nugent, MD, MPH
Director of the Center for the Study of Maternal and Child Health Issues
Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health

If you want to be a physician who wants to treat individual patients one-on-one in clinical practice as well as populations with shared health care needs, a degree in public health may be your antidote. A degree in public health is best suited for students interested in population health issues, preventive medicine, or research in public health. If you want the tools that will make it possible for you to be a part of research into risk factors for disease and evaluation treatment effectiveness this is the program for you. Graduates of MD/MPH programs can combine their clinical expertise with knowledge of public health issues, giving them the background for careers in research, policy, advocacy, and consulting.

Students who choose joint degree programs are generally interested in academic medicine or in specialized areas of medicine that are not taught as part of the traditional medical school curriculum such as clinical research, community medicine, epidemiology, occupational medicine, preventive medicine, or public health policy. A combined degree enables a physician to apply broad based state -of-the-art quantitative and qualitative skills needed for problem solving; to develop multidisciplinary and collaborative strategies for solving health-related problems; and, to be positioned for a leadership role in health promotion and disease prevention. If you see your role as educator, advocate, activist, the MD/MPH Program in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health may be for you.

The UAMS College of Medicine and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health offers a combined MD/MPH degree program that permits students to enroll concomitantly in both the College of Medicine and the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and complete all requirements for both degrees in a four year period of time.

Interested students should review the curricular requirements and administrative policies and procedures. Students entering the first year program of the College of Medicine must apply for admission to the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health prior to the April 1 deadline to be accepted in the summer program. Students must obtain admission separately to the MD program and the MPH program and file a Declaration of Intent to Pursue Combined Degrees according to the procedures to participate in the combined degree program. The COPH website provides additional details.

APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE MD/MPH COMBINED DEGREE PROGRAM

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Step 1: Review specific COPH program requirements at www.UAMS.edu/coph.

Step 2: Complete application through SOPHAS (see www.sophas.org for information and checklists) COPH does not require a supplemental application.

Step 3: Forward a check or money order for $25 processing fee ($50 for international applicants) made payable to UAMS COPH.

Step 4: Log in and monitor the status of application and documents in SOPHAS regularly.

Step 5: Once SOPHAS has received all application requirements, it may take up to four weeks for them to verify and deliver the file to COPH. Please take this time into account when adhering to COPH deadlines.

Please note: SOPHAS will not hold your application for the following items:

-Standardized test scores

-International transcripts

Thus, COPH may receive the file incomplete. We will not move forward with the admission review process until the necessary documents either from SOPHAS or the corresponding test agencies or academic institutions are received. Continue to monitor your SOPHAS account for updates regarding the status of these items.

Step 6: After receipt of completed application packet from SOPHAS, COPH will send a confirmation email to the applicant to the preferred email address entered on the application.

Step 7: COPH will schedule a brief telephone interview with each completed and qualifying applicant within three weeks of receipt of file from SOPHAS. Please monitor your preferred email address for this and other communications.

Step 8: The COPH Admissions Committee will review the files and each applicant interviewed will be notified in writing of an admission decision within 4 weeks of the completed telephone interview.

For additional specifics about the curricula content and degree requirements refer to the COPH Catalog or contact the Assistant Dean of Student Services at 501-526-6747.