A new four-tier approach for integrating public health training into medical school education

The integration of public health and primary care is a crucial step in promoting health at the individual and community levels. In a world where public health issues are increasingly relevant to the practice of clinical medicine, integration of public health education is critical in medical training, as highlighted by the Association of American Medical Colleges in their Population Health Competencies for Medical Students (2012). These competencies are a product of collaboration between the AAMC and CDC to improve medical student education in population health, public health, and prevention. While completing degrees in both medicine and public health is ideal, the combined degree approach is not appropriate or feasible for all medical students. This presentation will discuss a new model being implemented at one medical school, to promote the integration of public health education into the medical school curriculum at multiple levels. This model assures each student graduates with at least, a solid foundation and at best, comprehensive training, in public health. Our four-tier approach includes: (1) foundational training in public health fully integrated into the education of all medical students, (2) enhanced training through optional credit and non-credit learning opportunities, (3) a public health certificate program, and (4) a combined MD-MPH degree. Implementation of this program began in August 2012, and we will discuss the elements of each tier, the process of operationalizing the tiers into the medical curriculum, creating buy-in from the various stakeholder groups, challenges faced during this process, and potential approaches to addressing those barriers.