Medical doctors are leaders in the health care community because of their years of advanced training and commitment to healing. However, additional education can enrich your ability to lead in a variety of roles. Whether you’re interested in working for the federal government, as CEO of a hospital network or entering academia, a master’s in public health can complement your medical training.
Public Health Government Roles
A common area for physicians seeking public health leadership roles is in government positions. Many state and county public health departments are headed by MD/MPH administrators. Federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and the United States Public Health Commissioned Corps hire large numbers of MDs with public health training and provide excellent benefits. The Epidemiology Intelligence Service, considered the premier public health training program for disease detectives, primarily recruits physicians interested in the public health field. Government agencies need doctors who can combine high-level medical knowledge with biostatistics, social and behavioral science and policy knowledge.
Related resource: Top 10 Best Online Masters in Public Health Degree Programs
Hospital Administration
Shifting reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid have led to a change in the ways hospitals provide health care. Today’s facilities are more focused on community-level interventions than ever before. Satellite clinics, patient education and discharge follow-ups are the new normal. Plus, hospital-acquired infections are leading to lower reimbursement rates for hospitals who don’t take steps to lower their rate of transmission. All of these changes point to an increased need for doctors with public health training to take the helm of large hospital settings. A MPH focused on health care administration or epidemiology will give you the policy and analysis skills to lead medical facilities, implement cost-saving initiatives and prioritize community health.
Academia and Research
If you’re interested in social research, a master’s degree in public health is an excellent addition to your physician training. You can attend a program that focuses on research over administration and learn how to analyze journal articles, conduct statistical examinations and structure a research project. By combining an MD and an MPH, you’ll gain credibility in both worlds and have an easier time collaborating with research partners. You can also easily find work as a tenure-track professor in a department of public health.
Non-Profit Work
As a physician, you’ll have many opportunities to serve others. You can work directly in clinical services in your community or on an international level. If you wish to have a career in the non-profit world, a MPH will be incredibly helpful. Focusing on bio-statistics and epidemiology will let you interpret broad statistical patterns, while a concentration in leadership or policy will make you an excellent administrator. Agencies like Doctors without Borders (MSF), the Red Cross and Partners in Health look for physicians with a knowledge of public health to fill administrative and field-level roles.
You can earn your master’s in public health before enrolling in medical school or afterwards. Some universities even let you take summer courses for your MPH so you can graduate with a combined MD/MPH diploma. No matter how you pursue the degree, an MPH is a good addition to your MD background.
