UMMC trains medical students to address social determinants of health
Three medical students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are pursuing a new MD-MPH pathway that broadens their training beyond diagnosing and treating illness to include social, economic and environmental drivers of health.
The School of Medicine’s MD-MPH pathway combines clinical instruction with public health coursework aimed at preparing future physicians to understand population health, epidemiology, health policy and community engagement. The program supplements traditional medical education with training designed to help clinicians consider factors such as housing, nutrition, employment and environmental exposures when treating patients.
Leaders of such dual-degree pathways say the approach helps physicians take roles in prevention, health systems improvement and policy that can produce more lasting change than clinic-based care alone. Public health training can equip clinicians to address health disparities, coordinate community interventions and work with policymakers and public health agencies.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center highlighted the pathway as part of its efforts to expand the role of physicians in population health. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
