Masters of Public Policy (MD/MPP) Program
The Alpert Medical School and the Taubman Center for Public Policy are pleased to announce a joint master's program in medicine and public policy/public affairs. This program will give students the opportunity to integrate health policy training into their medical education, and graduate from Brown with both an MD and an MPP or MPA degree.
Students interested in this program must apply separately to the MD and MPP/MPA programs and satisfy the requirements in each area. Applications to the MPP/MPA are reviewed on a rolling basis from January through March. After admission to the MD-MPP/MPA program, students must maintain high academic performance in order to continue in the program.
Students can undertake the policy courses before the first, second, third or fourth year of medical school. The most logical timing may be between the third and fourth year of medical school because the clinical experience gained in the third year provides important background that will help students get more out of their policy courses. While there are benefits to scheduling the policy coursework after the third year of medical school, other timing may be more appropriate for individual students. Once admitted to the MD-MPP/MPA program, students work closely with faculty in the Taubman Center for Public Policy to design an academic program that meets the core requirements of the MD and MPP/MPA degrees. Permission is required from the medical school and the Taubman Center to extend the total time of study beyond six years.
Medical students who do the MPP/MPA after their third or fourth year are encouraged to do their Longitudinal Ambulatory Clerkship during the public policy period to maintain continuity of clinical training. Students also may want to do a brief clinical elective rotation during the January break.
The electives chosen for the MPP or MPA program should help students develop expertise in their areas of interest and can come in the areas of methodology, policymaking institutions, or substantive policy. Electives may be chosen from the approved elective list for the MPP/MPA Program. With permission from the Program Director, additional courses at Brown University may count as electives toward the MPP/MPA degree if the courses meet the educational objectives of the student.
In addition to the advising services provided by the medical school, students will be connected with an advisor from the MPP/MPA Program upon acceptance into the program. The academic progress of students in the MD-MPP/MPA program will be jointly monitored by the medical school and the MPP/MPA program.