Doctor of Medicine / Master of Public Health pathway
Overview
The intercalated Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health (MD/MPH) program is designed for students with a strong interest in medicine and a commitment to understanding the broader determinants of health beyond clinical practice.
The MD/MPH is available to current students enrolled in the University of Melbourne MD. Through a suite of compulsory subjects, the MPH component equips MD students with essential skills in epidemiology, biostatistics, leadership and management, research methods, and public health program planning. Students can tailor their studies by choosing up to 4 elective subjects from a wide range of options across 11 elective streams within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.
Through this integrated program, students can explore and develop areas of interest early in their careers, positioning them to become future leaders in disease prevention, health promotion, and the advancement of population wellbeing.
Graduates of the MD/MPH program are uniquely prepared for careers that bridge clinical practice and public health. They may pursue roles in health research, advocacy, policy development, and health system reform, while work directly with communities as medical professionals. This dual qualification provides a powerful foundation for a rewarding career dedicated to improving health outcomes at local, national, and global levels.
Eligibility
In order to be considered applicants must be:
- A domestic student currently enrolled in the third year of University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine (MD) and;
- In good academic standing
Timelines
Each year, up to fifteen places are available in the intercalated MD/MPH program.
To be considered for one of these 15 places, third-year MD students must complete the following steps:
1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) by 30 April for the following year’s MPH intake.
As part of the EOI students will be asked to submit a personal statement that addresses the following:
- Relevant experience: Describe any academic, professional, or voluntary experiences that demonstrate your engagement with public or global health
- Career goals: Outline your long-term career aspirations and how the MD/MPH program aligns with them
- Motivation for pursuing the MPH: Explain why you wish to undertake the MPH alongside the MD, including your commitment to improving public health outcomes.
In ranking the applications submitted via the expression of interest process, the Selection Committee will consider the applicants’:
- Prior academic performance
- Clear and considered desire to improve population health outcomes as outlined in the expression of interest
- Demonstrated commitment to public and/or global health as outlined in the expression of interest
The Selection Committee may seek additional information to clarify any aspect of an application, in accordance with Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
All MD students who submit an expression of interest will be notified of the outcome by 30 -June.
2. If successful in the expression of interest stage, applicants will then need to submit a formal application for the MPH via their student account by 31 July.
Please contact the course coordinator about requests for potential special consideration for earlier entry into the MD-MPH. Such requests, for entry post-MD1 or MD2 are considered on a case-by-case basis and will require Academic Board approval.
Similarly, those students who have undertaken incomplete MPH studies at the University of Melbourne, or elsewhere, should contact the course coordinator about the possibility of completing their MPH studies within the Melbourne MD/MPH context. This may require such studies to undertake MPH subjects for both their MD1 and MD2 discovery subjects, as well as having a public health focused MD4 Discovery pathway.
A limited number of scholarships may be available to successful applicants each year.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding eligibilty or the structure of the MD/MPH pathway please contact:
Associate Professor Ken Winkel
MD/MPH Coordinator
+61 411 875 941
Frequently Asked Questions
-
The MD/MPH intercalated program can be completed in five years, compared to at least six years if both courses are undertaken separately. Designed as an integrated program, it offers a seamless education that enriches and complements future medical practice.
The MD/MPH allows MD students to develop public health skills and interests much earlier in their medical careers. It provides focus, professional networks, and a strong foundation for those aspiring to improve population health, whether their future lies in medical specialisation, clinical leadership, or public health practice.
-
MD students may have the option to undertake an international exchange in the first 6 months of their MPH year. Contact the MD/MPH coordinator early in your MD to express interest and receive advice regarding essential course planning. Students considering exchange should plan to take up to two of the MPH compulsory subjects as Discovery . Refer to: Structure: MD-MPH Program — The University of Melbourne Handbook
While on global study exchange, only exchange subjects can be undertaken (i.e students cannot be enrolled in any University of Melbourne subjects during this time, even if delivered online). Students may only take subjects for elective credit while on exchange.
If students choose an exchange, their study plan will be:
- Discovery: recommend undertaking compulsory MPH subjects as Discovery Faculty Selectives in MD Year 1 and MD Year 2
- Overseas-based semester during Semester 1 of MPH year: electives (50 points)
- Melbourne-based semester during Semester 2 of MPH year: remaining compulsory MPH subjects (check subject availability carefully)
The following partner institutions are approved for MD-MPH exchange:
If you are accepted into the MD/MPH and are interested in undertaking an exchange opportunity in your first 6 months of the MPH, you need to ensure you meet the global learning application deadline.
Find out more, including how to select elective subjects, at: https://students.unimelb.edu.au/your-course/study-overseas/step-by-step-guides/semester-and-year-long-programs
-
In short, no! The MD/MPH program is designed to enhance your medical training, not detract from it. In fact, it aims to create more well-rounded doctors - clinicians who think deeply about who their patients are, the social and environmental factors that shape their health, and how these can be addressed to prevent illness before it occurs.
Medicine is evolving, with growing emphasis on prevention and public health. The MD/MPH equips you to understand and influence the broader health and social systems in which you’ll work, helping you become a more effective and informed practitioner.
The program is structured so that students complete three years of the MD before taking a year to focus on MPH subjects, then return to complete their final year of the MD. By the time you begin the MPH, you’ll have already completed most of your clinical training. When you return, you’ll move into your transition-to-practice year, including pre-internship activities and either a research or clinical scholar project (and terms) with a public health focus.
This structure ensures you maintain and build upon your medical knowledge and clinical skills, graduating as a doctor with both the clinical expertise and the public health perspective needed to improve health outcomes at every level.
-
Completing either an MD or an MPH enables professionals to improve health outcomes, whether for individual patients or entire populations. Combined, these qualifications provide a powerful and complementary skill set that prepares graduates to not only deliver clinical care, but also identify areas of need, lead teams, and drive meaningful change across health systems.
Graduates with both medical and public health training are equipped to work across a wide range of fields, including:
- Clinical medicine and medical specialisation
- Quantitative and qualitative research
- Health policy and reform
- Public health programs and health systems
- Advocacy and community health
- Academia and teaching
- Non-government and not-for-profit organisations
- International and global health, including work with underserved populations
As one of the most widely recognised public health qualifications globally, the MPH provides a strong foundation for leadership, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making in diverse professional contexts.
In Australia, an MPH is essential for entry into Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine offered through the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM ), a Faculty of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).
If you are interested in pursuing Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine, please ensure you check the Advanced Training in Public Health Medicine website to ensure your MPH study satisfies AFPHM requirements as these are subject to change.
-
Students enrolled in the MD/MPH pathway incur lower costs compared to completing the MPH as a standalone degree, as they receive subject credit through the combined program.
For a student in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), indicative fees can be calculated at Student contribution amounts. With the recent removal of HECS time and credit caps for graduate study, CSP students can complete their studies in a timely and affordable way.
Find out more: Eligibility for Commonwealth Supported Places and HELP loans
-
Youth Allowance:
Students who are eligible for Youth Allowance, have completed three years of the MD, and are under 25 years of age when enrolling in the MPH, remain eligible for support during the MPH year. Previous study is not counted when changing courses under Youth Allowance.
When returning to complete the final year of the MD, students remain eligible, as Youth Allowance covers the standard duration of a course plus one additional year. This means eligible students can receive support for up to five years in total, including the MPH year.
Austudy:
Students aged 25 years and over may be eligible for Austudy. However, under Austudy rules, students undertaking an MPH after three years of MD study are not eligible for Centrelink support during the MPH year, but eligibility resumes when they return to complete the final MD year.
-
MPH subjects involve preparation, pre-reading, team activities, analysis, coursework and writing tasks that are very different to the MD degree. While this is often a welcome change from the demanding schedule created by the MD, it also provides an opportunity to improve collaboration and teamwork skills essential for success in medical and public health practice.
Fellow MPH students come from over 40 countries and a wide range of disciplines, many having significant levels of work experience, so there are great opportunities for learning with and from fellow students.
-
No, students who intend to pursue the MD/MPH will be subject to the same preferencing and allocation process for MD Discovery 1 and MD Discovery 2 as all other students. An intention to pursue the MD/MPH is not considered an acceptable reason to appeal Discovery subject or topic allocation.
Program Structure
The MD/MPH program is structured so that students complete three years of the MD before taking a year to focus on MPH compulsory and elective subjects, before returning to complete their final year of the MD. In MD Discovery 4, it is expected that MD/MPH students will have a significant public health focus when completing either MEDS90042 or MEDS90044 as this subject serves as a capstone to their combined studies.
Students entering the Master of Public Health (244CW) via the MD/MPH pathway after completion of their third year of the MD will enter with 50 points advanced standing and will complete:
- 75 credit points of compulsory subjects (6 subjects)
- 50 credit points of MD Discovery 4: Clinical Scholar (MEDS90042) or Research Scholar (MEDS90044)
- 25 credit points of electives (2 subjects)
Compulsory subjects
All of:
- POPH90217 Foundations of Public Health (12.5 points)
- POPH90013 Biostatistics (12.5 points)
- POPH90014 Epidemiology 1 (12.5 points)
- POPH90231 Qualitative Research in Public Health (12.5 points)
- POPH90274 Applied Program Development (12.5 points)
- POPH90218 Public Health Leadership and Policy (12.5 points)
MD Discovery 4
Students select 50 credit points from:
- MEDS90042 - MD Discovery 4: Clinical Scholar (50 credit points)
- MEDS90044 - MD Discovery 4: Research Scholar (50 credit points)
The MD Research or Clinical Scholar Discovery 4 subjects are designed to consolidate students’ knowledge and enable the production of a substantial piece of research or integrated clinical placement or other scholarly output that incorporates a significant public health focus. MD/MPH students are expected to complete a high-quality project demonstrating competence in the analysis and critical review of issues related to population or global health. This provides an opportunity to extend traditional medical research areas, such as the pathophysiology of disease, into the broader context of public health.
Electives
Students select 25 credit points from:
Many MD/MPH students will have diverse interests that can be met through combining elective subject areas. This will allow for a comprehensive education in the fundamental concepts of public health, and also other areas including: research methods; health policy; global and community health; and systems analysis.
Notes:
- Students may receive an additional 25 credits advanced standing (with credit) for Melbourne School of Population and Global Health core or elective subjects taken as Discovery. If MD students with such additional advanced standing wish to have a full course load they may elect to rescind credit for one or both of these Discovery subjects to complete additional electives.
- All MPH compulsory subjects and most elective subjects can be taken either on-campus or online allowing for a flexible mode of delivery.
- While in the MPH, MD students are put on a leave of absence from the MD