New program to allow students to pursue both medical and public health degrees

FIU and American University of Antigua College of Medicine (AUA) have partnered to offer AUA students a way to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work.  

As part of the new agreement, AUA students and graduates will be able to apply to the MPH program at Stempel College and receive priority admission review. In addition, the agreement recognizes predetermined courses taken by medical students. Earning an MPH at Stempel College will provide students with advanced training in the field of public health and an understanding of how to work with local, national, and global communities to improve health and wellbeing.

The Stempel College School of Public Health is ranked 49^th among public universities by U.S. News & World Report while the college’s fully online MPH is ranked 10^th nationally by PublicHealth.Org. 

“The field of public health is quickly changing. We are a global community, which has been best demonstrated by our current experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. By combining a Master of Public Health with a Doctor of Medicine, students will have the advantage of understanding individual health and population health, a combination that will assure prevention, intervention, and greater overall wellness,” said Tomás R. Guilarte, dean of Stempel College.

This agreement also allows graduates of Stempel College to receive priority admissions consideration when applying to AUA’s Doctor of Medicine program, should they choose to pursue their medical degree there.

Combining a public health degree that understands changing community health trends with a Doctor of Medicine degree gives students the tools to perform at the highest levels of the medical field. The emphasis on patient-centered care that the MD provides gives students the knowledge to heal and assist individuals, while the MPH provides the expertise to promote widespread population health and disease prevention

“The collaboration between AUA and FIU’s Robert Stempel College for Public Health & Social Work provides students of both institutions with excellent opportunities to complement their education,” said Dr. Peter Bell, AUA vice president of Global Medical Education and Executive Dean of Clinical Sciences. “AUA students will be able to obtain a Master of Public Health and FIU students will be able to pursue an MD degree in addition to their MPH. In both cases, graduates of our institutions will be able to contribute to public health in their communities at a very high level.”