School of Public Health

The following application procedures pertain only to those applicants who are also applicants to the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in this application year, and who are also applying to the concurrent MPH degree program.

NOTE: Applicants must be accepted by the College of Medicine and the School of Public Health Admissions Committees. Admissions policies of both colleges pertain to MD/MPH applicants.

If you already have the MD degree, or if you plan to attend the MPH program not as a concurrent degree program, you should follow the application policies and procedures for the Master of Public Health (MPH) Admissions Requirements (click here).

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO APPLY TO THE MD/MPH CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAM ONLY.

Admission to the MD/MPH Degree Program

Applicants for MD/MPH degree must apply to and be accepted by each program. Students applying for MD/MPH degrees should apply to both programs as early as possible so that they can obtain their admission status for each program in a timely fashion. The admission requirements for each degree apply. Students applying for MD/MPH degrees should indicate their intent on. Both AMCAS (MD/Masters degree option) and the SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Supplemental Application.

MD/MPH Program Admissions Policies

Applicants to the MD/MPH program must meet the admissions requirements of both programs (MD and MPH). Please review the information from the College of Medicine admissions policies section (click here) and the MPH admissions policies section (click here).

In addition, an undergraduate record with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) and a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) score of 24 or above are preferred is preferred.

For those applying to Biostatistics, Epidemiology, or Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, a Bachelor of Science degree is preferred with at least one (1) undergraduate math and one (1) undergraduate biology course. For applicants to Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, an undergraduate chemistry course is preferred.

MD/MPH Concurrent Program Application Procedures

1. Complete an AMCAS application and a SUNY Downstate College of Medicine Supplemental Application (click here). A copy of your AMCAS application will be provided to the MPH Admissions Committee for their review.
2. Completion of the School of Public Health’s MD/MPH Program application (click here), including the personal statement and essay on a selected public health topic. Please see information below in regard to the personal statement and essay (Written Essays Guidelines).
3. A $75 non-refundable application fee made payable to SUNY Downstate Medical Center must be enclosed with the submission of the program application and essays.
4. One (1) Letter of recommendation

Note: The Letter of recommendation must be addressed to the School of Public Health Committee on Admission and must speak directly to your interest and/or experience in public health.

Written Essay Guidelines

The application must include two written essays prepared by the applicant without outside assistance. These statements help the Admissions Committee evaluate the applicant's motivation for entering the program as well as skills in problem-solving, writing, and following guidelines. Each should be thoughtful, clear, concise, and well-organized. Any application that includes plagiarized material will be automatically rejected.

• Personal Statement. The first essay is a personal statement in which the applicant explains his or her reasons for pursuing the degree in a particular area of interest and hopes for what he or she will achieve with that degree. The essay should be on separate, numbered sheets of paper for and include the applicant's name at the top of each sheet. The essay should be no more than 300 words.

• Public Health Essay. Choose and describe a public health issue/problem in which you have an interest and present at least one possible approach to addressing that issue/problem. The essay should be no more than 1,000 words.

  In your essay please carefully describe the issue or situation, using and citing current references, to substantiate your arguments. Then present your thoughts on how you might go about addressing some aspect of it. Please note that you can present a solution wherein you might work as an individual, or with other people or organizations. The essay should be clearly written and carefully checked for grammar and spelling. Please use separate sheets of paper for your essay, number the pages, and make certain that you include your name on each sheet.

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