The Commonwealth Medical College Enrolls Students in Collaborative M.D.-M.P.H. Degree Program with ESU

Photo Caption: M.D./Master of Public Health Students from left to right are Michelle Mitchell, from Springfield, Va.; David Kugelman, from Staten Island, N.Y.; Michael Lilly, from Nazareth, Pa.; and Isabel Ramirez, from Scranton, Pa. All four are pursuing graduate degrees at East Stroudsburg University in community health education and medical degrees at The Commonwealth Medical College.

The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) in Scranton, in partnership with East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU), has enrolled four students of the class of 2017 interested in pursuing a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and either a Master’s Degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) or a Public Health Certificate (P.H.C.).  The dual M.D.-M.P.H. degree was developed in an effort to fully integrate public health training into the education of primary care physicians.

Michelle Mitchell (Springfield, Va.), David Kugelman (Staten Island, N.Y.), Michael Lilly (Nazareth, Pa.) and Isabel Ramirez (Scranton, Pa.) are all working toward M.P.H. degrees at ESU, concentrating on community health education, in addition to pursuing medical degrees at TCMC.  Efforts are underway to double the enrollment for summer 2014 during the second year of the program.

Public health training prepares students to enter the dynamic and challenging field of public health as practitioners and researchers working in the prevention of disease and the improvement of the quality of life in communities. The M.D.-M.P.H. dual-degree program combines the strengths of two highly specialized degree programs to provide population-based healthcare principles to patient care with the goal of improving patient outcomes.  TCMC students will receive additional training in public health by integrating public health studies, experiences and research at ESU during their medical school training.

Funding for this program was made possible by a five-year, $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to TCMC to enhance the integration of public health and health care through a dual-degree program and other health training programs between the two institutions. Of this $1.5 million in funding, ESU will receive a $316,500 subcontract to help coordinate the dual-degree program. Dr. Mark White from TCMC serves as the principal investigator, while Steven Godin, Ph.D., ESU professor of health studies, serves as the ESU program co-director.  Alberto Cardelle, Ph.D., interim dean of ESU’s college of health sciences, also serves in an administrative coordinating role.

Funding for this project was made possible in part by Grant Number T85HP24464 from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

For more information, visit www.esu.edu/mph or www.thecommonwealthmedical.com/publichealth.

Search

Recent Posts