The MD-MPH Straight Program at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (AdZU SOM) offers an innovative curriculum for Region IX – Western Mindanao, addressing healthcare through two core domains:
1.Individual Healthcare Domain:
Focuses on patient care delivered in hospital settings, primarily aimed at treating individual patients. This approach emphasizes curative care through modern science and technology, helping students understand disease mechanisms. However, it traditionally addresses only the “1%”—the small fraction of patients who reach hospital care, as highlighted by Dr. Kerr’s research in 1966. Dr. Kerr found that out of 1000 symptomatic individuals, only one ends up in university hospital care, leaving the broader population’s needs unaddressed.
2. Population Healthcare Domain:
Addresses health from a broader perspective, considering the environmental, social, political, economic, and cultural factors that influence health outcomes at a community or population level. This domain ensures that students understand health beyond the hospital walls, focusing on preventive care and public health trends.
Learning Strands:
To integrate these two domains, ADZU-SOM uses three interconnected learning strands:
1.Working Problem Strand (WPS):
Uses problem-based learning sessions where students analyze clinical problems and discuss them from three perspectives:
- Biological (disease mechanisms),
- Behavioral (impact on patients and ethics), and
- Population (community impact)
Unanswered questions from these discussions become Learning Issues for further research, fostering self-directed learning.
2.Professional Skill Strand (PSS):
Focuses on developing communication skills (interviewing, counseling) and clinical management skills (physical examination, diagnosis).
Skills learned are directly aligned with topics studied in WPS, like practicing cardiac exams during a cardiovascular case study.
3.Population Medicine Strand (PMS):
Applies medical practice to groups, not just individuals. Students learn about epidemiological data gathering, identifying healthcare needs, and assessing healthcare interventions.
They gain hands-on experience through community placements with General Practitioners (GPs), community health services, and provincial hospitals, applying their skills in real-world settings.
Integrated Approach:
By merging individual patient care with a population perspective, ADZU-SOM’s MD-MPH program ensures that future physicians are equipped not only to treat diseases but also to understand and address the social determinants of health that impact communities. This approach creates well-rounded doctors who can effectively serve both hospitals and the broader population in Region IX and beyond.
MD-MPH Curriculum
I. MD-MPH Program (4 Years)
Year 1-3: Foundational Courses, Clinical Medicine and Public Health Integration
- Problem Based Learning
- Basic medical sciences and condition
- Introduction to public health principles
- Core public health subjects (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Policy)
- Application of public health knowledge in clinical settings (Community)
- Research methodologies for public health
- Community Medicine and Community Health Program Implementation
Year 3 2nd Sem: Clinical/Hospital Clerkship
Year 4: Research & Public Health Capstone
- Public health research project or thesis
- 10 month Intensive Community Medicine and Community Health Program Implementation
- MPH Research Protocol Presentation and Initial Implementation
II. Internship Year (1 Year)
6 Months: Community-Based Internship
- Application of medical and public health skills in rural or underserved areas
- MPH Research final Implementation and defense
- Health program implementation and community engagement
- Supervised clinical practice in a community setting
6 Months: Hospital-Based Internship
- Rotations in major hospital departments (ER, Surgery, Pediatrics, etc.)
- Focus on hands-on clinical skills and patient management
- Supervision under licensed physicians
