Campbell University has approved a new graduate education program, Dual Degree Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH).
Scheduled to begin in fall 2027, the dual-degree program will emphasize rural health and prepare graduates to combine the clinical expertise of an osteopathic physician with advanced scientific training in public health. Graduates will be equipped to care for individual patients while also addressing the broader health needs of rural and underserved communities.
“Rural communities need osteopathic physicians who can care for patients and help strengthen the health care systems on which their patients rely,” says Dr. David Tolentino, dean of the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine. “I’m excited that our students will have the opportunity to pursue this dual degree. It gives us another way to put CUSOM’s strategic plan into action and prepare graduates to serve the rural and underserved communities at the heart of our mission.”
Students enrolled in the dual program will be required to take MSPH courses during the first year of study, medical school course and a med school elective course, Moral Wisdom and Health of the Public, in the fourth year of the DO program.
Students will develop skills in structural analysis, communication and community engagement while learning to work with diverse forms of knowledge, according to the course overview. The goal is to prepare future physicians to participate in population health efforts that are relational, context-aware and grounded in partnership.
Course content integrates direct observation of community and institutional settings with reflective and structured educational activities, allowing students to examine how health is shaped through relationships, meaning and social conditions. The MSPH degree, if all course requirements are met, will be conferred at the same time as the DO degree.
It will take a total of five years to complete the dual program, with the first year consisting of all master’s degree public health courses.
“Health is made and unmade in places long before anyone walks into an exam room,” says Dr. David Tillman, chair and professor of Public Health. “We want our graduates to understand that, and to bring humility, curiosity and creativity to the practice of medicine. This dual degree program forms doctors who are ready to be authentic partners in health for the communities they serve.”