MD + Webinar Q&A

Question 1 Does an MD Plus applicant have to be accepted into Texas A&M’s medical school before they can apply to the MD Plus Program? Yes. Admittance into the MD program is required before a student can apply for the MD Plus.

Question 2 Are students involved in deciding what the collaborative project will be annually? Yes. During the first MD Power Hour (our monthly student gathering) of the year, students discuss their ideas for that year’s project. Planning then commences. Also involved in the monthly gatherings are professional development events.

Question 3 For students who choose to do the graduate portion of the MD Plus after their third year of medical school (rather than before medical school), will they have similar interprofessional opportunities where they can use the skills learned through the MD Plus? Yes. The EDHP has an IPE component involving interactions with students and faculty in the School of Public Health, Nursing and Pharmacy, as well as Medicine. Other programs don’t specifically have an IPE component in their curriculum, however, some similar activities are available through the MD Plus Program.

Question 4 Is it recommended to complete the MBA before the MD or between years three and four? What are the pros and cons? Option 1 - MBA Year 1: Pros – Start applying MBA perspective and knowledge to medical school immediately upon beginning which can lead to a number of student leadership opportunities No interruption to medical school education Makes for a smoother transition into medical school since the MBA is not as rigorous Cons – You have to wait a year before starting the long-awaited journey of medical school (continued on next slide)

Question 4 (cont.) Is it recommended to complete the MBA before the MD or between years three and four? What are the pros and cons? Option 2 – MBA between Years 3 & 4 Pros – No wait to start medical school You can apply your newly improved interview skills (learned during MBA) to residency interviews Cons – No opportunity to apply the MBA perspective and skills to the first three years of medical school The Full-time MBA is only offered at the College Station campus. If your clinical campus is anywhere other than College Station, you would have to move multiple times during medical school which isn’t ideal for most students.

Question 5 What is the most impactful experience with the MBA/MD join program? From Thomas Dowlearn (MD/MBA): My involvement starting SHIFT, a State-wide Case Competition between Texas medical schools that focuses on addressing major rural healthcare issues in the state. That experience taught me a great deal about taking a vision and making it reality. In addition, the Venture Challenge and the Capstone Consulting Project through the MBA program were impactful.

Question 6 What does the Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences concentration of the MD/MPH entail? The Department of Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences promotes healthy living and prepares students to identify the role of biological, behavioral, environmental and social forces on population health. Students have the opportunity to apply these elements when planning and evaluating programs, services and policies designed to improve the health of individuals and communities. Student have opportunities to work in a broad and diverse range of organizations. https://sph.tamhsc.edu/hpchs/index.html

MD + Program Contact: Stacy De Leon, Administrator 979. 436 MD + Program Contact: Stacy De Leon, Administrator 979.436.0204 mdplus@tamhsc.edu