“Choosing to get an MPH was a very personal decision, and it took a lot of time to think about it. Getting my MD meant going back to my communities and providing care to the most underserved patients in Phoenix. But as I learned more about WHY our healthcare system leads to so many underserved populations, I knew that just providing care as a physician would not be enough. There was a systemic issue and I realized that if I wanted to have a larger, wider impact on entire populations that I would need to pursue a public health degree so I could understand the “why” behind health inequities.

Now that I am about to graduate with my MD/MPH I can confidently say I have gained all of the knowledge and understanding I set out to find in the beginning. Through our classes and my internship I have seen from a microscale of 1:1 patient care to a macroscale of sitting in board meetings and advocating for policy change that these health inequities start from a much higher level than a primary care clinic. It starts with politicians, public health departments, and policy writing.

I now understand the larger system at play and have the knowledge to navigate that system so I can not only provide care to my patient in the clinic, but also continue to advocate for entire communities through community needs assessments, quality improvement projects, and research identifying the most impactful changes to make through policy. Getting my MPH allowed me to become a true community physician.”