Should you do the dual degree Public Health and PA program?

As you all may know, I am currently a student in the dual degree Public Health and PA program at Campbell University. Today, I wanted to talk about if going for a public health degree in addition to your PA degree is the right choice for you.

But first, what is public health?

Public health is a field that promotes and protects the health of communities through organized efforts to prevent disease, promote health and longevity. The field of public health has three core functions, including assessment, policy development, and assurance.

How can a dual degree Public Health and PA help you as a practicing Physician Assistant?

As a dual degree public health and physician assistant candidate, you gain both in-depth medical knowledge and leadership skills to address the challenges that the current healthcare system imposes.

While the knowledge and experience you will gain with your public health education can ultimately help you become a better provider, I must say that based on my research, most clinical jobs will not pay you extra for holding a public health degree.

Does that mean that you shouldn’t go for the degree? Absolutely not. If you are someone who is planning to work in a primary care setting or underserved areas, I believe having this public health knowledge will be very beneficial for you.

In a nutshell, you learn all about epidemiology, healthcare accessibility, social determinants of health, healthcare insurance, and the current state of the healthcare system in the United States. For me, the most important thing I learned during my public health semesters was the importance of cultural humility.

Now, how about the job prospects for someone who holds a dual degree in public health and physician assistant? If you are someone who thinks that you might get tired of the clinical aspect of the job and desires to move on to another area such as research, administration, or policy work, then having a public health degree can be very beneficial.  

With that being said, one should keep in mind that the additional public health degree (assuming it is a dual degree that comes together with the PA degree) is an additional year to your education. And it is also a hefty investment in terms of tuition. However, again, it could potentially be a good investment and pay off in the long run if you do decide to exit the clinical setting to something different.

So, what are some dual degree Public Health and Physician Assistant programs in the United States?

Down below, I have listed 10 programs in the United States that currently offer the dual degree public health and PA option. This is not a comprehensive list and please make sure to do your own research to stay up to date regarding admission information and requirements.

Note: the program duration of some programs may not reflect accurately as they were estimated based on the information presented on their website. Please make sure to double-check the program’s website for accuracy before you apply.

3 Biggest Advantages of Dual Degree Public Health and Physician Assistant Programs

1. If you’re planning to get a dual degree in public health and PA anyways, it can save you time as opposed to doing the two degrees separately. A standalone public health program can be as long as two years.
2. Having an additional degree in public health can help you transition out of clinical roles if you do decide to move on to a different field, such as research, administration, or policy work.
3. It can help you become a better provider because you learn to see the healthcare system, conditions, and patients from different angles and perspectives in addition to your clinical education as a PA. This is because you learn about the abilities and limitations of our healthcare system in-depth, environmental health, epidemiology, and a great deal about health policy.

3 Biggest Disadvantages of Dual Degree Public Health and Physician Assistant Programs

1. The dual degree public health and PA curriculum can be quite rigorous depending on the program that you choose to go through. This is because you will be taking additional classes when compared to the regular PA students and you will probably be doing additional practicums/internships/capstone projects.
2. You will be delaying the potential income that you can get as a practicing PA for an additional year to get the public health degree. Will it be worth it? Probably if you decide to use it in the future, but keep in mind that there are no immediate financial benefits.
3. And the last one is a no-brainer. You will be spending more money on tuition, housing, etc., and possibly going into more debt if you decide to go for the dual degree public health and PA option. Again, this investment won’t pay off immediately once you become a PA but you will be able to use this additional degree to its full effect once you decide to take on more non-clinical roles.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this blog post has helped you make a decision on whether or not you want to pursue the additional public health degree. As I mentioned before, while there are no immediate financial benefits in having a public health degree after you graduate and start working as a practicing physician assistant, there will be a point in your career when you will be able to leverage your public health degree. Therefore, weigh your pros and cons, decide what will work best for you, and invest in yourself thoughtfully.