MD/MPH: Where Medicine Meets Its Match 

Match Day signifies a poignant moment for fourth-year medical students seeking their next venture in their education and training. Fifty-seven Doctor of Medicine and Master of Public Health (MD/MPH) students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health across Texas will combine medicine and public health in their next phase of medical training. 

Dual-degree students completing an MD/MPH are offered specialized training to prepare their futures in clinical practice paired with the core essentials of public health. Equipped with an MD/MPH, graduates are prepared to deliver medical care to individuals at the patient level, while also addressing health issues experienced in population and at community levels. We congratulate all students who are nearing the completion of a dual-degree and have highlighted a few who are continuing on in their medical training in their upcoming residency programs.

 

Shadhi Mansoori, aged 28, a fourth-year medical student at McGovern Medical School, secured her match in psychiatry at the University of Washington. 

For Mansoori, this specialty piqued her curiosity about patients' narratives and the body-mind connection. "It is the specialty where I can best apply my strengths in empathy and communication, as well as a bio-psycho-social approach to understanding and managing psychiatric illness," shared Mansoori. "As a future resident, I look forward to refining my therapeutic techniques and psychopharmacology knowledge to address the mental health needs in vulnerable communities and combat stigma." 

Throughout her education, Mansoori's inspiration remains her parents, "who instilled in me from an early age, through their example, a desire to make the world a better place one action at a time and never to turn away from those [who are] suffering," she expressed. As she embarks on her four-year training in Washington, she anticipates helping and supporting others in her clinical training.  

Mansoori received the 2024 United States Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award, recognizing her personal and professional commitment to improving public health through servant leadership and compassionate care. 

Jacob Nizam Qurashi, 38, has worked tirelessly in pursuit of his MD/MPH at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. With more than fifteen years of experience in healthcare, Qurashi has found his calling at the intersection of two fields close to his heart: pediatrics and anesthesiology. In the next five years, Qurashi will train alongside experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin in their combined pediatrics-anesthesiology residency program. 
 
“I am most looking forward to caring for children and supporting families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Someone was there for me on my worst day, and I consider it a privilege to serve others in the same way.” 

For Qurashi, the dual training in pediatrics and anesthesiology offers a unique opportunity to build deep, meaningful connections with patients and their families while playing a critical role in their care—both in the clinic and the operating room. This mission is deeply personal. Qurashi was inspired to pursue medicine by his greatest role model—his mother—whose illness and early passing before age 50 shaped his desire to enter the field. 
 
“Caring for her first led me into healthcare—starting as a nursing assistant, then becoming a nurse, and now a physician. Her experience and strength continue to motivate me in my medical career.” 

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Christopher Sanborn, 25, has secured his match at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, in anesthesiology. Sanborn, an MD/MPH student at the Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, has long been interested in public health in medicine, sparking his interest in pursuing an MPH.  

"I realized the many roles of physicians in the community outside of direct patient care, and I wanted to develop these skills during medical school," he explained. "I want to use my MPH to conduct perioperative research within anesthesia."  

During his medical school training, Sanborn's unique mix of procedural skills and mastery of physiology and pharmacology drew him to this specialty. Anesthesiology will allow Sanborn to develop the skills to aid patients and teach future students like himself complex hands-on skills and concepts. 

With a public health lens, Sanborn will offer a scope to this specialty to improve pain management and critical care.  

Calvin Wong, aged 25, MD/MPH student at McGovern Medical School, is eager to start his residency in ophthalmology and continue his training at McGovern Medical School. Wong will devote the next three years to studying a wide range of skills and practices involving the eyes.  

"I am most looking forward to the clinical and surgical flexibility in my chosen field of ophthalmology," he stated. "The eye is an incredibly complex organ, and I found learning its anatomy the most challenging but enjoyable." 

While at the School of Public Health, Wong served as an Albert Schweitzer fellow, expanding his clinical interests in a public health focal point by working alongside a low vision support The Cizik Eye Clinic’s Dan Arnold Center for Vision Rehabilitation. This remains a dear subject to Wong, as increasing access to peer support was critical to his project.  

"After three years of volunteering with this support group, we have expanded our outreach and programming in partnership with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. I am most encouraged by the younger students' eagerness to step up, and as I prepare to graduate and start residency, I am confident they will continue our good work." 

Congratulations to all students who are planning to complete their MD/MPH degrees, and we extend warm wishes to those who matched!