Program Flexibility Enhances Online M.P.H. Student Experience
Aspiring medical student Jake Falbo is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from the Miller School of Medicine from the comfort of his home in Toronto.
Jake Falbo had two criteria when selecting a Master of Public Health program: flexibility and balance. He found these attributes, along with an enriching environment, when he enrolled in the Online M.P.H. Program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The program is preparing Falbo, who graduated from UM with a B.S. in Health Sciences, with a well-rounded view of health care from the comfort of his home in Toronto, Canada. Falbo shares his experience in the program and goals in medicine in a Q&A edited lightly for length and clarity.
What inspired you to pursue an online M.P.H. at the Miller School?
During my growth year before entering medical school, I wanted to stay academically engaged while also pursuing something different from traditional medicine. Studying public health was the perfect way to explore another side of health care, moving away from the clinical focus and toward population health.
How have you benefited from the program’s flexibility?
The Online M.P.H. Program worked perfectly for me because I wanted to spend some time at home between undergrad and medical school. The online M.P.H. offers the flexibility to continue my classes and earn a master’s degree in just one year, while also reconnecting with my roots and pursuing other activities.
Earning an M.P.H. degree truly puts your work as a physician into perspective, allowing you to approach medical cases with a broader worldview and a deeper appreciation for the larger context of health care.
Online M.P.H. student Jake Falbo
The program’s flexibility has also allowed me to work part-time as a tutor and continue volunteering while managing my medical school applications. It truly gives me the ability to balance my schedule in a variety of ways.”
How would you describe your experience so far in the program?
It has been excellent. All the classes are hosted on Blackboard, the University of Miami’s online learning platform. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a variety of interactive learning activities, including video lectures, group projects, live sessions with our instructor and several different learning formats.
The course has truly found effective ways to keep students engaged in an online environment while accommodating the diverse schedules many of us have. Overall, I have nothing but positive things to say about the program.
What advice do you have for students pursuing an online degree program?
An online degree truly holds the same weight as an in-person degree nowadays, especially for people with busy schedules, like myself and many other students I know. Having the flexibility to take classes from anywhere while balancing all your other responsibilities is a major advantage.
How do you envision merging public health and medicine in your career?
As a physician, you’ll naturally be well-versed in the scientific aspects of medicine. However, many people underestimate the importance of understanding how health impacts populations, communities and entire systems. Earning an M.P.H. degree truly puts your work as a physician into perspective, allowing you to approach medical cases with a broader worldview and a deeper appreciation for the larger context of health care.
Tags: Department of Medical Education, M.P.H., medical education, online M.P.H.