Miami Law to Offer New Dual Medical-Legal Degree Program

In a recent article, The Miami Herald takes a closer look into the University of Miami's new dual medical-legal degree program, set to launch this fall. This program is an expansion of Miami's Health and Elder Law Medical Legal Partnership, designed to cross-train medical and law students in each other's disciplines. Under the new dual degree program, Miami's Miller School of Medicine and School of Law will offer a joint M.D. and J.D. degree program that students can complete in six years. The program lessens the time and tuition required if each degree was pursued separately and is intended to "prepare students for careers in health sector law, leadership and policy, or to give tools to physicians who might wish to run a private medical or group practice." The Miami Herald suggests that such dual degree programs may provide the training necessary so the next generation of medical and law students will have the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of contemporary healthcare, in which medical and legal issues frequently intersect.

The Health and Elder Law Medical Legal Partnership is highlighted on the Educating Tomorrow's Lawyers website. Click here to view the course portfolio and teaching materials, including a full description, the clinic's methods and outcomes, future plans, video interviews, and footage of these unique classroom experiences.

Cindy Pham is a third year law student at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and contributes to IAALS Online. Please direct inquiries about this post to iaals@du.edu.