Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Integration between Common Majors and Public Health: A Mixed Methods Analysis in Health Professions Education

Abstract

Interdisciplinary learning is essential for equipping future health professionals to navigate the complexities of modern public health. This mixed-methods study assessed the integration of the national public health curriculum with the 17 most common first majors, analysing 801 courses at Singapore's sole school of public health, representing over 99% of students in public health programmes. The study identified shared competencies and the degree of interdisciplinary interaction. Quantitative results indicated a predominantly unidirectional relationship, where most majors engaged with public health at a superficial level rather than in a reciprocal manner. Life Sciences showed the highest level of unidirectional interaction, whereas Pharmacy demonstrated the strongest bidirectional integration. Qualitative findings revealed thematic areas such as research methodologies and health outcomes but often highlighted that public health curricula merely supplemented other disciplines without enriching them. Although competencies such as teamwork and professionalism were common across majors, key public health skills, including advocacy and epidemiology, were significantly lacking. The study underscores considerable gaps in interdisciplinary integration and calls for substantial curricular reforms to embed essential public health competencies and promote skills such as advocacy and cultural competence. Such changes will better prepare students to address complex public health challenges in an evolving landscape.