From someone in the 'public health mindset': this phrase just means that you may approach problems differently based on your training... just as someone with a 'business mindset' may look at things from a financial/economic standpoint versus a socio-behavioral or clinical one. It is the ability to integrate these 'mindsets', per se, in order to maximize your problem solving skills, that can be important in your learning and development as a physician. However, this 'mindset' will take you but so far, as much of the public health you'll get will be drowned out by your basic science training - which is okay. The only way you'll see much public health outside a basic epi/biostats course in med school is if you're involved in some community or public health project or research. Obtaining the MPH during school may afford you the time explore different areas of public health so that you are able to address certain issues from a different orientation (e.g., talking to a diabetic patient about improving their lifestyle to support the ongoing prevention of cardiovascular disease), but for the most part, you need to have your science down. So get into school, be both scientifically and clincally oriented, and later on down the line when you've mastered those aspects of medicine - incorporate the public health that you've learned from your degree.
