- An understanding of the U.S. health system
- Trends impacting public health
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Causes of death and disability
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Historical contributions of public health to life expectancy and quality of life
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Key terms and concepts
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Assessing and impacting public and population health at the local, state, and national levels
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Health system organization
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Local and global factors that determine health at a population level
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Evidence-based interventions and evaluations
Students are encouraged to apply to the Public Health Scholarly Concentration and the IMPRS Summer Research Program, but ONLY if they have the same mentor (or mentoring team) and project. There is insufficient time in the summer between the first and second years of medical school to do two independent projects. IMPRS links students with mentors and projects. Students who don't apply to or are NOT accepted into IMPRS can work with the Public Health Scholarly Concentration co-directors to identify a mentor and project idea, if needed.
Students who participate in the scholarly concentration may later choose to enroll in the IU School of Medicine's MD-MPH combined degree program with the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health or obtain a certificate in public health from Fairbanks. The two public health courses taken in the scholarly concentration will count towards the required coursework for the MPH or certificate, and the scholarly concentration project can be expanded to a master's thesis. Further information can be obtained from Bill Tierney, MD, director of the MD-MPH combined degree program.
Location
All concentration coursework can be completed online. The scholarly project work usually occurs in the student's IUSM campus city and/or region or a mutually agreed upon site.
Curriculum and Timeline
Students completing the Public Health Scholarly Concentration fulfill the same core curriculum as students in other concentrations. The didactic components provide a strong academic and experiential foundation in public health that will be vital for completion of the core curriculum project and product.