Master of Population Health Sciences
The MD/MPHS provides medical students with an opportunity to supplement their clinical training and coursework with a quantitative approach to population health science research. Students develop core skills in epidemiology and biostatistics, and these can be applied to research in any clinical field, from primary to specialty care. The program is intended for medical students who plan to incorporate clinical or population health research into their clinical careers, including clinical effectiveness and outcomes research. The program is not restricted to Washington University medical students; students from other medical schools are encouraged to apply. The program combines the traditional medical school curriculum with one additional year of full-time study for the MPHS degree. This added year is typically taken after the second or third year of medical school.
Requirements
Program Format
The MPHS program is offered in a full-time, 10-month format. A minimum of 12 credit units is required for full-time student status, and the maximum course load is 18 credit units per semester. Part-time study options are available.
Core MPHS Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHS 5000 | Current Topics in Public Health for Clinicians | 1 |
| PHS 5010 | Introductory Clinical Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHS 5011 | Intermediate Clinical Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHS 5012 | Ethics in Population and Clinical Health Research | 1 |
| PHS 5040 | Introductory Biostatistics for Clinical Research | 3 |
| PHS 5041 | Intermediate Biostatistics for Clinical Research | 3 |
| PHS 5070 | Introduction to R for Clinical Research | 1 |
Elective Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHS 5020 | Applied Research Independent Study | 2 |
| PHS 5080 | Using Administrative Data for Health Services Research | 3 |
| PHS 5100 | Development, Validation and Application of Risk Prediction Models | 3 |
| PHS 5120 | Applied Qualitative Methods for Health Research | 3 |
| PHS 5130 | Decision Analysis for Clinical Investigation and Economics Evaluation | 3 |
| PHS 5140 | Randomized Controlled Trials | 3 |
| PHS 5150 | Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis | 3 |
| PHS 5160 | Dissemination and Implementation Science | 3 |
| PHS 5170 | Principles of Shared Decision Making and Health Literacy in the Clinical Setting | 3 |
| PHS 5210 | Communicating Research Findings to the Media and Lay Audiences | 1 |
| PHS 5212 | Introduction to Health Disparities and the Structural and Social Determinants of Health | 2 |
| PHS 5215 | Introduction to Propensity Score Methods | 1 |
| PHS 5230 | Multilevel and Longitudinal Data Analysis for Clinical and Public Health Research | 3 |