Students fulfill requirements for the Master of Science in Population Medicine (ScM) through a nine-course sequence -- taken in addition to medical school coursework -- and a thesis.
Primary Care Population Medicine
ScM Curriculum
Specialty coursework for this degree examines the intersection of population and clinical medicine and imparts an in-depth understanding of the U.S. healthcare system.
ScM Curriculum
Specialty coursework for this degree examines the intersection of population and clinical medicine and imparts an in-depth understanding of the U.S. healthcare system.
Courses
Health Systems Science I and II
These courses introduce students to healthcare systems in the United States and beyond. Both courses, integrated with the Doctoring and Integrated Medical Science courses during Years 1 and 2, focus specifically on topics such as healthcare financing, health disparities, social determinants of health, patient safety, quality improvement, and medical-legal partnerships.
Research Methods in Population Medicine
This course, offered during Year 1, prepares students to develop and demonstrate the necessary research skills to formulate a population medicine research question and then design and conduct an investigational study culminating in a manuscript to satisfy the thesis requirements of the ScM degree.
Independent Study - Population Medicine Thesis Research
This course, offered in the summer between Years 1 and 2, gives students the opportunity to begin their thesis research after they have worked with program leadership to choose a thesis topic.
Quantitative Methods
This course, offered in the summer between Years 1 and 2, focuses on biostatics and epidemiology. Taught online format and complemented by instructor office hours, the course focuses on the principles of epidemiology, study design, hypothesis testing, parametric and non-parametric tests, and the integration of these concepts into clinical care.
Leadership in Health Care
Leadership in Healthcare is uniquely designed to produce physician-leaders in clinical care, research, health policy, or health professions education. The course of study emphasizes the practical application of leadership skills through interactive classroom sessions. Students will explore fundamental leadership concepts and interact with a variety of Rhode Island’s healthcare leaders.
Health Systems Science III - Population and Clinical Medicine I and II
These courses, woven into the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC), focus on the intersection of population medicine and clinical care of individuals and populations. Topics include dental care in underserved populations, medical care of incarcerated persons, poly- pharmacy in elderly individuals, quality improvement, patient safety, and the patient-centered medical home.
Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC)
Health Systems Science IV
HSS IV is designed to be a capstone, building on the first three years to further explore and enrich the themes of the Primary Care-Population Medicine Program (PCPM) and prepare you for the next stages in your professional careers, while engaging you as active participants and teachers. Course threads include Health Systems Science Advanced Content, Skill Building, Preparation for Next Career Stages, and master's Thesis workshopping and presentation. This course will emphasize active learning, as well as engage students in topic selection, curriculum design, and teaching.
Thesis
In addition to this coursework, students are required to perform scholarly work and write a thesis. Students choose a mentor and begin their research project in the summer between Years 1 and 2. Projects are diverse and students are encouraged to choose topics they are passionate about.