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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
MD Education Program

Quality and Innovation in Health Care Scholarly Concentration

This program trains future clinicians to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care. Students use real world evidence to identify needs and assess practical solutions to problems in health care. Scholarly Concentration projects may lead to quality improvement initiatives and/or health care innovation.

By participating in interactive, workshop-style courses alongside various health care professionals, students master widely recognized approaches for continuous improvement and design thinking. Through completion of coursework and a quality improvement project, students can earn Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Students gain experience applying quality improvement and innovation frameworks that can be used in any specialty throughout their careers.

Locations

All coursework (except the online Fundamentals of Research and Scholarship course) takes place in Evansville. The scholarly project occurs in Evansville.

Curriculum and Timeline

Students completing the Quality and Innovation in Health Care concentration fulfill the same core curriculum as students in other concentrations. The didactic components provide a strong academic and experiential foundation in health care quality and innovation that is vital for completion of the core curriculum project and product.

Topic-Specific Courses

Introduction to Health Care Innovation and Implementation

Lean Six Sigma for Health Care Professionals

Core Curriculum

Fundamentals of Research and Scholarship

Scholarly Concentration Project

Scholarly Concentration Product

Recommended Pathway

This table shows that the first, second, and third topic specific course should be completed during the summer between first and second year of med school. The two remaining courses, project and product, are longitudinal. The project can begin as soon as the summer between first and second year of med school, while the product should begin during phase one in year two and conclude on or before the end of fourth year.

*Available mid-December to mid-February.

Students determine if a concentration pathway will fit in their schedule by contacting concentration co-directors. Actual pathway may vary.

Scholarly Project Topic Examples

Whether applying innovative technologies or simple changes to an existing health care process, all Scholarly Concentration projects provide an opportunity for students to apply the tools learned through this program, such as design-thinking, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement frameworks. In Summer 2024, student projects will focus on using large electronic health record databases to gain insight into real-world practice and opportunities for quality and innovation in healthcare. 

Past projects include:

Student Testimonials

Co-Directors

42731-Garcia, Kara

Kara Garcia, PhD

Assistant Professor of Radiology & Imaging Sciences

Bio and Contact Information

44106-Chlebowski, Arthur

Arthur L. Chlebowski, PhD, BME

Adjunct Associate Professor of Family Medicine

Bio and Contact Information

map shows quality and innovation concentration location in evansville
MD Student News

Concentration Topic: Quality and Innovation in Health Care

Kara Garcia, PhD, and Steven Becker, MD, share details on the Quality and Innovation in Health Care Scholarly Concentration, which trains future clinicians to improve quality, safety and efficiency in health care systems in any specialty throughout their careers.