- Characteristics, organization, and functioning 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 of public and population health
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How to assess and impact public and population health at the local, state, and national levels
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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 both 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 applying to participate in AmeriCorps’ Hoosier Public Health Corps should probably NOT apply for the Scholarly Concentration in Public Health. Many students who have done both have struggled to find sufficient time and mentoring to complete their Scholarly Concentration project while also fulfilling their AmeriCorps responsibilities.
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 is entirely 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 on the fundamentals of research and scholarship 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.