MHS Advanced Health Sciences Curriculum Overview

The Advanced Health Sciences Research (AHSR) curriculum represents an exceptional opportunity for MHS candidates who are interested in outcomes and effectiveness research – with an emphasis on identifying clinical and policy-relevant questions and answering them in a rigorous manner.

The AHSR-MHS Program aims to train and prepare the next generation of leaders in translational research that focuses on clinical outcomes, effectiveness, quality, and health for all. Trainees will learn key methodologic skills that will enable them to not only conduct clinically and policy-relevant research but will use the resulting evidence to drive meaningful changes to improve health and healthcare for patients. The over-arching goal of the program is to prepare a cadre of clinician researchers who will use their skills to forge meaningful partnerships, identify critical research questions, and generate reliable and actionable evidence.

The AHSR curriculum is delivered in conjunction with a separate fellowship program, the National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP). The AHSR fellows participate in many of the same courses as the NCSP Scholars, contributing to a vibrant, engaged learning community.

The AHSR curriculum is thoughtfully designed to set trainees up for success, providing the skills and tools needed to begin applying research methods to their own work right away. Classes are placed to fit alongside other responsibilities, typically about three half days in person each week during the summer and fall, and two half days in person each week in the spring. For example, the biostatistics course begins with a short summer session and then continues in manageable segments throughout the year.

The curriculum consists of five main classes (see detailed descriptions below), four of which primarily occur in Year One, Biostats, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods, Health Policy and the Healthcare Ecosystem (HPHE), and Foundations of Community Engaged Research, and a Mentored Thesis Research Project that spans both Years One and Two; Research-in-Progress sessions are included within the Mentored Thesis Research Project.

This comprehensive course in Biostatistics is designed to cultivate expertise in both theoretical concepts and practical applications. Throughout the program, participants will develop the skills needed to employ statistical analyses for diverse data sets and research studies. Extensive lab training provides participants with “hands-on” experience using Stata. These include descriptive and simple statistics, multivariate analyses encompassing linear and logistic regression, survival analyses, and specialized topics such as hierarchical analyses, Poisson regression, general linear models, repeated measures, longitudinal analysis, weighting, and meta-analysis. By the course's conclusion, participants will be adept at not only conducting bivariate and multivariable statistical analyses but also critiquing and interpreting statistical methods frequently used in medical literature.

This research methodologies course incorporates quantitative and qualitative approaches. Participants learn to design diverse clinical and health services research studies, covering study design, sampling, data collection, and analysis. Summer sessions focus on quantitative methods, fall for qualitative, and advanced topics in spring.

The summer course is an intensive program that provides a comprehensive overview of concepts and methods in clinical epidemiology. Topics include measurements of disease frequency and association, study design (including randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, and ecologic studies), screening principles, reliability and validity, bias, confounding, and effect modification.

The fall Fundamentals of Qualitative Research series provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and practical concepts and methods for conducting qualitative research in public health, nursing, and medicine. Conducted over nine sessions in the fall, the course aspires to introduce scholars to various epistemological, philosophical, and ethical considerations that are involved with qualitative research methods. Additionally, scholars gain practical knowledge of strategies and techniques that are needed to conduct qualitative research. Topics include qualitative designs, mixed methods, theories and frameworks, sampling, rigor, data coding and analysis, data saturation, ethical considerations, writing for publication, and writing for grants and other products.

The Advanced Quantitative Methods, held in late fall to spring, content covers diverse methods used in health outcomes research. The course is taught by faculty with exceptional expertise in quantitative methods and who have used these methods for practice-changing research. Sessions cover common methodologies including longitudinal observational studies, survey methods, intervention studies, dissemination and implementation, meta-analysis, and causal inference. The course also touches on concepts relevant across methodological approaches including responsible conduct of research, diversity and inclusion in research.

This half-year course introduces scholars to the core theories, frameworks, and practical skills necessary to conduct community-engaged and patient-centered research. Through multidisciplinary content, case exercises, and community-based experiences, participants learn to engage a broad range of stakeholders, assess community health assets, and incorporate community perspectives into research design, implementation, and evaluation. The course covers principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) alongside other engagement frameworks, emphasizing real-world application through interactive class sessions, walking tours, and community meetings. Scholars develop skills in project design, program management, evaluation planning, and identifying strategies to address health inequities. By the end of the course, participants are prepared to apply community engagement principles to their own research, understand ethical considerations, and contribute to health improvement efforts informed by social and structural determinants of health.

This summer course is designed to cultivate a working knowledge of both theoretical concepts and practical applications to equip students with policy knowledge and understanding to ensure that their research efforts are targeted to have the greatest potential relevance and impact for patients and on health systems. The curriculum provides exposure to the fundamental principles and practices in health care policy, financing, and delivery, as well as health care management. Specifically, the HPHE course covers: a) the fundamentals of US health care financing and payment, including both public and private sectors; b) the organization of the US public and healthcare systems, including the professions, delivery systems, regulators, insurance sector, and technology industries; and c) topics in policy development, analysis and evaluation, with a focus on the clinician-researcher’s role, at the federal, state and local levels. The HPHE course content is taught in a seminar format using lectures, case studies, and interactive discussions, all supplemented with relevant readings (both textbook and journal articles).

Electives: AHSR Fellows who complete the full list of courses above along with their thesis will have an adequate number of credits to complete the MHS requirements. However, AHSR Fellows are encouraged to consider participating in additional course electives in their second-year training. Courses throughout the University are available either for auditing or course credit, with the approval of the instructor.

To graduate, all participants in the Master in Health Sciences Research program must write a thesis demonstrating mastery of resources and methods and making an original contribution to the field, through new discoveries, methods, theories, or applications. The thesis should be of publishable quality, ideally resulting in a peer-reviewed article, and one research paper may serve as the thesis. Two faculty members – primary research mentor and the Director, Cary Gross and Co-Director, Ilana Richman must approve it as meeting requirements.

Final thesis draft, which has been approved by the full study team and the mentors, should be submitted for approval by April 1^st of anticipated graduating year.

Take a look at what the current AHSR trainees are working on!