Curriculum

Current Epidemiology Student Handbook

Core Competencies

The following table presents our core competencies for Health Services Research Predoctoral Training. The program curriculum ensures that our students are well trained in each of these competencies.

1. Understand the healthcare system and current areas of health care and health policy research
2. Identify important and innovative HSR questions
3. Understand key theories underlying current healthcare phenomena
4. Use or create policy-relevant, theory-based conceptual models to explain real world healthcare issues and formulate testable hypotheses
5. Identify, develop, and implement the proper study designs, data collection and acquisition approaches, and analytic methods required for hypothesis testing
6. Integrate research findings into the current body of knowledge
7. Professional communication
8. Effectively work in multi-disciplinary teams
9. Responsible conduct of research

Suggested Schedule of Courses

First Year Students

2 Weeks Prior to Year 1, Fall

2-week Mathematics and Statistics Review Course (Math Camp)

Year 1, Fall

• PM 421 - Intro to US Health Care System (3.0 credits)
• PM 445 - Introduction to Health Services Research and Policy (3.0 credits)
• PM 463 - Introduction to Mathematical Statistics, Part I (3.0 credits)  
• PM 430 - Psychology in Health Services Research (3.0 credits, odd years) or
• PM 412 - Survey Research (3.0 credits)
• IND 501 - Ethics and Professional Integrity in Research (1.0 credit)
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)

Year 1, Spring

• PM 464 - Statistics II:  Introduction to Regression Analysis (3.0 credits)
• PM 472 - Measurement and Evaluation of Research Instruments (3.0 credits)
• PM 484 - Cost Effectiveness Research (3.0 credits, even years) or Faculty-led Independent Study (3.0 credits)
• PM 487 - Fundamentals of Science, Technology& Health Policy (3.0 credits)
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)

Second Year Students

Year 2, Fall

• PM 410 - Intro to Data Management/Analysis with SAS (3.0 credits)
  • or PM 415 - Principles of Epidemiology (3.0 credits)
  • or Faculty-led independent study
• PM 430 - Psychology in Health Services Research (3.0 credits, odd years) or PM 412 - Survey Research (3.0 credits, even years)
• PM 431 - Advanced Methods in Health Services Research (3.0 credits)
• PM 456 - Health Economics I (3.0 credits)
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)

Year 2, Spring

• PM 416 - Epidemiologic Methods (3.0 credits)
  • or PM 426 - Social and Behavioral Medicine (3.0 credits)
  • or PM 438 - Grantsmanship (3.0 credits, on-line only)
• PM 422 - Quality of Care and Risk Adjustment (3.0 credits)
• PM 465 - Advanced Multivariate Analysis (3.0 credits, odd years) or
• PM 484 - Cost Effectiveness Research (3.0 credits, even years)
• PM 483 - Advanced Health Economics II (3.0 credits)
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)

Third Year Students

Year 3, Fall

• Elective
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)

Year 3, Spring

• PM 465 - Advanced Multivariate Analysis (3.0 credits, odd years)
  • or Elective
• PM 428 - Health Services Research Seminar (0.0 credit)