Master of Health Sciences Informatics - Research

Health sciences informatics research involves innovations in the understanding of the information needs of, the designs and technology for, the deployment of, and the evaluation of information management in the health sciences: basic science, clinical science, nursing, public health, and librarianship. The approach at Johns Hopkins is interdisciplinary. Although housed in the School of Medicine, the training program partners with all schools in the health sciences and throughout Hopkins.

The program invites applicants from a range of disciplines including public health, clinical care, the nursing sciences and biology, as well as from cognate fields such as computer, library and information sciences. Our applicant pool typically includes a number of physicians and candidates holding a PhD or master's degree who wish to develop expertise in the field of Health Sciences Informatics, in general, and public health informatics in particular.

The two year Program begins in late August, 2010, and has the following goals for its students:

Candidates whose research interests focus on the public health disciplines (epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, health services management, environmental health, and social/behavioral health, among others) may be eligible for funding as a pre or post doctoral fellow through the National Library of Medicine's training program. NLM fellows must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as stipulated by our source of funding, and may hold any of the following: MD, PhD, MPH, MLS or other appropriate doctorate, master's or bachelor's degree. Students who are US citizens or have permanent resident status who have been accepted to or are enrolled in an appropriate doctoral program may be considered for the pre-doctoral fellowship.

Please visit the School of Medicine website for the most current information about tuition and fees, and financial aid.

A Note to Foreign Applicants

DHSI is interested in attracting talented students from other countries to our program. However, there are some practical issues that you should be aware of before applying. DHSI does not currently have the ability to offer any support to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Final admission to the program requires documentation that the appropriate financial resources are available. Please refer to the School of Medicine website for details of these requirements.

We highly recommend that foreign applicants seek other possible means of supporting the cost of graduate study. Support could come from: (a) a scholarship from your government or (b) from a "special" foundation award. In your application, please discuss the possibility of obtaining support from one of these sources. We highly recommend that you review the NAFSA: Association of International Educators website at http://www.nafsa.org. NAFSA does not offer financial assistance, but will offer some suggestions to help your search for financial aid for study in the United States.

Applications to the program are made online through the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine website, https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=jhu-med.

For more information about our curriculum and activities please visit the Division website, http://dhsi.med.jhmi.edu, or contact the Program Coordinator, kwinny@jhmi.edu.

The Curriculum

Didactics include a Core Curriculum in Health Sciences Informatics (Applications; Design and Evaluation; Data, Information, and Knowledge; Security, Privacy and Confidentiality and Decision Support), a Core Curriculum in Public Health Informatics (Informatics in Public Health, and The Role of Public Health in the National Health Information Network), as well as electives and two weekly seminars. The coursework and seminars provide a knowledge base that may be applied across the range of health sciences informatics applications.

Practica provide students with the opportunity to see informatics and information technology in action as well as to inform their own research projects. The program requires a minimum of two quarters of practica in operational information technology environments. These rotations may take place within the university or with outside partners in the fields of business and government, or with non-profit organizations.

Independent Research comprises 50 percent of student effort in the program and should result in a contribution to the peer-reviewed academic informatics literature.

Research results are also presented at national meetings of the Informatics community, including the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

There are no clinical responsibilities associated with this program.

Application Requirements

Applicants with the following qualifications will be considered:

Relevant areas of experience include public health, medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, nursing, ancillary therapies, librarianship, biomedical science and computer and information science.

The Application Process

Applications for the class entering in the fall of 2010 will be accepted from August 15, 2009 through February 1, 2010 and are made online through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine at https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=jhu-med. Please note that paper applications are no longer accepted. The supporting documents listed below must be received by the SOM admissions office by February 15. Applications will not be reviewed until they are complete and we have all supporting letters and documentation.

A personal statement describing your interest and experience in the field should be sent directly to the Program Coordinator at DHSI, 2024 East Monument Street, Suite 1-212, Baltimore, MD 21205. You may also submit a portfolio of published research, or samples of website or system development to support your application if you wish.

Please track the receipt of materials through the Apply Yourself system. Applications received after the due date will be reviewed on a case by case basis and may not receive the full attention of the admissions committee.

Personal Interview

Short listed candidates will be invited to an onsite interview with the Program Director and other appropriate members of faculty to discuss career goals and assess the applicant's scholastic abilities and personal qualities.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of admissions decisions by April 15, 2010

It is the policy of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to require criminal background investigations on prospective students in any professional or graduate program at the School of Medicine, interns, residents and clinical fellows in any Graduate Medical Education program sponsored by Johns Hopkins, and other clinical and research postdoctoral fellows at the School of Medicine.

The Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Health System do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status in any student program or activity administered by the university or with regard to admissions or employment. Defense Department discrimination in ROTC programs on the basis of sexual orientation conflicts with this university policy. The university is committed to encouraging a change in the Defense Department policy.

 

Master of Health Sciences Informatics - Research

Yr. 1
  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Summer
 


Required

ME 600.707 Introduction

ME 600.703 Evaluation

 ME 600.700
Systems		 ME 600.705 Security ME 600.702 Decision Support HPM 309.86 NHIN
 

Electives
          
 
Health Sciences Informatics Fellows' Seminar
 
Health Sciences Informatics Mentored Research
 


DHSI Grand Rounds

  Health Sciences Informatics Information Technology Practicum (2 Quarters in 2 years)
Yr. 2
  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Summer
 

Required
   ME 600.708
Standards		      
 

Electives
          
 
Health Sciences Informatics Fellows' Seminar
 
Health Sciences Informatics Mentored Research
 


DHSI Grand Rounds

  Health Sciences Informatics Information Technology Practicum (2 Quarters in 2 years)