Biotechnology master's degrees from Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University offers biotechnology master's degrees tailored to the needs of working adults, whether you choose to take classes onsite in the evening or on Saturday, or pursue your degree fully online.

Starting the Spring 2012, you can apply for our newly created Master's in Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship degree designed to meet the growing need in the industry of combining the best of science and enterprise.

Master's in Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship from Johns Hopkins University

Interested in the Johns Hopkins University Masters in Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Program? Attend an Online Information Session on Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 7:00 - 8:30pm EDT.

Event: Masters in Biotechnology Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Online Information Session
Date: 10/12/2011 (Wednesday)
Time: 7:00 PM

This new master's program is intended for biotechnology professionals who seek a career beyond the laboratory either within an existing biotechnology group or organization or for those who seek to start a new biotechnology enterprise. The curriculum is designed to prepare the next generation of interdisciplinary professionals to address the enterprise and regulatory challenges organizations face in the biotechnology industry.

Get A Degree in Quality: ACPE Offering New Advanced Degree with Thomas Jefferson University

The American College of Physician Executives and Thomas Jefferson University School of Population Health in Philadelphia are teaming up to offer an important new advanced degree aimed at physicians who want to improve the quality of health care. For the Master's of Science in Health Care Quality and Safety Management (MS-HQSM), students will take 125 hours of ACPE prerequisite courses — the same courses required with our other university partners offering master's degrees in medical management and an MBA. Students will then complete their studies through Thomas Jefferson's nine online courses.

On Friday, June 3, David B. Nash, MD, MBA, FACPE, dean of Jefferson's School of Population Health and a longtime ACPE instructor, is hosting an Online “Open House” Webinar (noon –– 1 p.m. eastern) to discuss the new degree. The webinar will provide information on everything from curriculum and capstone requirements to admissions and application information. Information about the webinar and how to register for it can be found below.

JSPH Online Open House - HQS, HQSM, HP
Friday, June 3, 2011 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT

MS in Healthcare Quality and Safety Management

The Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Safety Management (MS-HQSM) is a specialized degree program offered by the Jefferson School of Population Health (JSPH) in cooperation with the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE). The MS-HQSM degree program is designed specifically for physician executives and addresses the national need for executive leadership in healthcare quality and patient safety.

The aim of the MS-HQSM program is to prepare physicians to be effective managers and leaders in safety and equip them with tools, methods, knowledge, and strategies for improving healthcare quality and patient safety.

The MS-HQSM prepares physician leaders to:

* Identify, interpret and implement policies, care guidelines, and regulations relevant to HQS
* Apply quantitative and qualitative analytic skills to design, conduct and evaluate HQS measurement, improvement, and research activities
* Produce research evidence to support policy development and change
* Evaluate strategies for selection and integration of information systems and technology to support decision-making and work flow within and across healthcare settings
* Apply management and leadership skills to develop policy approaches related to measurement and improvement of HQS

Master of Science, Clinical Practice Management

Considering a graduate degree? Here's some information about the Master of Science, Clinical Practice Management, at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. (I'll be speaking at Texas Tech next month at the Annual MD/MBA Conference).

The Master of Science, Clinical Practice Management is an online graduate degree program for healthcare professionals. Here's some information from their website:

• Our Vision is to be the graduate degree of choice for working healthcare professionals.
• Our Mission is to provide practicing patient care providers and administrators with relevant, creditable and practical skills that will allow our graduates to excel as leaders, supervisors and managers in their organizational environment.
• Our Objective is to help our students advance professionally, become more successful in their current job, and obtain positions of greater responsibility in the healthcare setting.
• Our Goal is to be both professors and mentors in the degree experience and professional development process.

As a degree seeking student, you may be overwhelmed with the myriad of healthcare degrees available for you to pursue. If you work in the healthcare field, you may be considering a traditional MBA, MHA, or an alternative MS healthcare degree. Our 36 credit degree program is unique in the healthcare field as our program has specific emphasis on practice management, coding & billing, compliance, ambulatory care, business case analysis, data base management, and small practice strategy that will assist the patient care provider or administrator in becoming successful in the challenging world of healthcare in the ambulatory setting.

Master of Health Care Delivery Science

There's an interesting story about a new graduate degree program at Dartmouth. It's called the Master of Health Care Delivery Science.

The problems of health care throughout the world are not primarily ones of medical knowledge or even political will but of effective management and execution. The Master of Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) program seeks to deliver this specialized knowledge to a diverse, global group of participants—the managers and professionals who are poised to be the health care leaders of tomorrow.

Here's a snippet from a Boston.com article about this program:

The program — launched by the college’s new president, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a longtime activist for better, less expensive medical care worldwide — is a response to the health care crisis. By training doctors and hospital administrators to think more strategically about the success rate of a particular type of surgery, for example, or ways to reduce waiting times in emergency rooms, medical care will get safer and more affordable, school officials say.

You can learn more here.

MS in Health Informatics

How can an MS in Health Informatics help you transition into a career in health information technology? The University of Illinois at Chicago offers an online MS in Health Informatics. Here is a student testimonial:

Name: Pamela Bullington
Year Graduated from Master in Health Informatics program: 2006
Current Employer: Walgreens
Current Position/Title: Clinical Pharmacist in Pharmaceutical Care Development and Medication Adherence

What has the Master in Health Informatics degree done for your career?

The Master in Health Informatics gave me the skills and the confidence to jump-start my career and change jobs to a new energetic environment. I now help develop computer-based patient counseling programs for retail pharmacists – AND with a $35,000 pay increase!

If someone asked you about Master in Health Informatics program, what would tell them?

This is a well-rounded program that makes you think, helps you learn to interact with people from other areas in the healthcare field and technology, and gives a great sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the program. It is tough – but well worth it! Directly or indirectly I have used something from every class I took in the program.

What are your career plans?

I am wildly happy with my job at Walgreens. I am in a new department that works with our retail stores and pharmaceutical companies to develop new programs for improving medication adherence. I plan to grow along with the department as we think of new ways to incorporate technology to improve patient health. Who knows what is next? The possibilities are truly endless!

What did you enjoy most about the UIC Masters in Health Informatics degree?

The professors are the best I have ever had – caring, extremely knowledgeable, and accessible. They are true mentors and encouraged me to do the best I possibly could. I never would have finished my research project and had it published had it not been for their constant support and input. All in a very friendly, comfortable atmosphere – both on campus and on-line.

To learn more about this MS in Health Informatics program, click here.

Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM)

What will you gain if you get a Master of Science in Healthcare Management (MSHM)? Let's take an example of one school: Champlain College (I'm picking on them because I recently received an e-mail from them). Their curriculum focuses on "healthcare specific" courses — allowing you to stay current with today's relevant healthcare issues. After successfully completing the MSHM, you will be able to:

• Analyze and evaluate the U.S. healthcare system
• Enhance management-level knowledge and understanding of business disciplines as they relate to healthcare
• Understand the legal, regulatory, and ethical considerations of managing healthcare information technology
• Focus on the critical areas of managing from the strategic, tactical, and operational perspectives
• Identifying barriers to continuous improvement processes

MSHM graduates can attain a variety of healthcare leadership positions. Some examples of jobs include:

* Director of Healthcare Marketing
* Hospital Administrator
* Health Analytics Director
* Healthcare Finance Manager
* Health Services Manager
* Health Services Project Administrator
* Managed Care Manager

What do you think? Is it time to go back to school? I'm planning on going to business school so that I can learn how to be more effective in the world of business.

Master of Science in Applied Clinical Research

Are you thinking about going back to school? Do you need to? Probably not. However, we physicians can't seem to stay away from continuing education. St. Cloud State University offers a Master of Science in Applied Clinical Research program.  Here's a snippet from the St. Cloud State University website about Clinical Research:

Clinical Research like Regulatory Affairs is one of the most in-demand professions in the entire medical device industry. Successful and well managed clinical trials are keys to success for most medical device companies and are critical to making safe and effective medical products available to patients worldwide.

St. Cloud State University's Master of Science in Applied Clinical Research (MS-ACR) is unique compared to other Clinical Research programs because it is focused on the application of clinical research for the medical technology industry, thus the term “Applied” in the title.

St. Cloud State University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. To learn more about the Master of Science in Applied Clinical Research, visit the St. Cloud State University website.

Speaking of graduate programs that focus on clinical research, Drexel University College of Medicine offers a Master of Science in Clinical Research Organization and Management. If you're a health professional, then you may be interested in the Master of Science in Clinical Research for Health Professionals (CRHP). Don't feel like going through all those courses to get a master's degree? How about the  Certificate of Study in Clinical Research? That's a quicker option for those of you who're interested in a clinical research career.

Master of Science in Health Informatics

I admit that it starts to get a bit confusing when you compare degrees:

• Master of Science in Health Informatics
• Master of Science in Medical Informatics
• Master of Science in Biomedical Informatics
• Master of Science in Bioinformatics

Let's talk about the Master of Science in Health Informatics today.  If you type "Master of Science in Health Informatics" into Google, several programs pop up, including:

• University of Illinois at Chicago
  
• Northeastern University
• The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
• Saint Louis University
• Northern Kentucky University
• UC Davis
• University of Central Florida
  

Only a few programs are currently approved by Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). Many of these programs are offered online so that you can obtain your Master of Science in Health Informatics and continue working your day job.

MBA vs. MS in biomedical informatics?

If you could get a graduate degree, would you choose an MBA or an MS in biomedical, medical, or health informatics? The topic of the month here at NonClinicalJobs.com is Health Information Technology this month (January), so that's why I'm comparing these 2 graduate degrees in the context of a career in health IT.

Before we answer this question, let's consider a few other questions that will impact our answer:

• How do you plan to leverage your graduate degree? If you get an MBA or an MS in biomedical or medical informatics, how will you use that degree?
• What level of experience do you have in the health information technology industry?  
• Have you mapped out a long-term career plan for yourself? Do you hope to become a CMIO? A medical director of informatics? A CEO of a company?
  
• How strong is your professional social network? Are you already well-connected with high-level executives who work in health IT?  
• Are you currently working in health IT?
  

If you're fully committed to a long-term career in health IT, then an MS in biomedical informatics will provide you with valuable skills that will help you grow professionally in this industry. However, an MS in medical informatics does not guarantee that you'll find a job. If you're exploring various aspects of a non-clinical career in health IT, then an MBA could be much more beneficial if you're considering careers as an entrepreneur or a marketer. Even if you choose to consult in the health IT industry, an MBA could be more beneficial than an MS in biomedical informatics. 

At the end of the day, you may find yourself pursuing both an MBA and an MS in biomedical informatics. We're lifelong learners, aren't we? If we could learn for free, then many of us would take that course. The unfortunate reality is that graduate degrees can be expensive (especially executive MBAs that can easily cost well over $150,000). Degrees in biomedical informatics are much more affordable.

If you're willing to learn online, then an online degree in either medical or biomedical informatics could be a great learning experience. If you'd like to build your professional social network and explore options outside of becoming a CMIO, then make the investment and pursue an executive MBA.

CAHIIM (health informatics and information management)

Are you familiar with the acronym CAHIIM?

The Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) recognizes degree-granting programs in Health Informatics and Information Management that have undergone a rigorous process of voluntary peer review and have met or exceeded the minimum Accreditation Standards as set by the CAHIIM. These programs are awarded accreditation status by the CAHIIM, which provides public recognition of such achievement.

CAHIIM Mission

CAHIIM advances the value of health informatics and information management through quality education by:

* Establishing and enforcing accreditation Standards
* Recognizing programs that meet the Standards
* Assessing student achievement
* Respecting educational innovation and diversity
* Recognizing academic institutions' autonomy
* Emphasizing the principle of volunteerism and peer review
* Embracing a culture of continuous quality improvement

Considering a graduate degree in health information management or health informatics? (not to be confused with medical informatics or biomedical informatics)

Definition: Health Information Management (HIM) at the master's degree level leads to executive level health information management, enterprise wide HIM leadership, administration, education or research. HIM is focused on the strategic and operational relevance and robustness of clinical information resources, workflow, and connectivity within the healthcare industry and public heath sectors.

Click here to see which academic programs are accredited by the CAHIIM.

Or, you can view this list (current as of 1/15/2010) of graduate programs that are accredited by the CAHIIM:

• Claremont Graduate University
• College of St. Scholastica
• Oregon Health & Science University
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Master of Science in Medical Informatics

Where can you go to get a Master of Science in Medical Informatics? Let's see what happens if you search on Google. Here are the first three that pop up:

• Master of Science in Medical Informatics Program at the School of Continuing Studies of Northwestern University
• The Medical College of Wisconsin/MSOE Master of Science in Medical Informatics (MSMI)
• Master of Science in Medical Informatics at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in collaboration with the NSU Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS)

Whether you call it medical informatics, clinical informatics, or biomedical informatics, you're likely to get similar education and training.

If I had to go back to school to get a degree in informatics, my first choice would be to go back to Boston and study at MIT:

• The Biomedical Informatics (BMI) Master's Program through the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST)

This degree comes from MIT, but you'll be training and learning from the researchers at Harvard, so what better combination could you ask for? I miss my earlier days in Boston and I would love to go back and immerse myself in the MIT/Harvard environment again.

Master's programs in medical writing

If you're really serious about getting a career in medical writing, you may be exploring some master's programs in medical writing. Are they worth the investment? This has been debated at length, and it's probably a bigger question right now because of the current state of the economy. If you're not guaranteed a job when you graduate, is such an investment a wise decision? I personally think it really depends on your current level of skill, experience, background, etc. I also think it depends on the type of medical writing you'd like to pursue.

The medical writing industry has become very specialized in certain fields. For instance, a writer who has worked in the regulatory environment for many years may realize that the world of medical education is entirely different. Writers who have focused on medical journalism may have difficulty transitioning into a world where you're expected to write regulatory protocols and drug safety reports. One significant benefit of a master's program is that you'll get exposed to various elements of the medical writing industry. This way, you can choose the area (or areas) you'd like to focus on.

The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) has a Biomedical Writing program that offers several options: a Master of Science in Biomedical Writing (36 credits) and Certificates in Medical Writing (12 credits each). Courses are online so you can maintain a tremendous amount of flexibility.

There are other university programs in medical writing offered by Boston University, Tufts, Johns Hopkins, Emerson, and several others. To see a nice list of programs, take a look at this AMWA page here.