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The University of Rochester’s Department of Public Health Sciences (UR PHS) is where world-leading research leads to quality education. The university is dedicated to improving health and healthcare worldwide, and they do this through their research, teaching, and community partnerships.
Achieving national and international recognition for its research is nothing new; the multidisciplinary faculty has a range of expertise and accolades. The School of Medicine and Dentistry is ranked #32 in Research by the US News & World Report 2024, with its faculty seeing 65% of their publications cited in the top 25% of journals. Discovering the sex differences in the link between e-cigarette use and hypertension, revealing structural racism and inequity of access to high-quality cancer care for Medicaid patients in the US, showing the impact of colonialism as a socio-structural determinant of health in Puerto Rico – impactful research is at the heart of UR PHS.
Source: University of Rochester
Just as impactful are its master’s programmes, which include the Master’s in Public Health, Master of Science in Clinical Investigation, Master of Science in Epidemiology and Master of Science in Health Services Research and Policy. Each offers intensive, advanced training through theory and practice-based learning.
“One of the best things about the MPH programme here is that it introduces students to a broad and comprehensive view of public health,” says Julia Weston. “Students are rigorously trained in the basic public health sciences of biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioural health, and environmental health. It also delves into specific aspects of public health practice; there are a lot of electives to choose from.”
Weston had chosen the MPH for its location and reputation. It’s a decision she’s glad she made. “The MPH programme at URMC is Council on Education of Public Health-accredited, highly respected, and is as flexible as it is academically rigorous,” she says. “The faculty takes a holistic view of potential students; we are more than just standardised test scores and GPAs. The faculty also encourage a more collaborative method of learning, as opposed to a strictly competitive one. I love it here!”
Aside from providing subject-specific knowledge, each programme ensures that students have the opportunity to accumulate real-world skills and build their network.
Micah Segelman was a PhD student, but the quality of education he speaks of applies to all levels. “The UR programme offered many great opportunities, including meeting wonderful fellow students who can become long-term colleagues and working with a great faculty,” says Segelman. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet people outside of the university through conferences, lectures from visiting professors, and other guest lecturers.”
Such collaboration called out to another student Adam Simning, from our MD/PhD program. “Working with people from other departments is easy and encouraged,” he says. “Many UR trainees remain at UR as faculty, so there is a real commitment to helping UR’s trainees succeed and develop their interests. Many UR faculty recognise that their students may one day become their colleagues.”
Simning himself became an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry at UR, playing the same role his professors did by guiding the next generation of public health sciences professionals to their own success. He joins the likes of Paula A. Alio, who examines HIV and religion‐based stigmas among high-risk populations in Niger and Senegal, and Yue Li, who focuses on Medicare and state Medicaid policies, and their impacts on the quality, outcomes, and access to care for older adults.
When they’re not contributing new knowledge to their respective fields, these faculty members are busy working with their students. Both Alio and Li describe this as the best part of their jobs. “The UR provides a great environment for collaborative research across disciplines and expertise,” says Alio. “I enjoy working with a high calibre of undergraduate and graduate students at the UR.”
Source: University of Rochester
The diversity of UR PHS’s student body creates a stimulating learning environment – it aims to cater to individuals who are just entering the field, making a career pivot, seeking to gain expertise that complements their medical or specialty training, and those pursuing advanced training. This heterogeneity allows students to encounter and seize professional opportunities in medicine, research, academia, industry, government, and not-for-profits.
Wherever they go, they arrive ready. UR is home to over 95 programmes accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. This broad range of surgical, medical and hospital disciplines is delivered through Rochester’s only level one tertiary trauma centre, allowing students the opportunity to get hands-on experience with their work. The university is also home to more than 3,000 researchers and over 500 labs dedicated to scientific research, providing students plenty of opportunities to see theories come to life in laboratories, fieldwork, and beyond.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of this community – apply for your master’s degree at the University of Rochester by May 1, 2024.
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