University of California, Riverside is adding a Master of Public Policy to its graduate offerings to involve more physicians in developing healthcare policy and reform, according to a news report from the school.
The two-year program will only be available to students in the UCR School of Medicine, who will have the opportunity to complete the full MD-MPP in five years. In lieu of their fourth year of medical school, students in the program spend a full academic year at UCR's School of Public Policy, and complete their medical degrees in a subsequent, fifth year of school. They are also required to complete a summer internship and capstone project that must be approved by both the medical school and the School of Public Policy.
"This is a niche degree that would appeal to students who, in addition to becoming practicing physicians, may want to become healthcare administrators and health policymakers," Anil Deolalikar, PhD, dean of the School of Public Policy, said in the report. "A lot of people creating health policy have very little medical training. It would help if physicians were more involved in shaping health policy."
Dr. Deolalikar also said the school may eventually pair the public policy degree with other programs like the university's MBA or PhD programs, according to the report.
More articles on integration and physician issues:
Poll: Physicians support wellness programs, but concerned about privacy
Nebraska nursing shortage leads to patient diversion
Rural healthcare in Montana, Wyoming gets $9M for training programs