Honor Passow

Learning statistics and data analysis at Dartmouth A recent BS graduate with initiative and strong skills in algebra and quantitative thinking will find outstanding opportunities to learn statistics and data analysis through the coursework in our MPH or MS programs, as well as opportunities for participating in ongoing research at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice (TDI). As faculty in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Dartmouth, I can explain our integrated approach to teaching statistics and data analysis. We offer two master’s degree options – a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Master of Science in Healthcare Research (MS). Both require a minimum of 56 credits. The MPH program focuses on improving systems by managing change, while the MS program emphasizes stimulating improvement by informing change. Whichever degree a student chooses, sixteen credits of the core requirements focus on research designs, statistical techniques, and data analysis. Thus, both MPH and MS students experience Dartmouth’s (TDI’s) unique blend of statistics and analysis as a major component of their education. Our “Inferential Methods & Systematic Review” courses teach research design and how to analyze and interpret data primarily through a project – students conduct a systematic review of the literature, which some eventually submit for publication. Our “Epidemiology & Biostatistics” courses teach analysis of existing data and interpretation of published articles – combining attention to the source of the data (epidemiology-research design) with concerns about bias (epidemiology) and the role of chance (biostatistics). Dartmouth’s MPH students gain a solid foundation in statistics and data analysis through these core requirements and then gain conceptual breadth through three courses: Environmental Health Science and Policy, Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health, and Strategic & Financial Management of Health Care Institutions. For students who enter Dartmouth with strong skills in algebra and quantitative thinking, opportunities abound for delving deeply into statistics and data analysis. The MS program requires three courses in analyzing data using statistical methods beyond the core requirements: Epidemiology & Biostatistics II, Survey Research Methods & Principles, and either Advanced Methods in Health Services Research or Decision & Cost Effectiveness Analysis. The “Advanced Methods” course includes working with de-identified data from insurance claims on a project the student chooses. The capstone project in the MS program is a submission-ready proposal for a research grant to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which requires a budget as well as sample size estimation and an analysis plan for the data. Motivated students who take initiative can assist renowned TDI researchers in analyzing data from ongoing projects. In addition to the MPH program, I suggest you seriously consider Dartmouth’s MS program. Even if you applied for the MPH, you can switch to the MS up to the end of the 2nd quarter (November).