Doctor of Osteopathic (DO) & Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI)

Why Pursue Dual Training?

The passing of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and the implementation of Health Information Technology such as Electronic Health Records within clinical settings can significantly impact front-line providers. Earning a Master of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) degree along with the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine will enhance your understanding of Health Informatics concepts essential to transform data into information and knowledge in order to make informed medical decisions, enhance outcomes, advance medical research, empower patients and enrich society.

Health Informatics develops innovative ways to utilize information and knowledge to facilitate actionable change that will promote health and improve healthcare.  By pursuing the MSHI program you will build knowledge in three foundational domains including Health, Information Science & Technology, and Social & Behavioral Science, which will provide you with a breadth and depth of knowledge to enhance your experience and effectiveness as a provider.

Program Goals

The intent of this program is directed at allowing osteopathic medical students to:

• Provide a high-quality educational experience for MSHI students and those from other health professions.
• Develop and mature an understanding and professionalism of the discipline of Health Informatics.
• Engage expertly with faculty, other health professionals, and the public to create diverse, effective, and functional interdisciplinary and interprofessional environments dedicated to Health Informatics.
• Prepare for a significant role in the Health Informatics workforce through applied and integrated learning experiences.
• Become competent in the knowledge and values of Health Informatics while identifying and maintaining mindfulness of their own personal and professional healthcare goals.
• Develop competency and skills in providing service and consultation to healthcare agencies and organizations at the local, state, national and international level toward the improvement of health using Health Informatics solutions.

MSHI Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the MSHI degree, you will be able to:

• Implement and manage Health Informatics solutions in ways that respect the prevailing culture, organizational context and policies relating to health.
• Assess the information technology needs and resources of patients, organizations and communities.
• Design Health Informatics solutions that are appropriate to their context and have a high probability of being successfully deployed.
• Work collaboratively across disciplines to analyze and solve key issues in Health Informatics.
• Communicate complex ideas effectively both orally and in writing to different audiences and stakeholder groups.

Application Process

ICOM encourages student participation in degree programs from external colleges or universities (co-admission or concurrent enrollment) when that participation will not adversely affect the student’s progression through the medical school curriculum. ICOM students interested in participating in this program must seek and receive prior review and approval from the Student Success Committee and the ICOM Dean. Additionally, MSHI applicants must meet the admissions requirement for the program at Idaho State University.

ICOM medical students in good academic standing are eligible to apply to the MSHI program following completion of their first semester of medical school. Your MCAT score will be used in place of any required GRE/GMAT examinations. ICOM students can expect to take 39 credits for the Master of Science in Health Informatics program. See curriculum below. The MSHI curricular program is managed and delivered by Idaho State University.

The applicant will meet with the Associate Dean of Educational Development, Innovation, and Diversity and an assigned faculty mentor to establish student success oversight for the required sequence of courses and create an individualized training and curriculum timeline. This curriculum, in combination with that of the osteopathic medical program (a four-year program), is designed to be completed within a total of five to six years. Course work is subject to change, based on course availability and satisfactory student performance.

Master of Science in Health Informatics Curriculum

The MSHI curriculum is grounded in three foundational domains including Health, Information Science & Technology, and Social & Behavioral Science. Students will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skill necessary to transform data into knowledge to empower healthcare providers to make informed medical decisions, enhance outcomes, advance medical research, empower patients and enrich society.

Disclaimer

The DO-MSHI concurrent educational training program guidelines are continuously updated and are subject to change based upon individual institutional or program recommendations and policy requirements.

Contact Information

For questions about the DO-MSHI program, please contact Dr. Luke Mortensen, ICOM Associate Dean of Educational Development, Innovation and Diversity.