Research in Health and Healthcare Disparities

While the MPH program provides fellows with valuable learning experiences in research, the Academic General Pediatrics Fellowship Program offers additional experiences for research that applies to vulnerable populations. Most fellows conduct research projects in the area of health disparities. Fellows may select a topic within the dimensions of health care access, service use, delivery and quality of care, outcomes, financing, or policy. Fellows are expected to perform two projects.

1. A study involving analysis of an existing database
2. A primary data collection study

Typically, a fellow will identify a problem or knowledge gap through national dataset analyses, and then follow up with a primary data collection study that addresses this gap. The program has access to and experience with many national datasets, as well as claims files, clinical encounter datasets, local medical and educational databases, and laboratory-based databases. An experienced analyst/programmer and a statistician are available to work with fellows.

Examples of projects of previous fellows are described elsewhere. Fellows may also choose to work with a faculty member on a national-level health disparities project (see Health Services Research).

We expect fellows to become content experts in the broad health topic area in which they are conducting research. Incoming fellows who do not have a topic meet with members of our faculty to learn about their research and develop relationships.