This new DO/MS/PhD affiliation establishes a joint degree program which will provide PCOM students with an opportunity to pursue a PhD in health policy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) while simultaneously working toward their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at PCOM. It offers another degree option for PCOM's students and will prepare the first generation of DOs with the credentials to lead health policy development at the national level.
The DO/MS/PhD track is envisioned as a progressive curriculum. All program students are first accepted as Master of Science candidates in Health Policy Studies and will begin the didactic phase of the program following their first year of medical study. In the regular academic year student combine daytime medical study with evening health policy study for the duration of their extended program. The PCOM curriculum will extend the sophomore year of medical study over two summer sessions and four semesters. Upon completion of the extended sophomore medical year, students will be awarded the Master of Science by USP and may elect to progress to PhD study in Health Policy with the addition of several courses and identification of a plan chosen from a number of options for completing the dissertation and completing the medical clerkship curriculum.
The advisors for the program are Robert Cuzzolino, EdD, Vice President for Graduate Programs: PCOM and Robert Field, PhD, health policy chair: USP.
Application information
For more information and an application packet, contact Dr. Cuzzolino at (215) 871-6770. For questions about the health policy curriculum, contact Dr. Field at USP at (215) 596-7618.
