About the Program

The Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy is a one-year, full-time, academic degree-granting program designed to create physician-leaders, particularly minority physician-leaders, who will pursue careers in health policy, public health practice and academia. The Fellowship is designed to incorporate the critical skills taught in schools of public health, government, business, and medicine with leadership forums and seminar series conducted by Harvard senior faculty and nationally recognized leaders in minority health and public policy; supervised practicum and shadowing opportunities, site visits, conferences, and travel.

Each fellowship provides: a $50,000 stipend, full tuition for a master's degree, health insurance, books, travel and related program expenses, including financial assistance for a practicum project.

The program is designed to prepare physician-leaders who will, over time, improve the capacity of the health care system to address the health needs of minority and disadvantaged populations. To accomplish this, the program will:

• Provide strong academic training, including a master's level degree, for highly qualified physicians.
  
  
• Enhance the leadership ability of physicians, offering them substantive knowledge in health policy and management, while creating a network of physician-leaders capable of advancing successfully among the public, nonprofit, and academic sectors.
  
  
• Provide each fellow with mentoring by Harvard senior faculty and administrators as well as access to national leaders in health policy and public health practice.
  
  
• Bring together the faculty and resources of the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government to provide an enhanced curriculum that addresses issues of public health, policy, and practice, particularly as they relate to minority health issues.
  
  
• Utilize resources at Harvard Medical School, including the Office for Diversity and Community Partnership and the Minority Faculty Development Program, to enhance the networking, career development, and career advancement of participating fellows.

General Requirements for MPH

Fellows of the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy and Scholars of California Endowment in Health Policy at Harvard University are required to complete the course requirements for a master of public health degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health (HSPH) in the 2005-2006 academic year.

A minimum of 42.5 credits is required for graduation, including 32.5 credits for core courses taken at HSPH and the John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG).  Fellows may take additional credits (up to 44 credits) by selecting recommended courses offered at HSPH, the KSG, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Business School and Harvard Divinity School.

In addition to the completion of the academic training leading to a master degree in public health, fellows and scholars are required to receive leadership training.  Fellows and Scholars must complete the following training components which are designed specifically to help them acquire the skills that will prepare them for leadership positions in minority health and public policy.

Concentrations

Fellows and Scholars at the HSPH may establish a concentration in one of the following two fields:

• Health Care Management (CMP)
• Family and Community Health (FCH)

Health Care Management

The MPH in Health Care Management (CMP) offers two substantive areas:
Management Focus prepares professionals for positions in health care delivery organizations from integrated health systems to the various components (e.g., insurers/risk-takers, hospitals, physicians, sub-acute and long-term care, pharmaceuticals). 
The Policy Focus within CMP prepares health professionals for positions in health policy, as consultants, advocates, or directly as policy makers.  Both the policy and the management areas can lead to careers in the private or public sector.

Family and Community Health

The focus of the Family and Community Health (FCH) concentration emphasizes the promotion of health and the prevention of disease in populations through the preparation of health professionals with leadership skills in public health.  The concentration prepares graduates for positions in diverse public health and non-profit settings, including federal, state and local government, voluntary health organizations, and community-based primary care settings.  Program graduates fill many positions including director of public health, director for health agencies and programs, planner, analyst, and health advisor.  The MPH Program can also serve as preparation for doctoral study.

Core Curriculum and Course Listing

Please see the core curriculum and course listing in the Curriculum page.

Advanced Training

The Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy incorporates academic work leading to a master degree in public health management and training components beyond the basic curriculum: Leadership Forums, Seminar Series, Practicum, Site Visits, Shadowing, Journal Club, Annual Meeting.

Please see the Components page for more information about the advanced training.