Graduate Certificate in Clinical Investigation at Johns Hopkins University

The MHS degree is a one-year training program for physicians or other health care professionals with an advanced degree who desire rigorous training in patient-oriented research.  The MHS degree may also be appropriate for junior Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) faculty or post-doctoral clinical fellows who cannot accommodate the three-year PhD commitment because of departmental constraints or other issues. It is also appropriate for professionals who do not have an academic appointment within JHMI, and for medical students who desire intensive training in clinical investigation.

All students are assigned an academic adviser from among the Academic Committee, who will provide academic and career advice and monitor the student's academic performance.  Assignments are made during the 1^st term of the didactic year, determined on the basis of perceived mutual interests, availability, and sometimes professional background.  Each student and assigned adviser are expected to have a face-to-face introductory meeting by the end of 2nd term in the didactic year.  The adviser's role is complete once the student has passed the comprehensive examination at the end of the didactic year, and hence satisfied the degree requirements. 

 Thesis research is not required.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Health Science, students will have mastered the following competencies:

• Maintain an understanding and perspective on the importance of excellent and rigorous clinical research in public health and the practice of medicine
• Take a scholarly, comprehensive, and objective approach to the selection and formulation of a clinical research question
• Identify, interpret, and critique relevant clinical literature
• Effectively communicate scientific information to professionals and the lay public
• Demonstrate proficiency in the clinical skills needed to conduct clinical research and manage study subjects
• Provide advice on clinical research methods to professionals within and outside of the academic medical environment
• Identify analytical laboratory techniques and methodologies appropriate to answer a specific research question for a proposed study
• Prepare a scientific proposal
• Develop and write a study protocol using systematic protocol documentation
• Effectively manage a clinical study team
• Develop and implement an ongoing system for data intake and management
• Recruit study participants in an ethical manner
• Monitor study progress
• Analyze data
• Interpret statistical analysis
• Adhere to regulatory requirements