Newswise — Shan Mohammed, M.D., M.P.H., will be leading the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program in urban health at Northeastern University's Bouve College of Health Sciences. Starting this Fall, the program is the first of its kind in New England. With an expected class size of twenty students, the program will attract students from a variety of backgrounds, including English, journalism, medicine and nursing, to focus on the interdisciplinary aspects of urban health issues.
This program is designed to train public-health professionals to work effectively to reduce the ethnic, racial and class-based health disparities that currently exist in urban areas. By having practical experience in the community, the graduates will be better prepared to address the social, behavioral and environmental health issues specific to diverse urban communities. Other areas of study will include epidemiology, biostatistics, occupational and environmental health, and violence prevention.
Northeastern's commitment to the surrounding community will be front and center in this degree program, giving students the opportunity to work with local and state officials who are working to improve urban health outcomes. Collaborations with the Boston Public Health Commission and Northeastern's Center for Community will equip students to address the multifaceted urban health crisis, such as ethnic and racial health disparities, environmental issues, poverty, and timely access to health care and health education.
"This program offers a truly unique experience for students interested in public health issues," said Mohammed, who joined Northeastern in August 2007 and is the director of this program.
Based on Northeastern's experiential learning method, students will be paired with mentors and placed within the community to learn through first-hand experiences about the specific health issues that urban populations face. "We're building on the core idea of experiential learning and getting people out in the real world as part of their education," said Mohammed, a physician whose work in the Peace Corps has helped shape his career from a focus on health inside of the doctor's office to making a difference out in the community.
"There's an important place for clinical medicine in the world, but the potential for a public health program offers incredible opportunities to assure healthier conditions in urban communities faced with major health disparities, chronic diseases and violence ," added Mohammed. "Looking beyond the negative aspects of the urban environment to build creative solutions is a key part of this program, and I look forward to seeing how our students can positively impact Boston and other cities across the country."
The program, which can be completed on a part-time or full-time (2 years) basis, culminates with a six-credit community-based practicum in urban health, which the students will take on under the direction of their professors and their urban health mentor.
About Northeastern
Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university's distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit http://www.northeastern.edu.
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