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| Ph.D. Program Information Overview
Correspondence and Information The Center for the Evaluative Clinical Sciences (CECS, and the precursor to The Institute) was established at Dartmouth Medical School in 1989. The Dartmouth Institute replaced CECS in 2007. The Institute is the locus for a diverse group of scientists and clinician-scholars interested in evaluating such fundamental issues in medicine as how well medical procedures actually work, how to improve the quality of medical and surgical care, how health care resources are distributed and used, and how patients value medical interventions and their consequences. Faculty hold a primary or joint appointment in the Department of Community and Family Medicine. Current work at The Institute includes outcomes research based on the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care and studies of small area variations, including by gender and ethnicity; health care decisions in complex and uncertain medical choices; aids for patients and providers to improve clinical decisions; biases in the diagnosis and treatment of disease; issues in the delivery and payment of care to vulnerable patients such as geriatric and pediatric patients and people with severe mental or chronic illness; the impact of managed care on patient outcomes and cost; the study of micro-systems and methods to continually improve patient outcomes and satisfaction with care. The Institute is committed to collaborative research based on the use of diverse methods and interdisciplinary approaches and to understanding the primacy of the patient in the rational use of health care. In addition to the Ph.D. degree, The Institute offers masters degrees (M.S. and M.P.H.) and Postdoctoral Programs. [PAGE TOP] Our integrated approach to scientific investigation in Health Policy and Clinical Practice seeks to question, measure, understand, and organize for change, with the ultimate goal of improving health care. The Ph.D. Program at The Institute prepares its graduates with the insight and scientific skills required to conduct innovative and independent research to achieve these goals. This scientific preparation involves a multi-disciplinary approach which integrates relevant theories, methodological strategies, and evidence from a variety of fields. Disciplines represented by the faculty include clinical medicine, decision science, economics, epidemiology, health services research, geography, political science, psychology, public health and sociology; coursework capitalizes on The Institute’s academic strengths in outcomes research and health policy, quality improvement, and health care decision making with special emphasis on the role of the patient as an active participant in choice of treatment. Ph.D. students are encouraged to investigate a specialized area in depth while also gaining an informed appreciation of other core areas. They are trained in independent and team-based strategies to integrate these perspectives into research. Our Ph.D. graduates are expected to further the development of these core areas, to lead in the design, initiation, and management of effective change in health care, and to contribute to the education of future scholars in health policy and clinical practice. [PAGE TOP] Due to its relatively small size, the Ph.D. Program at The Institute emphasizes a close working relationship between students and faculty, and the student's Ph.D. Advisor in particular. Although there is a core curriculum that all students fulfill, the Program is flexible and designed to meet individual needs. During the first two years, students enroll in a required six-term doctoral seminar taught by various faculty members. This seminar series explores diverse areas of research in health policy and clinical practice and provides a solid foundation for professional skills and conduct. Students also receive advanced training in theory and methods and spend time doing research, taking seminars, and discussing readings with individual faculty members. Students are required to serve two apprenticeships in teaching under the direction of faculty members. Ph.D. students must pass a set of written examinations in health policy and clinical practice before proceeding to defend their dissertation proposal. The expected timeframe is to complete the written exams at the end of the first year and defend the proposal by the end of the second year in the Program. After successfully defending their proposal, students carry out dissertation research, culminating in the defense of the completed dissertation. Most applicants accepted into the Ph.D. Program have already completed a related master's degree program or have experience in health services research. Assuming the student enters with recent master's degree training related to health policy and clinical practice, all requirements of the Ph.D. Program can be completed in three years. Otherwise, the expected length is four years. For more, visit our web page. [PAGE TOP] The majority of Institute faculty have offices in 35 Centerra, located Centerra Resource Park which is nestled between Dartmouth College in Hanover and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon NH. Institute classrooms are adjacent in 30 Lafayette and offer state-of-the-art technology and facilities to support an effective learning process. Most Ph.D. students share a large suite of office carrels in 30 Lafayette first floor or at 35 Centerra second floor. The Institute maintains close affiliations with the clinical services at both the White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, as well as with other research groups at Dartmouth. These include faculty in the Departments of Community and Family Medicine, Medicine, Orthopedics, Surgery, Radiology, Psychiatry, Psychology, Sociology and Economics. In addition, the Spine Center, the Center for the Aging, the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, the Psychiatric Research Center and Rockefeller Center offer faculty support and training opportunities. [PAGE TOP] Dartmouth offers a wide array of computer facilities that are distinguished by the ease with which they can be accessed. Students and faculty members can access computer network services and mainframes from personal computers, workstations or terminals almost anywhere on campus. The resources of the Dartmouth College library system, an extensive and well-balanced collection of more than 1.75 million volumes, are made easily accessible to all members of the Dartmouth community through the library's open-stack policy, online library and computer search capabilities. Dartmouth’s electronic and wireless network supports Windows and Macintosh computers and software. [PAGE TOP] Tuition is charged at the same rate as other Ph.D. programs at Dartmouth. For 2007-2008, tuition for twelve months (four terms) is $46,620. In addition, health insurance is required for the student and may also be purchased for dependents. Students must purchase their own books and computer. Courses may charge material fees. [PAGE TOP] Tuition scholarships and fellowship or assistantship support for Ph.D. students are generally available through the Program or through faculty research grants. The general intent of the Program is for all Institute Ph.D. students to have full support for tuition and, whenever possible, to have funding in addition to tuition. For Academic Year 2007-2008, the goal is to fund all PhD students between $22,362 and $24,054 for 12 months. (The lower level is commensurate with the FY2007 federal NRSA stipend level for predoctoral training, and the upper level is commensurate with the 2007-2008 Dartmouth College recommended graduate stipend level. Both amounts include $1,590 [for 2007-08] to cover student-only health insurance because, at Dartmouth, students are billed directly for health insurance through the student billing system and are responsible for making their own insurance payments.) For students opting out of student health benefits, this supplement is not included. Funding may be derived from a variety of sources, including teaching and research assistantships, training grant stipends or employment in part-time positions that are related to the Program's educational goals and consistent with its policies. Students who are eligible for postdoctoral level support are encouraged to apply to one of our post doctoral programs in addition to the Ph.D. Program. The Financial Aid Office at Dartmouth will also assist students who require financial aid to apply for loans. For more information on loans, call 603.646.2451 or write to the Financial Aid Office, Dartmouth College, 6024 McNutt Hall, Hanover, NH 03755 or email financial.aid@dartmouth.edu. [PAGE TOP] Information on rental properties in the Hanover area is available through the Dartmouth Rental Housing Office, 7 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH 03755 [tel 603.646.2170]. Graduate students may also apply for Graduate Student Housing through the same office. Students (married, with families and single) have access to unfurnished apartments owned by Dartmouth that rent from $510 to $660 per month. Early application is important. Local furnished apartments rent for an average of $550 to $950 per month. Rooms in private homes cost about $300 to $450 per month. General rental information is available on the Internet at http://www.dartmouthre.com. [PAGE TOP] Enrollment at Dartmouth for academic year 2007-2008 is about 1,600 graduate students and 4,100 undergraduates. Currently, there are 18 Ph.D. students in health policy and clinical practice. Ph.D. students receive tuition support from various sources. The vast majority of our Ph.D. students also receive stipend support from fellowships or assistantships throughout their studies. [PAGE TOP] Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, a small New England town on the Connecticut River between the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Hanover is about 2 hours by car from Boston and 3 1/2 hours from Montreal. Combining the advantages of a rural setting with the resources of an Ivy League college, Hanover offers a spectacular array of outdoor activities (including Alpine and Nordic skiing, rock-climbing, hiking, canoeing, sailing, and riding), as well as a varied and active cultural life centered around the Hopkins Center for the Creative and Performing Arts. Each year the Hopkins Center sponsors an active film society, two full concert series, dramatic productions, art shows and other events. The Hopkins Center also offers special workshops open to faculty and students for woodworking, sculpture, painting and various other craft forms. [PAGE TOP] Admission to the Ph.D. Program in Health Policy and Clinical Practice is limited to students who intend to earn the Ph.D. degree; admission to The Institute Masters Degree Programs is independent of the Ph.D. admission process. Dartmouth regulations require that all Ph.D. students be full-time students and meet the residency requirement. There is a $50 application fee. Most applicants enter after earning an Institute masters degree or a related masters degree from another university or after related work experience. The strength of an applicant's academic background and experience and other evidence of promise in graduate study are more important than the particular area of prior study. Applicants should complete the online application form, transcripts of their college record(s), 3 letters of recommendation, a concise explanation of their rationale for earning a Ph.D. in health policy and clinical practice and at The Institute in particular, current curriculum vitae and the general GRE or MCAT scores. SpecialtyGRE tests are not required. Applicants are encouraged to include examples of professional writing. Applications and supporting material must be received by January 15. Candidates who pass an initial review will be invited to visit campus (at their own expense) to meet with faculty and students and to identify a faculty member who agrees to be their Ph.D. advisor—an essential component of our Admissions process. Acceptances will be announced by mid-April. [PAGE TOP] Competitive applicants to the Ph.D. Program typically meet the following criteria: • GPA of 3.0 or higher. • For international applicants, TOEFL scores of 450 or higher paper-based exam or 200 or higher computer-based exam. [PAGE TOP] It is the longstanding policy of Dartmouth College to actively support equality of opportunity for all persons regardless of race or ethnic background, and no student shall be denied admission or be otherwise discriminated against because of race, color, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, or disability. The College's equal opportunity program encourages women and members of minority groups to apply. [PAGE TOP] Ann Barry Flood, Ph.D. is the Chair of the Ph.D. Program in the Evaluative Clinical Sciences at Dartmouth. She is Professor of Community and Family Medicine and Sociology and also directs the NRSA Institutional Grant Program and Policy Studies at The Institute. Liz Vezina is the Assistant to the Chair, Ph.D. Program [tel: 603.653.0845]. [PAGE TOP] Correspondence and Information The Center for Education
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