Curriculum

The Yale National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) curriculum is thoughtfully designed to equip trainees with the skills and tools needed to apply research methods to their own work beginning in the opening summer of coursework. In-person classes meet approximately three to four half days per week during the summer and fall, and two half days per week during the spring, with instruction conducted in small groups to foster meaningful interaction among scholars, faculty, and guest speakers. The core curriculum centers on four primary areas: biostatistics, research methods, stakeholder engagement, and health policy, supplemented by seminars and skill-building courses.

The program’s core components include academic training, professional development, and research mentorship. Scholars complete foundational coursework in biostatistics, clinical and health services research methods, foundations in community-engaged research, and principles of health policy and management, building a strong understanding of health care systems, policy, management, and research methodologies. Professional development is supported through leadership training, workshops focused on presentation, writing, and communication skills, and ongoing career guidance. Scholars also design and conduct individualized research projects with guidance from experienced faculty mentors and engage in interdisciplinary collaboration with peers across diverse fields. Upon successful completion of the curriculum and thesis requirement, scholars may opt to receive a master’s degree in health sciences (MHS) degree from Yale University, preparing them to drive meaningful change in health care for individuals, organizations, and communities.

This comprehensive course in biostatistics is designed to cultivate expertise in both theoretical concepts and practical applications. Throughout the program, participants will develop the skills needed to employ statistical analyses for diverse data sets and research studies. Extensive lab training provides participants with hands-on experience using Stata. These sessions include descriptive and simple statistics, multivariate analyses encompassing linear and logistic regression, survival analyses, and specialized topics such as hierarchical analyses, Poisson regression, general linear models, repeated measures, longitudinal analysis, weighting, and meta-analysis. By the course's conclusion, participants will be adept at not only conducting statistical analyses but also critiquing and interpreting statistical methods frequently used in medical literature.

This course in research methodologies integrates quantitative and qualitative approaches to clinical and health services research. Participants learn to design rigorous studies, with emphasis on study design, sampling, data collection, and analysis. Instruction is sequenced across the year, with quantitative methods in summer, qualitative methods in fall, and advanced topics in spring.

The summer session provides an intensive introduction to clinical epidemiology, covering core concepts such as measures of disease frequency and association; study designs including randomized and non-randomized trials, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and ecologic studies; screening principles; reliability and validity; bias; confounding; and effect modification.

The fall Fundamentals of Qualitative Research series offers a structured introduction to the theoretical and practical foundations of qualitative research in public health, nursing, and medicine. Delivered over nine sessions, the course addresses key epistemological, philosophical, and ethical considerations while building practical skills. Topics include qualitative and mixed-methods designs, theories and frameworks, sampling, rigor, data coding and analysis, data saturation, and scholarly writing for publications and grants.

Advanced Quantitative Methods, offered from late fall through spring, examines methods commonly used in health outcomes research. Taught by faculty with extensive methodological expertise, the course covers longitudinal observational studies, survey methods, intervention studies, dissemination and implementation science, meta-analysis, and causal inference, as well as cross-cutting topics such as responsible conduct of research and diversity and inclusion

This half-year course (July–December) equips participants with the theoretical foundations and practical skills needed to conduct community-engaged research. The course presents multidisciplinary content focused on engaging community members and other interest-holders in mutually beneficial knowledge creation. Drawing on community-based participatory research (CBPR) and related frameworks, the scholars gain core principles, practical guidance, and relationships to support the implementation or evaluation of community-engaged research projects during their time as NCSP scholars. The course addresses community engagement across varied perspectives, power dynamics, and investments, while covering multiple frameworks, including but not limited to CBPR.

Coursework includes required community meetings, visits, and walking tours, with optional sessions noted in the syllabus. Instruction is grounded in case-based exercises addressing contemporary issues in community-engaged research, such as partnership development, intervention evaluation, and integration of community perspectives. Through individual and collaborative work, scholars build skills in defining community-engaged research, assessing population-level impact, incorporating community insights into research design, addressing challenges and limitations, and implementing community-engaged research plans in both familiar and new settings.

This summer course is designed to cultivate a working knowledge of both theoretical concepts and practical applications to enable students to ensure that their research efforts are targeted to have the greatest potential relevance and impact for patients and on health systems. The curriculum provides exposure to the fundamental principles and practices in health care policy, financing, and delivery, as well as health care management. Specifically, the HPHE course covers: a) the fundamentals of U.S. health care financing and payment, including both public and private sectors; b) the organization of the U.S. public and health care systems, including the professions, delivery systems, regulators, insurance sector, and technology industries; and c) topics in policy development, analysis and evaluation, with a focus on the clinician-researcher’s role, at the federal, state and local levels. The HPHE course content is taught in a seminar format using lectures, case studies, and interactive discussions, all supplemented with relevant readings.

This course provides cholars with the opportunity to engage directly with prominent health policy leaders from across the public and private sectors, offering valuable insights into the health care landscape including the stakeholders who shape it. Past speakers and participants have included Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH; Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN; Laurie Zephyrin, MD, MPH; and Garth Graham, MD, MPH.

Scholars, program faculty, and mentors meet bimonthly in a forum designed to give scholars the opportunity to present their projects to our research community. These formal sessions enable scholars to:

• Present research at multiple stages of development and ultimately completion
• Hone oral presentation skills including the effective use of visual aids such as slides
• Respond to colleagues' questions and feedback effectively in a group setting
• Critique peers’ research and provide constructive feedback for further development

The essential skills curriculum within the Yale National Clinician Scholars Program provides longitudinal opportunities to develop key skills that are applicable across fields and careers. While there is overlap among skills in different sessions, the four major areas of essential skills include:

1. Leadership, Interpersonal dynamics, and Time Management Skills
   This program provides opportunities to learn from individual experiences and gain practical skills in leadership, interpersonal dynamics, and time management. Scholars will explore strategies that can be applied across different settings and team structures.
2. Scientific Communication Skills, Including Writing Workshops
   Scholars will develop writing and communication skills applicable to multiple publication types, including research papers, commentaries, op-eds, and reviews. Frequent workshops offer active, small-group instruction with real-time feedback, allowing participants to refine each section of their in-progress work.
3. Mentorship and Professional Relationship Development
   Scholars will have opportunities to meet potential mentors and acquire skills for managing mentoring relationships effectively. The program also emphasizes building professional networks across academia, industry, and community settings.
4. Career Development and the Job Market
   Scholars will prepare key documents and develop essential skills related to employment and career advancement across various fields and specialties.

Mentor Meetings: Scholars will have informal conversations with physician leaders, faculty, and alumni about research interests and career paths.

Summer Health Policy Internship: Scholars can spend 4-8 weeks at an organization involved in health policy.