33-Credit Doctor of Medical Science, PA Not Required

Discussion in 'Nursing and medical-related degrees' started by sanantone, Nov 23, 2022.

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  1. felderga

    felderga Active Member

    I typically agree that most physicians looking to move into leadership either pursue an MPH or MBA. However, the DMSc (and DHA) route is more popular for the non-physicians looking to add both a doctorate degree and leadership credentials.

    Also, I think you are sort of missing the key point in that clinicians are greatly needed to provide expertise as it relates to technology. Whether it be a hospital billing system, telehealth implementation, or using new tech devices (i.e. wearables, pacemakers, heart monitors) to monitor patients. Technology is heavily embedded in patient care and outcomes so rather it be a PA, nursing, pharmacy, public health or medical science program having the ability to translate clinical requirements into IT specs is a skill that is in high demand. This is why you see many make a mid-career jump into management or consulting positions.

    https://www.liberty.edu/online/health-sciences/masters/medical-sciences/health-informatics/
     
  2. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    I don't think I'm missing the point; I think you're missing my point. Someone else said that only two concentrations makes them think this is a medical science degree: informatics and pharmacy. I disagreed because informatics is not a common concentration in DMSc or MS programs in medical science. Public health is seen more often than health informatics. Leadership/administration and education concentrations are seen a lot more often than informatics. It's one thing to have an actual medical science degree with an informatics concentration (as seen with Liberty); it's another thing to have an administration or leadership degree (which is what this Northeastern program truly is) with an informatics concentration. What I am mainly disagreeing on is that informatics, in and of itself, makes a degree program a medical science program.

    Since you linked to Liberty, which has some of the wildest concentrations I've seen, they have a counseling program with a business concentration. The business concentration doesn't make it a counseling program; the counseling courses make it a counseling program. Now, what if Liberty failed to put any counseling courses in the curriculum, and there were just administration, leadership, and general business courses? Would it still be a true counseling program?

    Funny enough, their MS in Medical Sciences has a business management concentration.
    https://www.liberty.edu/online/health-sciences/masters/medical-sciences/business-management/

    The other medical science concentrations are biopsychology, public health, and molecular medicine.
    https://www.liberty.edu/online/health-sciences/masters/medical-sciences/

    Liberty has an MA in Applied Ministry with areas of study in business, exercise science, applied linguistics, mathematics, geographic information systems, and sport management. LOL

    To be fair, University of Florida has a PhD in Medical Sciences with a concentration in biomedical informatics, but this is not a professional doctorate aimed at practitioners.
     
    felderga likes this.
  3. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    DNPs in leadership/management are commonplace. It shouldn't be surprising that an analogous doctorate for PAs would offer a similar concentration.
     
    Dustin likes this.
  4. Dustin

    Dustin Well-Known Member

    My ignorance is showing here, but what is the goal of a DMSc (or a DNP in Leadership for that matter) outside of the added prestige of holding a doctorate? Are people earning these credentials are able to fit publishable research into a 2 year program? Not a rhetorical question, I really don't know. I've heard people discuss some doctorates as being about being able to consume research vs researchers who create it, but it seems like any master's level clinician (whether PA or Nurse, paramedic, etc.) should already be able to integrate research into their clinical practice as part of their continuing education.
     
  5. Speaking as a paramedic with a masters degree I can say that (for the most part) the vast majority of medical related degrees are "taught" programs. Neither my bachelor's or masters had any distinct research component at all.

    It was strictly book or lab or cadaver learning. No original research required. Apart from journals during clinical rotations.

    As to the goal of a doctorate in the medical field, it is pay and position, nothing more. - to get a raise and check the box for promotion to a healthcare C-suite role, or a spot at a teaching hospital or med school.

    Having started with an associates in EMS, when I earned a bachelor's my pay went up significantly. When I earned a master's I had another raise and began to move into supervisory/management roles.

    With a doctorate one can move into C-suite positions at hospitals, large clinics, and so on.

    The fact that this is a D-MEDICAL-Sc indicates to me it is focused on three audiences....Those taught with the medical model.
    1)Physicians needing an admin degree
    2) PAs needing same.
    3) Paramedics needing same (paramedics are taught in the same fashion as MDs and PAs... all three completely different than nurses)

    It is likely that a nurse wanting a doctorate would get a DNP possibly with an Admin specialization.

    Anyone else in a hospital such as a rad tech, lab tech, or so on, would fall under the category of "allied health" so a DHS would make sense for them.

    A "DHA" degree by definition is a doctorate designed for a professional healthcare administrator, who has never had a active license as a medical practitioner.

    Anytime I see an MHA or DHA, it is 99 percent likely they have never treated patients personally.
     
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