33-Credit Doctor of Medical Science, PA Not Required

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/

 

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.

 

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