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3 "No matter where someone ends up going, this is a skill set you can use for the rest of your life," he says. Becoming masters of public health and clinical research The two-year, 42-credit MPH program is the Department of Population Health's largest, with 60 to 70 students per year across campuses. Students roughly fall into three categories, says Melissa Armstrong, Ed.D., M.A., director of MPH. First are those looking to build skills to successfully enter medical school, residency or fellowship. Second are those seeking public health careers in epidemiology, program evaluation, health education or other areas. Finally, "there's this hodgepodge group that comes from just about anywhere," such as schoolteachers looking to expand knowledge or move up the pay scale, or non-clinicians working in hospitals or quality improvement. perspective of groups of people instead of single patients and becoming more skillful researchers. One of them, former internal medicine faculty member Paul Ndunda, M.D., recently completed a cardiology fellowship, several years after earning his Master of Science in clinical research. One sought the "mental boost" and confidence of an MPH before applying to KU School of Medicine-Wichita and following her dream of becoming a doctor. A fertility specialist pursued an MPH to learn more about biostatistics but has concluded that studying social factors aecting patients' health was the greatest benefit. Another MPH recipient practices evidence-based family medicine in his rural clinic, and now also puts his knowledge to work as the state's chief medical ocer. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to county and state health departments to leaders of medical school departments to those preparing to apply for medical school, residency or fellowship, graduates of programs oered by the Department of Population Health at KU School of Medicine-Wichita have a wide range of purposes and careers. But the graduates share a common skill set: Looking at health from the Population Health programs include a Master of Public Health, a master's in clinical research and a research class for medical students. They prepare graduates for med school, residency, fellowships and a wide range of public health careers. Paul Ndunda, M.D., MSCR assistant professor Internal Medicine