|
||
The Ph.D. Program in Medical Sociology
The graduate program in Medical Sociology admitted its first class in 1993.
The program is designed to provide students with the coursework and research experiences necessary to be leading
researchers and practitioners in medical sociology. It is based on the premise that application of sociological principles to
health-related issues contributes to solving applied problems of significance to health practitioners. In turn, such efforts can
inform and enhance theory development in sociology.
The curriculum requires 90 semester hours of credit: 54 hours of substantive coursework and 36 hours of thesis and dis
sertation research. The extensive research requirements are designed to encourage students to publish their work, to take
advantage of research opportunities in UAB's many medical care settings, in order to become highly competitive in the job
market. A distinctive feature of the program is its emphasis on both quantitative methods (demographic and survey meth
ods, and statistical analysis) and qualitative methods (direct observation, content analysis, discourse analysis and contextual analysis).
The curriculum includes a strong core of sociological theory, research methodology, and basic medical sociology courses encompassing the organizational, societal, and interpersonal dimensions of health, illness, and medical care.
Graduate students study the social and cultural bases of health beliefs and behaviors, organizational structures of health
care, and the demography of health and aging, to name just a few examples. Students acquire expertise in
theory formulation, data analysis, and theory construction.
By developing a systematic line of research in collaboration with one or more faculty mentors, doctoral candidates complete requirements for the Ph.D. Students may enter the program with either a bachelor's or master's degree. Under the direction of faculty mentors, students not already holding a master's degree complete a research project leading to a master's
thesis during the first two years of the four year program.
Through a core curriculum in sociological theory, research design/statistics, and social medicine, students develop a solid
foundation in qualitative/quantitative methods, theory, and current research in medical sociology. Since the advancement
of medical sociology as a science and the long-term solution of applied, clinical problems require contributions from a variety
of disciplines, training occurs in an interdisciplinary context.
The department's past history of external funding is most impressive. Faculty research has been funded by grants from
the AARP Andrus Gerontology Center, the National Institute of Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, the Department of Energy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Science Foundation.
UAB's nationally-ranked medical center and its associated graduate and professional schools provide an exciting, dynamic atmosphere for interdisciplinary graduate study. For a unique interdisciplinary class room and clinical experience, the medical ociology program collaborates with numerous other UAB centers and departments:
Additionally, the Department of Sociology co-sponsors the Center for Social Medicine and Sexually-Transmitted
Diseases with the Department of Medicine and has recently established an Institute for Social Research which is a telephone
survey facility.
An active seminar program at UAB attracts scientists in medical sociology and related disciplines from around the world,
providing a forum for intensive student interaction with visiting scientists. The department has been host in recent years
to post-doctoral fellows from China, Germany and Japan. In addition, we are establishing an international exchange pro
gram in medical sociology thus enhancing opportunities for multi-national studies.
Graduate students in medical sociology are supported by university stipends and research assistantships. Students are
strongly encouraged to apply for individual student research grants for dissertation support.
Sociology is the scientific study of groups, organizations, institutions, relationships, and interpersonal behavior. The
field of medical sociology brings an eclectic approach to the study of health behavior, professional work roles, and medical
institutions. The medical sociologist is trained to appraise how cultures, institutions, and organizations influence individual
beliefs and behaviors and patterns of social interaction and ultimately affect the physical and mental health of individuals and
groups. Medical sociologists are especially well suited to understand practitioner patient relationships in a medical care
system that is technically, organizationally, economically, and ethically complex. This multifaceted perspective, coupled with
knowledge about how groups and organizations function, allows the medical sociologist to facilitate communication among the
various clinicians, researchers, administrators, and patients in health service delivery settings. Medical sociologists hold
teaching positions not only in sociology departments, but also in public health, medical, and nursing schools. In addition, they
are employed as researchers and research directors in public and private health agencies and in health-related industries
such as insurance, pharmaceutical, and hospital management companies.
In general, sociology tends to focus on basic research for which practical applications are not always obvious. In contrast,
medical sociology has an applied focus that takes researchers into health service set tings for on-site data collection and
intervention. Medical sociologists utilize applied sociology methods such as needs assessment and social impact assessment. In addition, medical sociology lends itself to formulating and testing case management options in health care settings using evaluation research methods.
Medical sociologists assess and impact health matters ranging from the community, to regional, societal, and global levels. The Department of Sociology at UAB has an established record of contributing to the health and welfare of Alabama's citizens. For example, UAB sociologists have conducted statewide health surveys of the homeless and the elderly, and they coordinate and analyze the annual statewide behavioral risk study (BRFSS) as part of the nationwide CDC-sponsored behavioral risk factors study. In addition, we have strong ties to health delivery systems globally; research projects are ongoing in Japan, Germany, Russia, areas of Eastern Europe, and the Netherlands to explore differences in health behaviors. Students are actively engaged in many of these projects.
The objectives of the Ph.D. program in medical sociology parallel the department's mission and that of the University.
These objectives mesh well with the mission, vision and values of the University. In addition to the program's major emphasis on high quality health-related research, the department takes seriously its relationship to the community and state by developing research projects which not only address critical local issues but incorporate these research problems into larger issues of importance to the disciplines of sociology, public health, and medicine. The commitment to learning and a community of scholars is paramount in our program at all levels. The faculty have active research agendas, publishing extensively in the major journals of the profession, as well as producing a number of books and research monographs on health related issues. Support is available for students through fellowships and research assistantships. Faculty have a number of research grants which may support graduate research assistants. In addition, students are encouraged to write grant proposals for externally funded predoctoral fellowships to provide themselves support during their dissertation year. |
 |
|