Emergency Medicine Health Policy Fellowship | Washington D.C. | MedStar Health

The MedStar Health—Georgetown/Washington Hospital Center Fellowship Program in Emergency Medicine Health Policy

There is no greater place in the country to learn health policy than in Washington, D.C., the city where policy is made, regulations are set, and major research is accomplished. The MedStar Health Emergency Medicine Health Policy Fellowship is a unique program focused on three main pillars:

  • Policy education
  • Policy experience
  • Clinical work

We offer both a one-year and two-year option for the fellowship, with two-year fellows earning a Master in Policy Management (MPM) degree from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Those who have already received graduate level training in public policy or public health (i.e. MPP, MPH) are eligible for the one-year option, which will focus on policy experience and clinical work.

Why train here

Our fellows are policy-trained through a rigorous and well-respected executive level master’s program and gain professional experience, mentorship, and networking at the heart of U.S. policymaking in the nation’s capital. Fellows in our program gain the following:

  • An in-depth understanding of the U.S. healthcare system and policy-making process
  • Formal training in policy management, analysis, and skill development through study at the McCourt School of Public Policy, which offers distinguished faculty who have extensive experience in Washington, D.C., policy-making
  • Practical policy experience through internship placements in government, advocacy, and non-profit organizations aligning with the fellow’s interests
  • Advancement in the practice of emergency medicine through clinical work with MedStar Health Emergency Physicians
  • Teaching and mentorship opportunities through the Georgetown School of Medicine and the Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program
  • Development of a network of mentors and professional contacts in health policy and academic medicine

Curriculum

Policy education year (for two-year fellows)

Fellows participating in the two-year program will spend the first year earning a Master in Policy Management degree at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, as well as working clinically as an emergency medicine attending physician at a high-volume, high-acuity emergency department in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metropolitan area.

Core courses:
  • Innovations in Public Management
  • The Public Policy Process
  • Ethics and Public Policy
  • Decision-Making for Public Policy
  • Research Methods
  • Economic Analysis for Public Policy
  • Management of Program Evaluation
  • Advanced Policy Management Project (Capstone)

Example health policy electives:

  • Health Care Quality: Recent Policy Issues
  • Health Policy and Politics
  • Healthcare Access Demand Issues
  • Politics and Policies of Addiction and Recovery
  • Health Supply: Physicians and Hospital Issues
  • Global Health Policy and Institutions

Policy experience and clinical work year (for one- and two-year fellows)

For those who have already completed their graduate level training–either as a first-year fellow in this program or after earning a degree elsewhere–this program year focuses on experiential learning and clinical work.

The fellow does two to three rotations on-site at agencies or organizations that do substantial policy work. Exact site placement will depend on the interests of the fellow and will be arranged by the fellowship director in partnership with the fellow.

Staff-level experience working in the office of a Member of the House of Representatives or on a major health committee

Possible sites include:

  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  • Association for American Medical Colleges
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
  • Health Resources and Services Administration

The fellow will also continue to develop skills in emergency medicine by working clinically as an attending physician with MedStar Health Emergency Physicians. The clinical sites include high-acuity and high-volume emergency departments within the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metropolitan areas.

Training locations

Primary training location

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

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3800 Reservoir Rd. NW

Washington, D.C., 20007

MedStar Harbor Hospital

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3001 S. Hanover St.

Baltimore, MD 21225

Application information

Interested in applying?

Contact us

For more information about our program, please contact:

Philippa N. Soskin, MD, MPP, FACEP
Fellowship Director, Health Policy
Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine
Georgetown University School of Medicine
MedStar Health Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Health Washington Hospital Center

philippa.soskin@medstar.net