Health Systems Science Track

Director

Dr. Dharmini Shah Pandya, Dharmini.ShahPandya@tuhs.temple.edu 

Description

This is an innovative track grounded in preparing residents to become outstanding clinicians and leaders in the healthcare system. The track focuses on:  

  • Complex aspects of the healthcare system  
  • Individualized goals and systems-changing projects   
  • System-level quality improvement and patient safety initiatives  
  • Hospital economics and structures  
  • Hospital finances  
  • Informatics  
  • Leadership skills  
  • Medical education skill development  

This track is equally valuable to residents who plan to pursue fellowship or remain in general internal medicine. This track is beneficial to residents who have an interest in public health, medical education, or administrative positions in the future. Didactic sessions focus on quality, safety, advocacy, hospital finance, and other domains, all built on a foundation to help cultivate leadership skills. During the two-year longitudinal pathway embedded within the medicine residency program, the PGY-2 year focuses on participation in didactic sessions in HSS domains. At the end of the PGY-2 year, armed with this knowledge, residents join leadership teams or committees of their choice and work to develop a passion project.  

Passion projects take the form of

  • Educational curriculum development (medical education opportunities)  
  • Quality improvement projects/system-wide projects that lead to change

Throughout the two-year pathway there are multiple opportunities to lead resident didactics, teach and role model to junior classmates, and create a legacy that emphasizes various health systems sciences skill sets.  

How and When to Apply

Interested residents are encouraged to apply for this track during the winter of intern year. The application consists of the resident’s CV and a personal statement expressing their reason for interest in the program.   

Meet Our HSS Residents

Raksha Pothapragada's photo

Name: Raksha Pothapragada  
Year: PGY-2  
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia  
College: University of Pittsburgh  
Medical School: Georgetown   
Why did you choose the Health Systems Sciences Track?: 
I wanted to join HSS because I believe that understanding how a health system functions is essential to advocating for my patients. Through the program, I have the opportunity to learn about how healthcare and quality improvement work together to improve patient safety and I am hopeful that I will have the building blocks to continue this work throughout my career.  

Shivani Kumar's photo

Name: Shivani Kumar  
Year:
PGY-3  
Hometown: Madison, WI  
College: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Why did you choose the HSS Track?:   
I chose the HSS track to learn more about the challenges that urban health systems such as Temple face regularly. I became interested in health systems early in college, where I majored in public health and then spent time working at a policy think tank prior to medical school. In my short time at Temple, I’ve been able to identify areas where multidisciplinary coordination is particularly important to helping progress patient care. My long-term goal is to work in healthcare policy and advocacy, and I'm excited about the skills, knowledge, and connections I will gain through the track to help me become an effective physician leader.