Master's in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

The Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), in collaboration with the Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, now offers a new MSc concentration in quality improvement and patient safety, providing MSc students with the opportunity to focus their research and learning on all aspects of improvement science, current issues in healthcare quality and safety and relevant leadership and influencing skills.

The new MSc concentration in quality improvement and patient safety is offered in a modular format to allow individuals to earn this research degree in one year without interrupting their careers. Aside from two intensive weeks (one in September and one in January), the in-class works occurs once a month – a full day on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning.

In its inaugural year (2012-2013), over 80 candidates applied and 24 were accepted into the program. These 24 come from a wide range of backgrounds and practice settings. Similar numbers applied in subsequent years, and in fact increased to the point that the program now has over 100 applicants for 30 positions a year. 

Each year, the class includes a mixture of physicians (about 60%) and non-physicians. Physicians mostly consist of senior trainees, clinical associates and junior faculty, but some mid- and senior career physicians have also participated. The master's program is ideally suited for individuals who want to pursue an academic career that focuses on healthcare quality. Graduates of this program who join the faculty in the Department of Medicine typically do so in the clinicians in quality & innovation (CQI)  job description.

Further details about the master's program and how to apply can be found on the IHPME website.