At Indiana University School of Medicine, the Public Health scholarly concentration offers medical students a foundational understanding of public health principles and their application to clinical practice. This concentration equips future physicians with the tools to address causes of death and disability, understand historical contributions to life expectancy and quality of life, and explore local and global factors that influence population health.
Fast facts about the concentration
- Location: Statewide (available across all nine IU School of Medicine campuses)
- Co-directors: Bill Tierney, MD; Amanda D. Benaderet, MD, MPH; Priscilla Barnes, MPH; and Jordan A. Holmes, MD, MPH.
Meet the co-directors
The Public Health scholarly concentration is led by a multidisciplinary team of experts.
Bill Tierney, MD, an IU Distinguished Professor and associate dean of population health and health outcomes at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, is a general internist with specialty training in biomedical informatics and health services research. His research has focused on using electronic health record systems to improve care outcomes and address both medical and social health needs in settings ranging from Indianapolis to Kenya.
“I am steeped in the movement for primary care physicians and other clinicians to take responsibility for patients’ medical and social health needs, helping patients and their families overcome social barriers to health,” said Tierney, who is an IU School of Medicine alumnus.
Amanda D. Benaderet, MD, MPH, is a pediatric hospitalist at Riley Hospital for Children and serves as assistant dean for curriculum for Phase 2 and an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at IU School of Medicine.
“My MPH has provided a valuable framework throughout my medical career, promoting an awareness of the systemic and social challenges encountered by patients that can impact healthy lifestyles and access to medical care,” Benaderet said.
Jordan A. Holmes, MD, MPH, an associate professor and vice chair of clinical affairs in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the IU School of Medicine, is a radiation oncologist specializing in gynecologic cancers. His research interest in public health relates to population-level access to care, quality of care and resource utilization for cancer patients.
“I think that public health touches all aspects of medicine, and a better understanding of health systems, population health, evidence-based medicine and statistics can make anyone a better physician,” Holmes said.
Priscilla Barnes, MPH, an associate professor at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, brings expertise in public health education and research, contributing to the concentration’s interdisciplinary approach and student mentorship.
What students can expect
For students in the Public Health scholarly concentration, the summer between their first and second years of medical school provides the most dedicated time to work on their projects. Therefore, it is important to connect with mentors and identify a project before the summer session starts in May. The goal is to complete data collection and draft a manuscript by the end of the second year, allowing students to focus on clinical responsibilities during their third year. In their fourth year, students finalize and submit their manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal, completing the concentration.
The Scholarly Concentration in Public Health has no “home campus” as it accepts students from any of IU School of Medicine’s nine campuses. The program draws on a wide range of resources across IU, including the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, the Regenstrief Institute, the IU Center for Global Health Equity and other IU schools statewide.
“I love the wide range of interests among the Scholarly Concentration in Public Health students and their mentors,” Tierney said. “IU is both broad and deep with faculty in many disciplines who love to teach and mentor.”
Is this the right fit?
Public health is a broad and dynamic field that intersects with nearly every aspect of medicine. Many students enter medical school with public health experience or undergraduate degrees in the field. This concentration is ideal for those who want to understand and address both medical and social determinants of health.
“Public health considerations comprise an important aspect of caring for patients,” Benaderet said. “Understanding the interaction between public health and medicine is instrumental with helping reduce barriers and provide optimal patient-centered medical care.”
Students unsure about which concentration to pursue are encouraged to reach out to the co-directors. Reviewing their bios and initiating a conversation can help students find mentors whose interests align with their own.
Examples of student research
Students in the Public Health concentration have completed impactful scholarly projects, many of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals. Examples include:
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Heng YY, Nafiseh A, Oyungu E, Ombitsa AR, Cherop C, McHenry MS. “'I bring her up with love:' Perspectives of caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental delays in western Kenya.” Child Care Health Dev. 2023 Jan;49(1):201-209. doi: 10.1111/cch.13033. Epub 2022 Jul 20. PMID: 35817560
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Seigel CR, Martin H, Bastin G, Myers LJ, Taylor S, Pike F, Wilkinson J, Williams LS. “Patient acceptance of teleneurology across neurologic conditions.” J Neurol. 2024 May;271(5):2850-2858. doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12200-y. Epub 2024 Feb 23. PMID: 38388928
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Ruth J, Wagner S, Aalsma MC, Adams ZW, Bell LA. “Clinician Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Providing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Adolescents.” J Addict Med. 2025 Apr 7. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001486. Online ahead of print. PMID: 40193055
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Frey N, LaMotte JE, Bouck JR, Fancher L, Parker GT, Carter A, Jacob SA. “Assessing psychosocial risk factors in children with Sickle Cell Disease.” BMC Health Serv Res. 2025 Jan 18;25(1):99. doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-12266-y. PMID: 39825334
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Mansker BL, Schwartzkopf K, Velez JA 2nd, Perkins AJ, Naramore SK. “Physical and psychosocial determinants of quality of life in children with obesity.” Obes Pillars. 2023 Jul 23;7:100081. doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2023.100081. eCollection 2023 Sep. PMID: 37990677
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Patel P, Yeley J, Brown C, Wesson M, Lesko BG, Slaven JE, Chmiel JF, Jain R, Sanders DB. “Immunoreactive Trypsinogen in Infants Born to Women with Cystic Fibrosis Taking Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor.” Int J Neonatal Screen. 2023 Feb 21;9(1):10. doi: 10.3390/ijns9010010. PMID: 36975847
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Watters JJ, Bell MC, Slaven JE, Que SKT. “Educational intervention targeting primary care residents improves skin cancer recognition in patients with skin of color.” J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024 Dec;91(6):1239-1240. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.08.028. Epub 2024 Aug 23. PMID: 39182682
