PhD student charts career in health services research
PJ Noghrehchi, a fourth-year PhD student in health services management and policy, said being open to new opportunities and taking time to explore different fields helped clarify his passion for patient safety and interdisciplinary research.
Noghrehchi shared how his CPH education has helped shape him into a well-rounded researcher, and his advice for public health students considering a PhD.
What inspired you to pursue a career in health care leadership?
I started shadowing clinicians while taking my first course in business school, intro to organizational behavior and management, where I was quickly exposed to the tensions between the clinical and administrative sides of health care delivery. I found myself applying many of the concepts I learned in class to understand why these issues were present and often imagined how I would fix them. This interest increasingly took hold as I wrote my honors thesis on a best practices guideline for developing physician leadership development programs and later pursued a master’s in health care management and shifted my professional trajectory from one that was clinically focused to one that focused on health services research.
What public health topics are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about revolutionizing how care is delivered to patients from a management and organizational perspective. I’m curious about exploring novel ways to develop clinical leaders and health care teams through an interdisciplinary approach. My other research interests cover patient safety, quality improvement and organizational change.
What is the focus of your dissertation?
My dissertation focuses on patient safety culture within acute care hospital settings. While I’m still working out the specifics, I am taking a deep dive into hospital patient safety culture to understand how various system and organizational factors impact the culture of safety, which in turn might impact patient and organizational outcomes. My dissertation work is an extension of research I’ve been fortunate enough to lead and publish on throughout my time in the program.
What have you enjoyed most about being at CPH?
I love the range of research interests and diverse backgrounds of the students and faculty. I appreciate our opportunities to interact with students in other divisions during our foundational CPH coursework. I’m grateful to be a part of the Division of Health Services Management and Policy, which has expanded my research toolkit and exposed me to so many research areas I had not previously considered being engaged in. I am a more well-rounded researcher because of these experiences.
What advice do you have for public health students who are considering a PhD?
Say yes to new opportunities! I’m very indecisive and genuinely interested in many topics in our field, so when I was first asked what research areas I would like to pursue, I countered by saying that I was better at figuring out what I don’t like. My biggest fear was that I would pigeonhole myself early on. Going into my PhD with this mindset allowed me to join new, unfamiliar projects that expanded my professional network and learn new skills.
As PhD students, this is our time to explore the unknown, succeed and fail, and learn more about ourselves. While I’ve gained experience in many seemingly unrelated projects over the years, I haven’t strayed far from my initial core interests. Instead, I’ve clarified my future direction and refined my research interests.
