F E ATU R E ST ORY
FIR S T IN
THE WORLD
Already home to world’s most successful Indigenous medical training program, UND adds world’s first doctoral program in Indigenous health. The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education made
Warne, who also serves as professor of family and community
history by recently allowing the University of North Dakota to
medicine as well as associate dean of diversity, equity and
offer the world’s first doctoral program in Indigenous health.
inclusion at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences,
The Ph.D. degree will launch in May, and prospective students
has a history of “firsts.”
are already inquiring about the program, said Dr. Donald
With a holistic vision that starts with educating middle school
Warne, director of the Indians Into Medicine (INMED) and
students and taking them through high school, college, and
Master of Public Health (MPH) programs at UND, who led the
beyond, Warne said that UND will offer the world’s only
push for the new program.
Indigenous health doctoral program, the only online bachelor’s/
“There is a need for well-trained administrators with a deep understanding of Indigenous health issues,” Warne said. “There is nothing like that in the world.”
master’s degree combination in public health, and one of very few MPH degrees with a focus on Indigenous health. As of May 2019, INMED has graduated 244 American Indian/ Alaska Native physicians, making it the most successful
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North Dakota Medicine Spring 2020
