MSDA Program student | American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

As an American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine student pursuing psychiatry, Jonathan Henry is earning the Master of Science in Healthcare Data Analytics (MSDA) at the MGH Institute of Health Professions through the AUC–MGHIHP collaboration. With a background in research at Massachusetts General Hospital, he is focused on using analytics to strengthen clinical leadership, improve research rigor, and apply evidence responsibly in patient care.

What kind of doctor do you want to be?

I am applying to be a psychiatrist. Psychiatry has been a long-standing interest of mine. Before medical school, I spent three years at Massachusetts General Hospital working as a clinical research coordinator in the Center for Genomic Medicine, with additional involvement in brain health and neurology-focused work. That environment helped solidify my interest in mental health and reinforced my decision to pursue psychiatry.

Where are you in your training right now?

I am completing clinical rotations in the Miami area, and I am currently in the middle of residency interview season. It has been a busy period, but it is also exciting to see my training and career direction coming together.

How did you first learn about the MSDA program at the MGH Institute?

I learned about the opportunity through an email from one of my AUC preceptors, Dr. Ulal, who shared information about the MAGIC program. MAGIC is a collaboration between AUC and the MGH Institute that creates multiple avenues for AUC students to engage in research and advanced training. The MSDA stood out to me as a direct way to build stronger analytic skills while continuing my medical education.

What is it about healthcare data analytics that drew you in?

It connects what we learn in medical school to the reality of how health care is measured and improved. It includes topics like electronic health records, safety and quality, and research methods. I have always been interested in how data can be used responsibly to answer meaningful clinical questions.

Why is it important for clinicians to have training in data analytics?

Clinical care is foundational, but it is not enough by itself. We have to keep advancing treatment plans and improving how we understand the communities we serve. That requires data-driven insight. The MSDA helps you develop fundamentals in statistical analysis and interpreting datasets, and it also emphasizes ethics, so you can use evidence to move patient care forward while reducing bias and improving decision-making.

What will the MSDA allow you to do professionally that you might not otherwise do?

Two areas come to mind. First is leadership. If you are responsible for a service line, a department, or a health care organization, you need to understand how well you are doing and how to improve. The MSDA helps you use the data you generate every day in clinical work to evaluate outcomes and adjust strategies. Second is research. The training supports stronger study design and analysis so your conclusions are more robust, and you can tell the true story behind the question you are investigating.

How is the program going so far while you are in clinical rotations?

I have really enjoyed it. Balancing it alongside rotations can be hectic at times, but the program’s asynchronous structure provides flexibility. It gives you autonomy to pursue additional training without making the overall workload unmanageable.

What has stood out to you most about the MSDA experience so far?

The connection to Dr. He and the resources around the program have been especially valuable. Even early in the program, we have been able to generate ideas and start moving them forward. Beyond the coursework, there are opportunities to get involved in applied work and explore areas that I might not have had access to otherwise, and that combination of structured training and hands-on momentum has been meaningful.

Can you share an example of a project or opportunity you did not expect to have?

One example is learning the editorial side of academic work. I have been involved with the editorial process for JAMSA, a student journal affiliated with the American Medical Student Association. Publishing is important but understanding how the editorial process works and helping build a sustainable pathway for other medical students to participate has been a unique and rewarding experience.

Can you give an example of how data analytics can make a practical difference in psychiatry?

One tangible example is medication adherence. It is easy to make broad statements about adherence, but data allow you to quantify what is actually happening across different communities, identify where gaps exist, and evaluate whether an intervention is working. In psychiatry, that can directly affect outcomes, for example in conditions like schizophrenia where adherence can be critical to stability and recovery. More broadly, if you are in a leadership role in psychiatry, analytics gives you a way to show what is really going on, explain it clearly, and make targeted improvements.

Have you thought about how the degree might affect your career opportunities and earning potential?

I have thought about it. The training provides additional opportunities in leadership and research. In many settings, the ability to work with data is increasingly expected, especially when you are evaluating outcomes, improving performance, or building a case for change. The MSDA strengthens your ability to do that work and communicate it credibly.

What should prospective students know about the MSDA program?

The potential is significant, and it is what you make of it. Data analytics can sound rigid, but at its core it is about learning how to understand what is happening around you in a disciplined way. The opportunities are wide-ranging, and even early in the program you can start applying the tools and generating ideas that move work forward.