A graduate education program in public health for American Indians was introduced in the fall of 1971 at the College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The program was initiated with support from the Office of Economic Opportunity. Between August 1, 1971, and December 31, 1983, 52 American Indians received public health degrees from the University of Oklahoma's College of Public Health. Of that number, 50 received masters degrees in public health; 1 a PhD; and 1 a DrPH degree. Degrees were granted in these disciplines: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health administration, health education, and human ecology. This study assesses the job achievements of 51 of those American Indian graduates. Each Indian was paired with a non-Indian graduate randomly selected from a cluster sample compiled from the school's files of non-Indian graduates. The results of this study showed that Indian graduates had the kinds and amounts of responsibilities, with the exception of budget approval responsibility, that one would acquire or expect to acquire in a key administrative or staff position. The study further indicated that Indian graduates were generally achieving as much success and satisfaction in their jobs as the non-Indian graduates.
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