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Public-Health Training for Veterinarians |
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ABSTRACT |
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 TOP ABSTRACT INTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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Key Words: public health • collaboration • veterinary medical education
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INTRODUCTION |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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In recent years, the desire to build stronger connections between veterinary and human health professionals has prompted the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) to help develop a veterinary Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration, introduce new educational options, establish a food security and preparedness center, and expand collaborations with local health professionals. Student interest in public health is strong at UTCVM; 20% of the entering class of 70 in 2006 attended an optional informational program on the veterinary MPH program. In addition to incorporating more public-health and population-medicine cases in the college's problem-based course, options for non-veterinary students to complete coursework in zoonoses have been created.
A recent survey of UTCVM graduates revealed that practicing veterinarians from the graduating classes of 2001 through 2004 consider the ability to answer questions about public health an important (39%) or very important (19%) aspect of performing their current job (see Table 1). Although 39% rated their ability to respond to public health questions in their position as "good" or "high," most respondents (43%) rated their ability to perform this function as merely "fair."
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THE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC PROGRAM AT UT |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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Foundation Courses (17 hours)Environmental and Occupational Health (3 hours)
Public Health Policy and Administration (3 hours)
Biostatistics (3 hours)
Principles of Epidemiology (3 hours)
Health and Society (3 hours)
Graduate Seminar in Public Health (1 hour/two semesters)
Concentration Courses (7 hours)
Food Hygiene and Zoonoses
Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal Club
Principles and Practices of Community Health Education
Other Requirements
Master's thesis OR field placement (6 hours)
Electives (12 hours)
Comprehensive written examination
Elective options include, but are not limited to, courses in medical anthropology, geographic information system/global positioning system applications in biosystems, comparative and experimental medicine, ecology, evolutionary biology, conflict resolution, entomology, food science, political science, and statistics. A capstone experience—a master's essay or field experience, either of which represents six credits—is required for completion of the program, in addition to sitting for a written comprehensive examination on all coursework. The Veterinary Public Health concentration is open to graduate veterinarians or veterinary students enrolled in the CVM. Two UTCVM faculty members serve on the Public Health Academic Program Committee, which provides governance for all concentration areas of the MPH program.
Scheduling of MPH courses allows veterinary students to complete much of the foundation coursework in evening classes and during the summer. Some online courses are available for elective requirements. In addition, two required courses offered in the DVM program count toward the MPH degree program. VPH students who are registered in the DVM program may opt to complete the epidemiology course in either the MPH program or the DVM program, with the permission of the associate dean. In addition, Food Hygiene and Zoonoses, a required core course, is offered in both the DVM program and the university's Comparative and Experimental Medicine Program, which allows non-DVM graduate students to complete this course. Veterinary students enrolled in the MPH program typically are able to complete core and most concentration courses during their pre-clinical veterinary education, although additional time is needed following the DVM program to complete all academic requirements. MPH courses are held in classrooms within walking distance of the veterinary college, making this parallel degree program a convenient option.
The UT MPH program was the first nationally accredited program outside a school of public health and has maintained full accreditation since 1969. Since the VPH concentration was established in 2004, 27 students have enrolled in it (21 veterinary students and 6 graduate DVMs). Six students have completed the MPH degree with the VPH concentration. Three of these held DVM degrees at the time of enrollment in the MPH program, and three were DVM students when they first enrolled (these three completed the DVM in May and the MPH in December of 2007). The remaining students are currently completing the program. Core and elective courses in the VPH concentration help prepare students to pursue board certification from the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
Expected Graduate Competencies
Nine competency areas have been identified for students enrolled in the veterinary concentration (see Table 2). Students completing this concentration are expected to exhibit proficiency in all nine areas. Within the area of infectious disease, special attention is given to zoonotic diseases, food-borne illnesses, and potential bio- or agro-terrorism agents. Students should also be proficient in the promotion of humane animal care and the responsible use of animals in therapeutic settings.
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Veterinary Services for the Homeless
A study of the health of companion animals of homeless individuals in Knoxville is being conducted by a fourth-year veterinary student to assess the need for veterinary services among homeless people and to identify potential public-health risks associated with these animals. Animals in the study are receiving free examinations by a licensed veterinarian. Intervention feasibilities are also part of the study, which will conclude in 2008.
Animal Considerations in Disaster Planning
A graduate veterinarian who completed the VPH concentration in 2005 has been involved in several projects, including planning for human–animal bond issues during disasters. She assisted with veterinary services following Hurricane Katrina. This MPH graduate is now a post-doctoral researcher at Colorado State University, working with the Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health.
Quality Assurance
A UTCVM faculty member who completed the MPH program in 2005 undertook a field experience that included assignments with the East Tennessee Regional Health Offices, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and a poultry veterinarian. These experiences provided knowledge about poultry inspection and quality-assurance programs, in addition to involvement with public-health delivery and investigative activities.
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ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS IN PUBLIC HEALTH |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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Problem-Based Learning
The DVM curriculum includes six week-long problem-based learning exercises during the first three (pre-clinical) years. During each of these application-based learning exercises (ABLEs), a medical case is presented by progressive disclosure for intensive problem solving, self-directed learning, and discovery.2 Economic, ethical, and client-education or communication issues are built into each case to stimulate student discussion and learning.
At this time, all DVM students gain exposure to public health or population medicine in three of the six cases. In-depth study of animal diseases and conditions with the potential to affect human health provide a learning experience for veterinary students that related to societal implications as well as to biomedical and scientific learning objectives. Cases include an exotic bird housed in a private nursing home with clinical signs of a zoonotic disease, a dairy herd disease that affects food supply, and an outbreak of a foreign animal disease at a rural hobby farm. All cases include a heavy emphasis on regulatory medicine and public education. For example, students have an opportunity during one exercise to explain a potential disease outbreak to the lay public through simulated media interviews.
These learning techniques help put future veterinarians in a role typically outside their current medical expertise and comfort level, that of a public health professional. Such exposure also helps them recognize the public-health role they share as private practitioners alongside public-practice veterinarians.
Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness
The UTCVM formed the Center for Agriculture and Food Security and Preparedness (CAFSP) in October 2006. The center serves as a focal point for several key initiatives that will assist the United States in efforts to protect agriculture and the food supply from terrorist threats and will enhance preparedness for disaster response. Faculty at UTCVM and other partnering institutions are involved in the center's activities. A $2 million grant was awarded to the college by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and deliver a course that trains participants to assess vulnerabilities for agriculture and food-processing facilities. The two-and-a-half-day course, which was certified by the DHS in June 2007, provides industry and government officials at the federal, state, county, and local levels across the country with training to prevent and deter criminal and terrorist acts that target the agricultural and food sectors. The course is available at no cost to local communities across the United States. Three-person instructional teams with expertise in law enforcement, food processing, and animal agriculture are used to deliver the course.
The center provides a readily accessible Web portal for scheduling information on the DHS training course as well as to access information on other CAFSP-sponsored activities. The center, in conjunction with the US Department of Agriculture, hosted the Foreign Animal and Emerging Diseases (FAED) course in Knoxville in 2005 and 2007. This course represented an opportunity to enhance awareness of foreign animal and emerging diseases for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, extension agents, and other allied professionals who would be responsible for the recognition and control of a foreign-animal-disease outbreak and included speakers with international expertise. The FAED course will be hosted in Knoxville again in the summer of 2009.
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SUMMARY |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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As society continues to understand the role of veterinary medicine in protecting their health and their food supply, veterinary graduates will become recognized resources for clients, the general public, and other health care professionals. The ability to teach concepts related to public health is enhanced with integrated, widespread educational experiences throughout veterinary school, in post-DVM education, and in continuing education for veterinary practitioners. Efforts to continue marketing and developing the veterinary concentration of the MPH, the use of problem-based education that incorporates public-health concepts, and other educational options help students and practitioners continue to improve the nation's health and food supply.
For further information on the program, the UT MPH Web site can be accessed at <http://ites.tennessee.edu/ph_index.shtml>.
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Footnotes |
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Nancy E. Howell, EdD, MPH, is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, C222 Veterinary Hospital, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4545 USA. E-mail: nhowell{at}utk.edu.
Charles Hamilton, DrPH, MPH, is Professor and Director of the MPH Program, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4545 USA.
John C. New, DVM, MPH, is Professor and Head of the Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN 37996-4545 USA.
India F. Lane, DVM, MS, is Associate Professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4545 USA.
James J. Brace, DVM, is Associate Dean of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4545 USA.
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REFERENCES |
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TOPABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONTHE VETERINARY MPH ACADEMIC...ADDITIONAL AREAS OF EMPHASIS...SUMMARYREFERENCES |
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