Focus Area for Epidemiology, Public Health, and Public Policy
Description of the Focus Area
This focus area is for students who are interested in a career that involves working with populations of animals, public health studies and/or policy, and/or epidemiology.
Current Number of Epidemiology/Public Health Focused Students
- Class 2013: 4
- Class 2014: 1
- Class 2015: none declared to date
- Class 2016: none declared to date
Advisors
Identify and register with a faculty mentor who can advise on requirements and opportunities in this focus area.
These include although are not limited to the following faculty members
- Dr Maria Correa
- Dr Peter Cowen
- Dr Laurel Degernes
- Dr Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf
- Dr Jay Levine
- Dr Mike Martin
- Dr Malcolm Roberts
- Dr Barrett Slenning
- Dr Michael Stoskopf
Steps to pursue a focus in epidemiology, public health and public policy
- Identify an advisor within the focus area. If you are considering pursuing the MPVH or a PhD, contact the program directors directly.
- Plan CVM selectives and other activities (see below) with the help of your advisor
- Make contacts/arrangements for externships during summers and 4th year
- Plan 4th year CVM rotations
Year 1-3 Requirements
Didactic and group problem-solving courses
- Year 1 VMP 912 Introduction to Clinical Problem Solving in Veterinary Practice (Dr Levine), fall, 2 credits
- Year 2 VMP 945 Epidemiology and Public Health (Dr Cowen), spring, 3 credits
- Year 3 VMP 958 Exotic and Emerging Diseases (Dr Cowen), fall, 1 credit
Year 1-3 Recommended Selective Courses
- VMP 991 Experiences in aquaculture (Dr. Levine), spring
- VMP 991 Emerging diseases of international importance (Dr. Cowen), TBD
- VMP 991 Veterinary medical terminology in Spanish (Dr Correa), spring
- VMC 991 Environmental medicine and policy (Dr Stoskopf), spring (even year)
- VMB 992 Food animal residue avoidance (Dr Baynes), both weeks, fall
- VMC 991 Professional meeting (Dr Flammer), week one or two, both semesters, to include Conference of Research Workers of Animal Disease, ISVEE, etc
- VMC 991 Health & Safety in Third World (Dr. Loomis), fall
- VMP 992 PCR-based diagnosis of bacterial disease (Dr. Orndorff), both weeks, fall
- VMP 991 International Veterinary Medicine Selective (Dr. Levy/Correa), fall
- VMP 991 Veterinary international field studies (Dr. Levy), students in years 1-3, Dr. Correa arranges programs in South and Central America (selective under senior year listing; students get credit for one or two weeks)
Year 1-3 Electives
Weekly focus area opportunities
Electives (one semester required)
VPH 650 Population Medicine forum – Wednesday, 4:30 - 5:30PM, room D-236; seminar-based course including topics in population health: Outbreak investigation, observational epidemiologic research, risk analysis, spatial analysis, the application of unique diagnostic technologies and epidemiologic modeling.
OR
VMP 986 One Health-Philosophy to Practice - Tuesdays, 5:30 - 7:30PM, NC Biotech Center, RTP; Introduction to One Health and its implementation across disciplines; facilitate understanding of the interactions linking veterinary medicine, human medicine, and environmental health; and promote cross-campus and cross-discipline interactions.
Optional Electives
CBS 817/CBS 818 Advanced topics in zoological medicine – Thursday, 4.15pm, room B112; clinically oriented discussions of medical issues impacting free-ranging and captive populations.
Fourth Year Required Rotations
Complete the core curriculum rotations
- VMP 977 Clinical laboratory and necropsy
- VMP 978 Clinical pathology, parasitology, and immunology
- VMB 976 Radiology
- VMB 977 Clinical anesthesia
- VMC 973 General surgery or VMC 975 Equine Surgery (choose one)
- VMC 960 Small animal emergency or VMC 966 Equine Emergency
- VMC 971 Small animal medicine (two block rotation) or choose one of the following one block rotations: VMC 954 Small animal medicine for food animal students or VMC 979 Equine medicine
- Primary Care Course Requirement - see focus area leader with recommendations for fulfilling this requirement
- Population medicine course (choose one from)
- VMP 970 Ruminant health management
- VMP 982 Poultry health management
- VMP 984 Swine health management
9- 14. VMC 973 Special Topics in Epidemiology AND VMC 979 Epidemiology
Complete at least six blocks, with three blocks consecutive, in the two separate epidemiology rotations (12 weeks)
VMP 973 Special topics in epidemiology (Dr. Cowen) – local, national, international, student-originated studies; can involve marine mammals, birds, fish, wildlife, exotics, companion animals, horses, food animals, emerging diseases, foreign animal diseases, CDC, preventive medicine. Special topics project will be developed with a designated mentor. (*Note - the CDC externship will involve 3 consecutive blocks)
VMP 979 Epidemiology (Dr. Correa) – data analysis, study design, local and international experiences, animal shelter, exotics, wildlife, avian, swine operations, herd-health management
Students are strongly encouraged to consider the following rotations
VMP 958 Emerging and Exotic Diseases of Animals (Cowen) Iowa State University web-based “self-study” course to be taken as convenient, with subsequent case study/discussion section led by Dr Cowen
VMP 999 Veterinary International Field Studies (Dr. Levy is the course coordinator. There are multiple mentors; Dr Correa mentor for focus area students) – field investigations of domestic and wild animal, bird, and aquatic species throughout the world
Student opportunities
Veterinary Student Public Health Corps (vet student club)
- Contact Jay Levine
NC Division of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
- Phone duty – contact Dr Carl Williams 707-5900
- (Sit in and listen to actual calls from the public seeking information about rabies and other zoonoses)
Suggested external program opportunities for students in the focus area
Food Safety Research Response Network
Summer internship program; summer stipend $4,500 apply on line
Epidemiology elective program– CDC for senior medical and veterinary students
NC State University veterinary students have participated in this program over the past several years. Veterinary students are increasingly appreciated at the CDC for their breadth of knowledge. The program is highly competitive.
The Epidemiology Program Office (EPO) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers an elective in epidemiology for senior medical and veterinary students. The purpose of the elective is to introduce preventive medicine, public health and the principles of applied epidemiology.
Students are offered the opportunity to actively assist in epidemiologic investigations of infectious diseases and areas such as cancer, congenital malformations, environmental and occupational diseases, injuries (intentional and unintentional), chronic diseases, and reproductive health and population dynamics. Students are exposed to the day-to-day operation of CDC's nationwide surveillance system.
Students will be involved in diverse projects to work on during their elective. Some participants have become co-authors on publications of major health importance. Other students receive experience in applied epidemiology through assisting in the investigation of public health problems throughout the United States, and the analysis of public health data.
Most elective assignments are based at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. However, students have been assigned to a state or local health department.
Students are often supervised by a member of a select group of "medical detectives" known as Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officers, many of whom are “alumni” of the epidemiology elective program.
Externships at North Carolina Department of Agriculture, Emergency Programs Division;
North Carolina is nationally recognized as a leader in Emergency Preparedness and Response to diseases that affect animal agricultural or have a public health impact. Students have taken summer and externship positions at the Emergency Programs Division working with emergency preparedness projects. This involves a wide range of activities that will help NC be prepared in case of an outbreak of a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), bioterrorism or agroterrorism threat. The emergency programs division utilizes a Geographic Information System interface, and is developing unique programs to monitor diseases in different animal populations. Contact Dr. Karen Beck
USDA APHIS eastern regional office, epidemiology division
Veterinarians working in animal disease control from USDA eastern regional office have participated in the epidemiology and public health curriculum at the College of Veterinary Medicine for several years. They contribute to the current VMP 945 and VMP 958 courses through involvement in small group discussions and individual lectures. Several USDA epidemiologists at the regional office are adjunct professors in the PHP department.
Students have arranged externships in conjunction with USDA personnel.
USDA FSIS Veterinary student employment with FSIS
Students will be assigned to an FSIS veterinarian as a mentor. They will observe and learn the role of in-plant veterinarians in ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products that reach the consumer. Students will spend time with other veterinarians in the Agency to understand the range of veterinary activities, visit an FSIS laboratory, the Technical Services Center, and the Headquarters in Washington , DC . Positions with an hourly salary will be available during vacations beginning May or June. The goal of the program is for the student to complete 640 hours of work and is designed to encourage first and second year student participation. USDA FSIS Information
NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Epidemiology section (from web site)
Students will have the opportunity to a) Investigate disease outbreaks and unusual situations and to implement measures to minimize further transmission of disease, b) Monitor disease-reporting by physicians and laboratories to detect trends and to assess the public health impact of disease, c) Contribute to the primary channel of communication between public health agencies, private physicians, and hospital and occupational infection control personnel, as an essential part of disease control efforts, d) Explain public health interventions and disseminate health education messages to the community and the media in order to enhance disease control efforts
Individual and targeted study opportunities
The focus area of epidemiology, public health and public policy provides a wealth of individual opportunities because of the diverse nature of the disciplines and the applicability of the methods and epidemiologic tools to generate critical information.
Summer research internships working with individual investigators are available at the CVM through the competitive Research Office scholars program
Externships can be obtained at CDC, Plum Island foreign animal disease laboratories (DHS), and USDA veterinary services eastern regional office. Specifically, an externship working on import/export and FAD's can be arranged at USDA-APHIS in the eastern regional office or in Washington DC (DrCorrea)
Other Useful Information
Useful web sites
- ProMED-mail (Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases)
- John Snow and the Broad Street Pump
- Epiinfo (data manipulation, graphing and statistics)
- WWW Virtual Library: Epidemiology Page
- EPIVET-L (Veterinary epidemiology listserv) subscribe
- Epidemiology Supercourse
- Office International des Epizooties (OIE) – World Organization for Animal Health
- Food Safety and Bioterrorism FDA/CFSAN
- USDA APHIS hot issues
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- FSIS veterinary student employment opportunity
Career Opportunities
USDA/APHIS state veterinary medical officers
Regional epidemiology positions (require additional degree), animal health surveillance, regulatory compliance, outbreak investigation, disease control and eradication
USDA/FSIS public health veterinarians
Public health veterinarians responsible for ensuring the safety of the commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products moving interstate or exported to other countries, is wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. Involved in epidemiology, pathology, and evaluation of food safety programs to reduce prevalence of food borne hazards
US Military
- US Army Veterinary Corps
- US Air Force Public Health Corps
- Enter as captain or equivalent; further training to Master's level (MPH, MVPH) and specialty board certification (e.g., ACLAM, ACVPM) will advance career
- Food safety, food security, canine corps, preventive medicine
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Epidemiologic intelligence service (EIS)
- Speciality branches: Special pathogens, Viral and Rickettsial zoonoses, NCID National Center for Infectious Diseases, Global Health, HIV surveillance, Epidemiology Program office
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Center for Food Safety and Nutrition
- Drug evaluation and product safety, food safety
State Departments of Agriculture veterinary services
Veterinary medical officers, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, disease control and eradication, biosecurity
State Departments of Public Health, Epidemiology
- Case surveillance, outbreak investigation, preventive medicine
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Clinical trials, basic research
Other agencies that hire veterinary epidemiologists
- Pan American Health Organization
- World Health Organization
- US AID
- United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization
- Office International des Epizooties
- Peace Corps