Doctor of Public Health

 

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program in Epidemiology is designed to develop public health leaders who are skilled at identifying the factors that affect the health of a population and developing, implementing and evaluating disease control and prevention strategies to improve public health. Areas of specialization in epidemiology include (but are not limited to) health data and information systems, chronic disease prevention and control, communicable disease prevention and control and injury prevention. Graduates will be prepared to hold leadership positions in public health practice at the local, state or national level and in academia.

In addition to the general admissions requirements for the DrPH program, the Focus Area in Epidemiology requires the following: MPH or MSPH in epidemiology or equivalent. If admitted without an equivalent degree, courses can be taken during the first year.  These courses include the five core areas of public health, Analytic Epidemiology (EPID 6631) and at least six credits of graduate level work in epidemiology of specific content areas (e.g. chronic disease, communicable disease, injury).  Calculus is a pre-requisite and must be completed prior to admission. Preliminary Exam: DrPH students will take a preliminary exam required of both PhD and DrPH students in epidemiology at the end of their first year and completion of Advanced Epidemiology and the required courses in Biostatistics. The purpose of the written preliminary exam is to demonstrate competence in epidemiology and biostatistics methods. The exam includes three components: Epidemiology A covering interpretation and presentation of analytic results; Epidemiology B covering the principles and methods of epidemiology; and Biostatistics.

Doctor of Epidemiology

The PhD program in Epidemiology trains highly skilled individuals in epidemiologic research and its application to public health to prepare graduates for research and teaching careers in the health sciences.   The curriculum provides training in epidemiologic methods for clinical, observational and community-based research including study design, statistical analysis, biological principles and disease etiology to meet the rigors of the scientific community. The program's etiologic orientation is based on the premise that knowledge of genetic, behavioral, environmental, and physiologic factors contribute to understanding the underlying causes of complex human diseases needed to develop effective preventive measures.   The epidemiology faculty has a strong base of funded research projects providing students with many opportunities for research support and data for dissertation projects.  Students study with experts in cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, genetic epidemiology, obesity, maternal and child health, and behavioral interventions. The extensive affiliate and clinical faculty reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the problems under study. This extensive network of talented colleagues in other institutions and in community practice allows enhanced teaching and research opportunities that are relevant to populations.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree, master's degree or higher. It is encouraged that the degree be in a related field (public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, health sciences, nursing, etc.), or MD, DVM, DO
An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4 point scale), and a graduate GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4 point scale).

Coursework pre-requisites

Students are required to have taken two semesters of calculus and one semester of organic chemistry. Prior coursework in epidemiology, biological sciences, and public health at the under-graduate level or above is also required, and will have to be approved by the Program Director. Students without sufficient epidemiology, public health or biological training may be accepted into the program contingent upon the completion of specified science courses prior to matriculation or within an approved period of time after admission 

MPH in epidemiology

 

Master of Public Health Epidemiology

Epidemiologists describe trends and risks for health and provide the base data for preventive approaches in public health. Through surveillance, screening, data and intervention programs, epidemiologists are needed to determine disease risk factors and evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and treatment of diseases.

In Master of Public Health program in Epidemiology, you’ll be trained in epidemiologic study designs, statistical analysis and the biological principles underlying human diseases. Epidemiology students utilize their training to implement epidemiologic surveillance and research studies, providing evidence-based information to promote health and prevent disease and injuries.

With an MPH in epidemiology, you can work in a wide variety of settings, including international health agencies, state and local health departments, federal government agencies, academia, and numerous research institutions. The epidemiology concentration also provides physician training for the Preventive Medicine Residency Program.

If you’re interested in being a part of the cornerstone of public health, epidemiology is the profession for you.

 

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Concentration Requirements - Epidemiology (for students matriculating Summer 2014 or later)  Students matriculating prior to Summer 2014MPH_track_in_Epidemiology_for_students_matriculating_summer_or_fall 2013.doc  Required MPH Core Courses (17 credits) BIOS 6601/6611*   Applied Biostatistics I                                     3 credits EPID 6630                Epidemiology                                                   3 credits EHOH 6614               Environmental & Occupational Health           3 credits CBHS 6610                Social & Behavioral Factors & Health            3 credits HSMP 6601               Health Systems Management Policy              3 credits PUBH 6600               Foundations in Public Health                          2 credits Required Concentration Courses (12 credits) BIOS 6602/6612*    Applied Biostatistics II                                    3 credits EPID 6631                 Analytical Epidemiology                                  3 credits BIOS 6680                 SAS Database Design and Management         3 credits EPID 6626                 Research Methods in Epidemiology                 3 credits Electives (9 credits) PUBH 6606                 Practicum                                                         2 credits PUBH 6955                 Capstone Project                                             2 credits TOTAL                                                                       42 credits  *BIOS 6611/6612 series is recommended for student with calculus.

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Concentration Competencies ​ Identifier MPH Epidemiology Concentration (CN) Competencies CN-EPID​​ 1​ Appropriately use descriptive epidemiologic methods to describe a given condition including measures of prevalence, incidence, morbidity, mortality, demographic characteristics and risk factors.  CN-EPID 2 Select and apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative measurement and analysis methods to support research and evaluations in the core areas of public health research and practice, including: epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, community and behavioral health, and public health systems management, policy and outcomes research.  CN-EPID 3 Critically review and interpret public health and other scientific literature to identify strengths and weaknesses of individual studies, to synthesize evidence in a research area, to identify gaps in evidence and to demonstrate relevance of current knowledge to the practice of public health.  CN-EPID 4 Translate investigator ideas into answerable research questions.  CN-EPID 5 Describe and select study designs, taking into account the advantages and limitations of each for addressing specific problems, as well as the practical aspects of their uses. CN-EPID 6 Describe best practices for design of data collection forms and protocols, instrument reliability and validity, data monitoring and quality assurance, and data archiving for analysis and use of data by other investigators.  CN-EPID 7 Use computer software for data entry, database management, and summarizing, analyzing and displaying data.  CN-EPID 8 Apply and interpret the concepts of effect modification and interaction.  CN-EPID 9 Interpret statistical results in order to make appropriate inferences.  CN-EPID 10 Evaluate threats to internal validity and when critically evaluating strength of evidence.

How to Become a Nurse Epidemiologist ?

How to Become a Nurse Epidemiologist ?

For many, the health field is a true calling. Being able to earn a great salary while helping others is something that few other jobs can offer, but that the health field has in abundance. With that in mind, it makes sense that becoming a nurse is one of the most popular career choices in the country. A nurse epidemiologist takes the nursing career one step further, and could be exactly what you're looking for in a career.

These professionals work to improve the overall health and wellbeing of patients and even populations in a facility, and are quickly becoming one of the most in-demand nursing specialists in the medical field. If you want to know more about the job and what it involves, keep reading.

What Is a Nurse Epidemiologist?

A nurse epidemiologist is a nursing professional who focuses on making sure that patients receive optimal care, but who also reduce overall infection risks and focus on prevention measures as well as on infection control and direct patient nursing. Specific job duties may include the following:

• Examine patients and determine potential presence of infection
• Assess risk factors within a patient, a facility, or even a population
• Identify areas that need to be modified for better infection control
• Monitor patient care to ensure infection isn't transmitted throughout the population
• Work to develop policies and procedures that can help reduce infections and control disease
• Consult with other medical professionals and policy makers to help reduce infection risk and promote better overall health

As you can see, a nurse epidemiologist primarily focuses on preventing the spread of disease rather than on treating existing infections. Their work is focused on boosting overall public health, and while they can treat individual patients they primarily help to protect others from contracting infectious diseases – including their own coworkers.

Characteristics

Training is vital to success in the role of a nurse epidemiologist, but there are plenty of personal traits that can help as well. If you're thinking of becoming a nurse epidemiologist, having strength in the following areas can help tremendously.

• Multitasking – A nurse epidemiologist generally handles numerous roles and tasks at any given time. You'll need to be able to multitask effectively.

• Good Communication Skills – Since explaining and promoting effective infection prevention measures is a key part of the job, it's vital that you have strong communication skills.

• Detail Oriented – In this role, the smallest things can unlock major clues. As such, being very detailed oriented will help you identify potential risk areas and also learn more about health issues that may not be obvious.

• Works Well Under Stress – The job can be fast paced and stressful, and if you want to thrive in it you will need to be able to perform well under stress.

Nature of the Work

The job usually involves a combination of things including work in a lab, an exam room, and the office. An average day could vary greatly, and one day may involve collecting specimen samples and running tests while the next day could be made up entirely of meetings with management in the health facility.

Nurse epidemiologists will find work in government branches, hospitals, private physician offices, research centers, and nearly anywhere else in the medical field. The nature of their job will depend largely upon their employer and their role within the organization.

Education and Training

Entry level positions as a nurse epidemiologist will usually require that you hold at least a bachelor's degree in the field of nursing. These courses prepare you for licensure through the NCLEX. After this, you'll likely need to work for at least 2 or more years in a public health setting as a nurse. Most employers require 3 to 5 years of clinical nursing experience.

Next, complete a master's or doctoral degree program in nursing. However, choose to specialize in the area of epidemiology. Most nursing programs offer specialization, and you may also specialize in areas within the epidemiology field as well. Different employers may have different requirements for the position, of course, but this is a good guideline of what to expect.

STUDI CROSS SECTIONAL

STUDI CROSS SECTIONAL= studi epidemiologi ttg prevalensi, distribusi, hubungan penyakit dan paparan (faktor penelitian) pada satu saat,  mempelajari hubungan variabel bebas (faktor resiko) dengan tergantung (efek) melalui pengukuran sesaat,  variabel resiko & efek dinilai satu kali saja, menurut keadaan/ statusnya pada waktu observasi.

Langkah-Langkah;
1. Rumuskan pertanyaan penelitian & hipotesis
2. Identifikasi variabel bebas dan tergantung
3. Tetapkan subyek penelitian
4. Lakukan pengukuran
5. Lakukan analisis

 Kelebihan :
a)   Populasi dapat dari masyarakat umum
b)   Mudah, murah, dan hasilnya cepat
c)    Dapat meneliti banyak variabel sekaligus
d)   Tidak terancam lose to follow up (drop out)
e)    Dapat mjd tahapan pertama  penelitian kohort atau eksperimen, dgn  biaya kecil
f)    Dasar penelitian yg lebih konklusif

 Kekurangan :
a)    Sulit menentukan sebab akibat karena dilakukan saat  bersamaan (temporal relationship tidak jelas).
b)   studi prevalens lebih  menjaring subyek masa sakit panjang dari pada yang pendek, krn kesempatan yg cpt sembuh kecil  terjaring dalam studi ini
c)    Subyek cukup besar, terutama variabel yang banyak
d)   Tidak menggambarkan perjalanan penyakit, insidens, maupun prognosis
e)    Sulit meneliti kasus jarang
f)    Kemungkinan bias prevalens/ insidens karena salah tafsir faktor resiko & efek penyakit

  Contoh :
1.)    Prevalensi dan insiden penyakit gondok endemik di daerah A dan daerah B dan faktor-faktor yang berhubungan
2.)    Efektifitas obat semprot hama terhadap lama penyemprotan dan angka kematian hama yang disemprot