MPH Program for Veterinarians

The University of Iowa College of Public Health and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Objective

The University of Iowa College of Public Health, in collaboration with the  College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University offer the mostly distance-based Master of Public Health Program.  The program is designed for practicing veterinarians looking for a career change or to enhance their ability to become board certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine. The MPH will provide veterinarians with new opportunities in local, state and federal health, agricultural and environmental agencies, colleges and universities, private sector food industry, the military and international public health organizations.

A variety of forces, including the recent focus on public health preparedness in the areas of zoonotic diseases, food security and foodborne diseases, bioterrorism, and environmental health, have illuminated the need for health professionals who have the knowledge and skills to cross the intersection of veterinary medicine and public health.  An Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Public Health Task Force has identified an urgent need for veterinarians trained in public health.  In the past several months, the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) has been meeting with representatives of the AAVMC to discuss joint degree programs in public health and veterinary medicine. The American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine also recognizes the importance of the public practice veterinarian.

The UI College of Public Health, in collaboration with the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine, has successfully trained over a dozen veterinarians who were interns at the ISU Center for Food Security and Public Health.  These students have successfully landed impressive positions such as state public health veterinarians, Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officers with CDC, Security Specialist at Iowa Homeland Security, Biosecurity Officer, Research Support Specialist, and Companion Animal Technical Advisor for the Central US.

Prerequisites

• Degree in Veterinary Medicine from an accredited U.S. college of veterinary medicine.
• The GRE is an overall requirement for the MPH degree, but for practitioners seeking admission to the program, special permission for waivers of the GRE will be sought by the College of Public Health.

MPH Program Courses

Students  will participate in two 2-week summer institutes, one on each campus in consecutive summers, with the remainder of courses available entirely via the internet-evenings, weekends, whenever fits your schedule.  Students will have set courses each semester and deadlines to meet within the semester, but are not attending the class live over the internet.  This model is called asynchronous learning.  The courses marked with an * are available on the internet.  The remaining courses (with the exception of the Practicum) are offered during one of the summer institutes.

MPH Core Courses (18 s.h.)

The following courses are required of students in the MPH program. Students are expected to earn ≥ B- (2.67) on each core course and must earn a ≥ B (3.0) cumulative grade point average on all core courses. When necessary, a student may repeat a course to achieve this standard.

Required Practicum (3 s.h.)

The practicum is the capstone experience of the MPH program.  It provides an opportunity for students to apply public health competencies in a public health practice setting.  The practicum requires a minimum of 200 hours of public health practice and must be carried out in a setting that has components of veterinary medicine and public health. The experience from this course, including a final written report and oral or poster presentation constitutes the final examination for the MPH.

In the past, some of the veterinarians in this program have worked at state health departments working on zoonotic diseases, state departments of agriculture working on animal disaster management plans and agroterrorism issues, researched the effects of musculoskeletal symptoms in dairy producers, tested swine workers for antibodies to influenza viruses, and traveled overseas to research Dengue fever and anthrax. There are many opportunities in your local area to get involved with the board of health, human medical facilities, and state and federal government projects to incorporate your knowledge as a veterinarian with the vast world of public health. 

Required Course (1 s.h.)

Professional Seminar: Veterinarians in Public Health (1 s.h.)

Electives (20 s.h.)

Summary of Degree Requirements

MPH Core                                             18 s.h.

Practicum                                              3 s.h.

Required Course                                    1 s.h.

Electives                                               20 s.h.

Total                                                      42 s.h.