Office of Public Health Practice

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General Epidemiology Track

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency. The field aims to identify factors which promote health and reduce the burden of disease in human populations. Residents electing this track must be admitted into the University of Michigan School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology.

Academic Year

The academic year consists of three terms and begins on September 1. Residents enroll in a 42 credit hour program that results in a Master of Public Health degree. The course curriculum is as follows:

First Term (Fall): 19 credits

Biostat 553— Applied Biostatistics

Epid 677: Epidemiology of Aging

EHS 550—Industrial Hygiene

Choose one of the following:

HBHE 620: Behavioral Research Methods in Public Health

HBHE 627: Chronic Illness Interventions: Infancy to Young Adulthood

HMP 640: Program Evaluation in Public Health

Epid Elective: Choose one of the following Epid courses:

Epid 511: Introduction to Public Health Genetics

Epid 514: Social Epidemiology

Epid 600: Introduction to Epidemiology (recommended)

Second Term (Winter): 17 credits

Biostat 523: Biostatistical Analysis for Health-Related Studies

Biostat 510: Statistical Computer Program Packages

Epid 601: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology

Epid 607: Applied Epidemiology for Public Health Practice

Epid 650: Principles and Practice of Preventive Medicine

Epid 655: Field Studies in Epidemiology

Third Term (Summer): 6 credits

Epid 742: Introduction to Logistic and Poisson Models

Epid 743: Applied Linear Regression

Choose one of the following:

Epid 718: Analysis of Clinical Trials

Epid 766: Analysis for Longitudinal Data from Epidemiologic Studies

Epid 784: Survival Analysis Applied to Epidemiologic and Medical Data

Three elective credits may be selected.

Practicum Year

The practicum year is administered by the School of Public Health but involves field placement in a wide variety of settings. The practicum experience relies heavily on public health practitioners to facilitate appropriate field experiences. Residents also rotate through more clinically oriented venues, such as Henry Ford Hospital and University of Michigan Affiliated Hospitals.

Each resident must fulfill thirteen months of practicum assignments. At least three months are required at each of the three "core" practicum rotations:

1. State health department rotation—Michigan Department of Community Health
2. Local public health rotation—Washtenaw County Public Health or Ingham County Health Department
3. Health system rotation—Henry Ford Health System or Foote Health System/Foundation for a Healthy Community

Four additional months must be elected at any of these "core" sites, or at another site such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Preventive Medicine, the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine or other federal sites agreed upon in consultation with the program director. Residents are strongly encouraged to apply for an elective rotation with the CDC, ACPM, or other organization approved by the program director.