School of Medicine

DVM/MPH Concentration

The DVM/MPH program is a four-year integrated program that is designed to prepare veterinary students for a career in public health, or to better apply the principles of epidemiology and public health to more traditional forms of practice or research. With its emphasis on human and animal diseases, global health, animals in society, epidemiology, law, and research, the combined DVM/MPH degree provides an excellent foundation for students wishing to pursue public health positions in government, research, international health, private industry and academia.

The MPH degree complements students’ clinical understanding of the individual with a population-based perspective. Upon completion of the program, students are better able to understand the roles of the biological sciences and health care services in improving the health of populations and linking to public health practice. The program helps graduates identify the public health implications of clinical work and research and communicates these to other clinicians and public health professionals. Graduates of the program are able to apply population-based methods and perspectives to the design and practice of clinical services; describe the diverse roles that physicians, veterinarians, and other clinicians and public health professionals play in public health practice and research; and participate effectively in a public health team.

Skills & Competencies

  • Integrate veterinary medicine with public health principles to address public health problems
  • Apply public health methods to address issues with access, cost, or quality of veterinary medical care delivered to defined populations
  • Apply legal basis for veterinary public health to confront public health problems
  • Assess endemic, emerging, and transboundary animal diseases, the associated national and international government agencies, and their impact on animal welfare, food production, the economy, and public health.
  • Synthesize veterinary scientific understanding, clinical skills, and community perspectives to address public health problems in health promotion, disease prevention/biosecurity, and food safety.
  • Develop and critique research hypotheses and study designs applicable to population health through clinical or community research methods.

Courses for the DVM/MPH

Students in the DVM/MPH program complete a core curriculum that covers the same foundational competencies as other MPH students. However, many of the courses are specifically designed for the program to align with how DVM/MPH graduates apply their degree over time.

Core courses taken with other MPH students:

  • PH 202: Public Health Assessment: Data, Determinants, and Systems
  • PH 203: Public Health Action: Programs, Policy, and Advocacy
  • PH 205: Principles of Biostatistics
  • PH 285: Evaluation of Health Programs

Core courses specific for DVM/MPH students (taught in Grafton):

  • CMPH 151/251/351/451: Integration of Public Health
  • CMPH 170: Global Population Health
  • CMPH 208: Applied Practice Experience (APE)
  • CMPH 207: Legal Basis of Public Health and Veterinary Medicine
  • CMPH 360: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases of Animals (TEDA) and Initial Accreditation Training (IAT)
  • CMPH 415: Applied Veterinary Public Health
  • CMPH 453: Integrative Learning Experience (ILE)

Additional requirements:

  • 6 elective credits