Public Health
The Pathway in Public Health is designed to educate students to explore current local and global health issues, exploring the broad areas of public health. Public health focuses on health promotion and on protecting and improving the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations. Our academic courses, experiential learning, study-abroad programs, and career-oriented internships offer a global perspective and allow broad applications to diverse intellectual interests. In the sciences, one might consider biological, chemical and epidemiological studies of medicine and health. In the social sciences, one may study the economic, social, demographic or behavioral factors influencing health outcomes and policies at local, state, federal and/or international levels. Offerings in literature and the arts could include narrative medicine, representations of illness in theater, and/or the study of kinesiology through dance. An important focus of the Pathway is inequality in access to both quality health care and health-related outcomes. Our Pathway enables students to make connections across disciplines, to work collaboratively, to hone communication skills, and to gain experience and knowledge in public health issues.
Representative animating questions:
- How is climate change affecting local and global communities?
- Why is it important to vaccinate the population against disease?
- Should children have a say in health-related decisions (e.g., treatments for chronic disease, abortion, birth control, end-of-life)?
- How do pharmaceutical companies decide how much to charge for a prescription drug and should the government be allowed to regulate this?
Thematic Inquiry
This Pathway will use entry courses and an entry seminar as entry points to the Pathway. There will be a variety (6-10) of four-credit courses that students can use as entry courses. While enrolled in this entry course, students will enroll also in a two-credit seminar bringing together Pathway students from the various entry courses. This seminar will be highly interdisciplinary in nature and may include alumni and guest speakers, workshops and common readings. The seminar will initially be organized and led by the Pathway Coordinator, who will also advise students in developing their animating question.
Required Course
Curricular Intinerary Courses
Global-Local Engagement
Study Away
- Arts and Culture in South Africa through UMass AmherstAustralia and New Zealand
- DIS Denmark
- SIT India – Community Based Health
- SIT South Africa – Community Based Public Health and Social Policy
- King College, London – Health Policy
- Washington, D.C. Internship program
Internships
- Internships in governmental organizations, hospitals, and research facilities
- Harvard School of Public Health, Summer Program in Quantitative Sciences
- Summer Internship Program at the Breakthrough Institute
- Internships in scientific research and medicine at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center
- Jackson Labs Summer Student Program
- Einstein Medical School SURP, Icahn School of Medicine SURP, Columbia
Community-Based Learning
OVCS currently partners with several community-based health organizations including the Community Health Center, the New London Senior Center, Homeless Hospitality Center, Waterford Country School, High Hopes, Ledge Light Public Health, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, Alliance for Living, and Department of Children and Families. There are also opportunities through Connecticut and Rhode Island State Departments of Health. It would also be interesting to explore AccessHealthCT and to better understand how the state health exchange is working and reaching out to different target groups. In addition, students might avail themselves of EMT courses, ambulance shifts, shadowing doctors, and various activities associated with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Required Course
Senior Reflection
Required Course