Bachelor of Arts in Public Health
University of Hawai‘i – Mānoa
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Office of Public Health Studies
History of Public Health at UHM
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1962 – Department of Public Health founded
1967 – School of Public Health founded
1999 – School of Public Health closed over faculty
senate’s strong objections
2000 – Office of Public Health Studies created in
JABSOM
2013 – Strong nationally accredited program with 4
MPH and 2 doctoral degrees
2014 – School of Global and Community Health?
Public Health
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Obesity
Tobacco Use
Pandemic Influenza
MRSA
Drunk Driving
Climate Change
Rising Health Care Costs
Emerging Infectious
diseases
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Access to clean water
Vog / Air pollution
HIV/AIDS
These problems need interdisciplinary
solutions
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Public Health is an interdisciplinary approach to
improving the health of populations including, but
not limited to:
epidemiology
 urban planning
 psychology
 microbiology
 tropical medicine
 behavioral science
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 nursing
 law
 economics
 education
 sociology
environmental health
For a Global Generation, Public Health Is a Hot Field
By David Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 19, 2008; A01
Courses in epidemiology, public health and global health -- three
subjects that were not offered by most colleges a generation ago -- are
hot classes on campuses these days.
They are drawing undergraduates to lecture halls in record numbers,
prompting a scramble by colleges to hire faculty and import ready-made
courses. Schools that have taught the subjects for years have expanded
their offerings in response to surging demand.
At Johns Hopkins, which has offered an undergraduate major in "public
health studies" since 1976, there were 159 students studying the field
10 years ago; this year, there are 311 majors. At the College of
William and Mary, a freshman seminar called "Emerging Diseases" is so
popular that it is offered in two sections each semester. "It fills up
instantly," said Beverly Sher, the immunologist who teaches it.
"We see exponential growth going on in the interest in these subjects,"
said Richard Riegelman, an epidemiologist and chief voice of the
Educated Citizen and Public Health Initiative.
CONFRONTING THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE CRISIS:
ASPH STATEMENT ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE
The U.S. faces a future public health workforce crisis, and the current public health workforce is
inadequate to meet the health needs of the U.S. and global population.
KEY FACTS:
• ASPH estimates that 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020.
• The public health workforce is diminishing over time (there were 50,000 fewer public health
workers in 2000 than in 1980), forcing public health workers to do more for more people with fewer
resources.
• This challenge is compounded by the fact that 23% of the current workforce – almost 110,000 workers
– are eligible to retire by 2012.
• There are documented and forecasted shortages of public health physicians, public health
nurses, epidemiologists, health care educators, and administrators. Without enough public
health workers protecting us where we live, work and play, we all are vulnerable to serious
health risks.
• To replenish the workforce and avert the crisis, schools of public health would have to train
three times the current number of graduates over the next 12 years.
Addresses the UH Mission
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Native Hawaiian & indigenous health issues
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Place: sustainability and ecology
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Research intensive and community based
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Social justice
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Excellence in education
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Addresses critical workforce shortages in
Hawai‘i
Benchmark and Peer Institutions
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The following UHM benchmark institutions offer
undergraduate degrees in public health
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University of California – Irvine
University of Iowa
University of Tennessee – Knoxville
University of Washington
The following UHM peer institutions offer
undergraduate degrees in public health
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Oregon State University
University of Arizona
Characteristics of Undergraduate
Public Health Programs
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University of California – Irvine
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Enrollment began in AY 2006-2007
Current enrollment in both the B.A. and B.S. is
approximately 1000 students
University of California – Berkeley
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First cohort of 80 students was in 2005
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Since then, approximately 1200 graduates
Students are admitted during the 3rd year
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Currently 310 undergraduate public health majors
Why Undergraduate Public Health
at UHM?
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Recently, Gov. Neil Abercrombie identified
public health and the need for public health
education as a priority for support and
development (A New Day in Hawaii, 201011)
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Recent workforce data shows that roughly 25%
(500+ employees) of the state’s public health
workforce have reached retirement eligibility as of
2013
Why Undergraduate Public Health
at UHM?
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From the viewpoint of the surrounding region, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a serious
public health threat (Pacific Islands Health Officers
Association (PIHOA) Board Resolution #48-01)
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PIHOA has stated, for the record, their strong support of
increased public health training opportunities
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Specifically, PIHOA supports community colleges in the region
are working to develop associate degrees in public health to
address the educational gaps that exist in the current
workforce
ASPH Undergraduate Public Health Learning
Outcomes – Model Version 1.0 (2011)
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Target Audience
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Goal
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All undergraduate students at institutions of higher education
Express what every undergraduate, as an educated member of
society, should know and the able to do to promote population
health both locally and globally
Domain 1 – Knowledge of human cultures and the physical
and natural world as it relates to individual and population
health
Domain 2 – Intellectual and practical skills
Domain 3 – Personal and social responsibility
Domain 4 – Integrative and applied learning
Learning Objectives
Cognitive Learning Objectives
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Science: Students should have an introduction to the
foundations of scientific knowledge, including the biological
and life sciences and the concepts of health and disease
Social and Behavioral Sciences: Students should have an
introduction to the foundations of social and behavioral
sciences
Math/Quantitative Reasoning: Students should have an
introduction to basic statistics
Humanities/Fine Arts: Students should have an introduction
to the humanities/fine arts
Learning Objectives
Skill-based Learning Objectives
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Communications: Students should be able to
communicate, in both oral and written forms and
through a variety of media, to diverse audiences
Information Literacy: Students should be able to
locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize information
Undergraduate Admissions –
General Admission Requirements
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30 credits of college-level work (sophomore
standing)
Minimum cumulative Grade-Point Average (GPA)
of 3.0 in all courses attempted (Combined UH
Mānoa + Transfer GPA from all other colleges
attended)
Completion of pre-public health core courses with
no grade below ‘B’ (not B-)
Pre-Public Health Core Courses
ENG100 – Composition I (3 cr)
PSY100 – Survey of Psychology (3 cr)
PHYL103/103L – Human Physiology and Anatomy/Lab (4 cr)
-orBIOL171/171/L – Introduction to Biology I/Lab (4 cr)
MATH140 – Precalculus (or higher) (3 cr)
PSY225 – Statistical Techniques (3 cr)
PH201 – Intro to Public Health (3 cr)
Total credits required:
19 credits
Public Health Major Courses
PH303 – Global Health (3 cr)
PH310 – Epidemiology (3 cr)
PH305 – Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Health (3 cr)
PH341 – Public Health Biology & Pathophysiology (3 cr)
PH460 – Public Health Research Methods (3 cr)
PH480 – Service Learning (3 cr)
PH481 – Capstone Seminar (1 cr)
Total credits required:
19 credits
Public Health Elective Courses
PH301 – Seminar in Public Health Issues (3 cr)
PH320 – Needs Assessment, Planning, and Evaluation (3 cr)
PH330 – Health Systems (3 cr)
PH341 – Environmental Health (3 cr)
PH350 – Statistical Methods for Public Health (3 cr)
PH410 – Advanced Epidemiology (3 cr)
PH411 – Nutrition and Disease Prevention (3 cr)
PH420 – Health Education and Health Promotion (3 cr)
PH421 – Physical Activity and Health (3 cr)
PH430 – Health Policy and Advocacy (3 cr)
PH461 – Directed Research (variable cr)
PH499 – Directed Reading (variable cr)
Advanced Education
Opportunities
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Graduate programs in Public Health
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Medicine
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OPHS currently offers MPH, MS, DrPH, and PhD
Students have the ability to meet all of the
prereqs for schools of medicine
The proposed curriculum addresses the revised
competencies for the new MCAT (2015)
Other healthcare specialties
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Pharmacy, Nursing, Dietetics, Dentistry, etc.
Professional Pursuits
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Potential career paths are interdisciplinary
and wide-ranging, including epidemiology,
biostatistics, public health administration,
health policy planning and development,
social and behavioral aspects of health, and
environmental health
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As stated previously, with an aging public health
workforce, this level of training would be a means
of providing well-prepared future employees
Administration
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An undergraduate degree is a component of the
strategic plan for OPHS as it moves towards
establishment of the School of Global and
Community Health
The proposed program is expected to have a neutral
financial impact
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OPHS is proposing to reallocate existing resources for the
initiation of the program, including one (1.0 FTE) faculty
member at the Assistant Specialist level, and two half-time
(0.5 FTE) graduate assistants
Instruction
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Current OPHS faculty have endorsed the BA
proposal, and the courses will be
managed/taught by current faculty in the
appropriate specializations
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e.g. PH420 – Health Education and Health
Promotion will be the responsibility of the Social
and Behavioral Health faculty
Questions???