Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Public Health (DVM/MPH) Joint Degree

Joint Degree Programs

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Public Health (DVM/MPH) Joint Degree

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Applicants interested in veterinary public health should consider the DVM/MPH joint degree program at the University of Florida. This joint degree is a unique opportunity since the only College of Veterinary Medicine in the state is located at UF. Veterinarians with MPH degrees are increasingly in demand because they work in all areas of public health, including epidemiology, environmental health, global health, infectious disease investigation and control, and homeland security. Public health-trained veterinarians are uniquely qualified to understand and respond to emerging zoonotic diseases, to address complex global food system problems, and to respond to acts of bioterrorism.

The DVM/MPH degree is offered jointly by the College of Public Health and Health Professions and the College of Veterinary Medicine. If taken consecutively, the DVM and MPH degrees at UF are 150 and 48 credits, respectively, and require 6 years of coursework. The Joint DVM/MPH Program permits sufficient sharing of course credits to allow completion of the program in 4 years plus 1 summer for students who enter both programs concurrently. DVM students who choose to enter the joint program after completing one or more years of the DVM program may require an extra semester after completing the DVM. Key elements of the program are described briefly below. Details are in the DVM/MPH Student Handbook(PDF).

Hallmarks of the program

• The Joint DVM/MPH Program may be completed within the four-year timeframe required for a DVM degree alone by starting MPH coursework the summer before entering the DVM program.
• Students have the flexibility to select an in-depth concentration in the MPH program or to choose the Public Health Practice concentration, which allows selection of courses from two or more concentration areas.
• MPH core courses and select concentration core courses may be taken online.
• The MPH program will accept 12 credits of DVM courses toward the MPH degree, and the DVM program will accept 6 credits of MPH courses towards the DVM degree..

MPH concentrations
Students must choose from one of the six MPH concentrations: Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Public Health Management and Policy, Public Health Practice, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Please visit http://www.mph.ufl.edu/concentrations/ for a description of each concentration. Many veterinary students choose Public Health Practice, because of its broad flexibility, although they are free to choose from any of the other concentration options.

Supervisory committee
Students enrolled in the joint degree program must complete a public health internship. For most students the internship will be completed, over one or more semesters, near the end of the joint degree program.

Internship requirement
Students enrolled in the joint degree program must complete a public health internship. For most students, the internship will be completed, over one or more semesters, near the end of the joint degree program.

MPH culminating experience
Students attain a depth in public health knowledge and skills by selecting one core area for their concentrations. They obtain a broad knowledge base of public health issues and perspectives through the MPH core courses and electives. The concepts presented in these courses are integrated and assimilated through the internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to apply his or her knowledge in the real world of public health. Students may engage in many activities during an internship. However each student must have one special project, which serves as the basis for a major paper and an oral presentation. These final activities of the MPH program are intended to encourage students to understand their projects in the larger context of public health as a cross-disciplinary field and in relation to the competencies expected of all MPH graduates. Student presentations are scheduled on Public Health Days near the end of the fall, spring and summer semesters. The written paper and oral presentation constitute a culminating experience for the MPH.

Sample MPH curriculum
A sample of the MPH curriculum for Joint DVM/MPH Program students is in the table below, including a range of electives from which students may choose. The examples here are for the Public Health Practice concentration, with a focus on Epidemiology and Environmental Health.

*Must earn a grade of “C” or better

What is the outlook for veterinarians in Public Health?

Public health career opportunities for veterinarians will continue to expand with the rapidly changing demographics of human and animal populations, increasing urbanization, increasing poverty, the expanding technology gap between developed and developing countries, and changes in the environment, land use and climate. These changes will present new opportunities for public health-trained veterinarians as part of veterinary and human health systems. (Excerpt from Veterinarians in Public Health, prepared by The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, www.aavmc.org).

Admission criteria
Candidates for the Joint DVM/MPH Program must meet the entrance requirements and procedures for admission to both the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Master of Public Health degree programs. Acceptance into the Joint DVM/MPH Program is dependent upon acceptance into the DVM program. Please note however, that the joint application may be due prior to student notification regarding acceptance into the DVM program. The joint degree program is not open to students who have already earned either the DVM or the MPH degree. Additional information regarding admission to each program may be found at http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/education/dvmadmissions/ and www.mph.ufl.edu/admissions/.

How to apply (to print this section, Checklist for joint DVM/MPH degree)

Checklist for the University of Florida Joint DVM/MPH Program Application

The application process for the UF Joint DVM/MPH Program is open to any student accepted into the DVM program. However, due to the timing of several deadlines for the MPH portion of the application process, some interested students may need to apply to the MPH program prior to being notified of acceptance into the DVM program. The Joint DVM/MPH Program application process is coordinated between the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and College of Public Health and Health Professions (CPHHP), and involves the following steps. The stated deadlines must be met in order to begin the Joint DVM/MPH Program in the summer semester of 2012:

1. Develop a statement of intent for your Joint DVM/MPH Program application

A statement of intent is very important for acceptance into the Joint DVM/MPH Program.  The statement should be 750-1000 words, and should convey:

• Why you would like to participate in the Joint DVM/MPH Program. (i.e. What professional interests and/or previous experiences make you believe this program is a good fit for you?)
• What you hope to learn/gain through the Joint DVM/MPH Program.
• How completion of the Joint DVM/MPH Program will help you achieve your career goals.

Your statement of intent will be submitted directly to the CPHHP Public Health Programs Office with your MPH program application materials, see below for further instructions.

2.  Apply to the MPH program by March 1, 2012

Please note that you are required to submit duplicate materials to both the UF graduate school Office of Admissions and to the CPHHP public health programs office in order to successfully apply to the mph program

A. Submit the following to the UF Graduate School Office of Admissions by March 1, 2012:

• Application form

o   Applications may be made online or by US Mail.  In either case, they must be received on or before March 1, 2012.

o   Detailed information regarding applying to the UF Graduate School is on the Graduate School website.  This includes application forms for online submission, and for printing to submit via US Mail. http://gradschool.rgp.ufl.edu/students/application-and-admission.html

o   Please note that this website will also mention letters of recommendation, however the letters that were submitted with your UF College of Veterinary Medicine application will be used for the joint program application.  There is no need to send additional letters of recommendation. 

•  Application fee (please see website for current fee)
• Official transcript(s) – these are in addition to the one(s) that were submitted with your UF College of Veterinary Medicine application (i.e. You have to submit these again, even if the College of Veterinary Medicine already has them).
• Official GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if applicable) –also in addition to those submitted with your UF College of Veterinary Medicine application (i.e. You have to submit these again, even if the College of Veterinary Medicine already has them).
• The UF Graduate School Office of Admissions does NOT need a copy of your statement of intent.

B. Submit the following to the Public Health Programs Office by March 1, 2012: 

• Original (signed and dated) Joint DVM/MPH Program statement of Intent
• Original or a copy of the Official Transcripts sent to the UF Graduate School Office of Admissions
• Original or a copy of the GRE scores, and TOEFL scores (if applicable) sent to the UF Graduate School Office of Admissions
• Detailed information about the materials to be submitted for the MPH program application can be found on the website: http://mph.ufl.edu/admissions/admission-criteria/forms/

o   Please note that the MPH admission requirement website listed above will also mention letters of reference, however the letters that were submitted with your UF College of Veterinary Medicine application will be used for the joint program application.  There is no need to send additional letters of reference.

TThe MPH program application materials must be received on or before March 1, 2012 at the following address:

University of Florida
Public Health Programs Admissions
P.O. Box 100182
Gainesville, FL 32610-0182
1-866-62-UFMPH

3.  Notify the CPHHP Public Health Programs Office and the CVM Office for Students and Instruction that your MPH application materials have been submitted (to the UF Graduate School Office of Admissions) by March 1, 2012

Please e-mail Ms. Telisha Martin (martints@phhp.ufl.edu), MPH Associate Director in the Public Health Programs Office, to let her know when and how your UF Graduate School application was submitted.  Please copy Ms. Lynnette Chaparro (chaparrol@ufl.edu), Admissions Officer in the Office for Students and Instruction, on this email so that your letters of recommendation can be sent from the CVM to the CPHHP.

4.  Apply for financial aid for summer 2012 by March 1, 2012 – if you do not wish to receive financial aid, you may skip this step

To apply for summer financial aid you must complete the 2011-2012 application at the same time you apply to the MPH program.  (Please Note:  The 2012-2013 application refers to the fall semester, so please do not use this application when applying for the summer semester aid.  You will be asked at a later date to complete the 2012-2013 form for veterinary school).

Any delay in filing the 2011-2012 application may impede assignment of funds for the summer term.  If you are unsure if you will need financial aid, please apply anyway as you can always decline later (if you do not apply prior to the March 1, 2012 deadline and later decide you do need financial aid, it may be too late to receive aid for the summer).  Financial aid application information and forms may be found at::

http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/applying/how-to-apply/

If you have questions regarding financial aid please contact Mr. Mike Menefee at (352) 273-6202 or mmenfee@ufl.edu.

5.  Admission notification and acceptance

• Successful admission to the UF Joint DVM/MPH Program requires that the following three steps be met by the stated deadlines:

A. Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been accepted to the UF College of Veterinary Medicine (the DVM program) by early March 2012.

• Accepted applicants must return their written acceptance of the DVM program invitation letter (to the CVM) by April 15, 2012.

B. Applicants will be notified whether or not they have been accepted to the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions (the MPH program) in mid to late March 2012.

• Accepted applicants must return their written acceptance of the MPH program invitation letter (to the Public Health Programs Office) by April 15, 2012.

C. The signed Joint DVM/MPH Program Acceptance Form (which will be included with your MPH letter of invitation) must also be returned to the Public Health Programs Office by April 15, 2012.

• This form is necessary to confirm your status with the joint program and to assure that you can begin the Joint DVM/MPH Program coursework in the summer semester of 2012.  A copy of this form will be provided by the Public Health Programs Office to the CVM, therefore you do NOT need to send this form to both colleges6.  Classes Online classes begin May 14, 2012.  On campus classes begin on or after July 2, 2012. An example of courses to be taken during the summer semester include:1. PHC 6001 Principles of Epidemiology – 3 credits, online, starts May 14, 20122. HAS 6114 U.S. Public Health Systems – 3 credits, online, starts May 14, 2012

  3. PHC 6313 Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health – 3 credits, online, starts                    May 14, 2012

  4. Seminars in Contemporary Public Health Issues – on campus, summer B, begins on or after July 2, 2012

   

  7.  Program contacts and additional information

  If you have questions regarding the MPH program application, please contact Ms. Telisha Martin, MPH Associate Director, Public Health Programs Office, College of Public Health and Health Professions, at (352) 273-6444 or martints@phhp.ufl.edu.

  If you have questions regarding the overall Joint DVM/MPH Program application process, please contact Ms. Lynnette Chaparro, Admissions Officer, Office for Students and Instruction, College of Veterinary Medicine, at (352) 294-4244 or chaparrol@ufl.edu.

  If you have questions regarding the Joint DVM/MPH Program (i.e. curriculum, etc), please contact Dr. Tara Anderson, DVM/MPH Program Coordinator, College of Public Health and Health Professions, at (352) 294-4331 or tcanderson@ufl.edu.

  For additional information about the UF Joint DVM/MPH Program, please see the website at http://mph.ufl.edu/programs/oncampusprograms/collaborative-degree-programs/dvm_mph/

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