Introduction • History at UM

Project History

The following is a brief history of the steps followed in creating, approving, and implementing the curriculum model selected at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. This timeline provides a limited, but useful, perspective on this process.

Years One and Two

Interdepartmental faculty discussions led to consideration of a new concentration in public health genetics. Enthusiasm for the project led a smaller group of SPH faculty to begin outlining the structure of the new curriculum and to analyze courses presently available within the medical, basic science, public health, law, social work, nursing, and undergraduate curriculum. These efforts created a curriculum model in public health genetics at the University of Michigan that includes three core courses, one elective, and a summer internship experience. These elements may be completed by a master's or doctoral student and are available to students enrolled in any of the five departments at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Year Three

Appropriate SPH academic approval was sought and obtained for the new curriculum and two of the core courses (the third course already existed in the SPH curriculum). A director of the new curriculum was appointed to serve on a five-year rotation basis. An interdisciplinary faculty committee, representing all SPH departments agreed to meet on a regular basis to advise on and monitor the progress of the new curriculum. Recruitment activities targeted at students already accepted for the upcoming fall semester began and resulted in the selection of the first cohort (Cohort I) of students electing to pursue this curriculum concentration. The first core course in the curriculum, an introductory human genetics course, was offered in the fall and efforts were underway to develop summer internship experiences for the following year. Expansion of library resources in genetics and public health was pursued.

Year Four

Cohort I enrolled in the second core course in the curriculum, a genetics and epidemiology course, and in the summer undertook genetics-related internship experiences. Meanwhile, the third core course, a new genetics and public policy course was designed and approved by the SPH. In the fall of this year, Cohort I took the third course and Cohort II enrolled and began sequencing through the curriculum.

Year Five

Cohort I students completed their concentration elective course and graduated from the public health genetic curriculum in the spring. Cohort II students have taken the second course and completed their genetic internships during the summer. In the fall, Cohort III enrolled and cohort II completed their sequence of core courses.

Fall 2001

At this point we have had six cohorts of students start in the PHGIC.

TOP

Introduction | Self-Study Guide | Curriculum | Student Testimonials | Links

Home | UM SPH

In you have any questions, please contact: geneticsed@umich.edu