Advt. No. 1632                                                                                

Date: 20 April 2010

 

 

Advertisement for Admission into

Masters in Public Health (MPH) Degree Programme

 

The Ravenshaw University, the oldest institution of higher learning in Orissa, in collaboration with Asian Institute of Public Health (AIPH) Bhubaneswar, one of the premier Public Health Institutes of South-East Asia, are enrolling students into the MPH degree programme for the academic session 2010-2012.

 

Currently, there is a critical need for and acute shortage of skilled human resources to support and improve the public health of India. There is a need for trained manpower to help accomplish the mandates under the new programmes such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and to provide sustained expertise for strengthening the health systems, improve various health indices, and be prepared to address the challenges brought about by rapid industrialization and natural disasters. There are 10,000 jobs at the district and block levels under the NRHM programme alone. Many more would be  needed soon to cater to the needs in other health sector enterprises, in national and international health agencies as well as to support and develop the hospital, and public health informatics infrastructures in India and abroad.

 

Even in the advanced western countries such as USA, there is a growing public health workforce shortage at the local, state and federal levels. The number of public health workers declined to 158 workers per 100,000 Americans in 2000, compared to 220 workers per 100,000 Americans in 1980. Within the next few years, state and federal public health agencies could lose up to half of their workforce, mostly to retirement.

In order to meet the above local, national, and global needs, the MPH programme at the Ravenshaw University has been designed.

 

Students in this programme will complete 45 credits of course work and 15 credits of research in a topic of their choice under direct faculty mentorship. They will be taught by India, and USA-based faculty members of eminence. Six core courses (18 credits) accredited by CePH (Council of Education on Public Health in USA) will be part of this curriculum leading to a U.S. accredited public health certificate. These credits can be applied for future studies (in graduate programmes such as DrPH and PhD) in USA. Apart from acquiring basic skills in major domains of public health, students will take special courses in occupational and environmental health, public health informatics and clinical and behavioural sciences. They will also have the opportunity of taking special electives towards separate certificates and diplomas to advance their skills during the MPH years. They will interact with visiting students and scholars from USA and other foreign countries under the north-south consortium, where AIPH has been chosen as the only Indian partnering institute of public health. Depending on personal interest and chosen area of specialization, students can also choose to do their research at attached field sites (in three districts of Orissa with fully developed field sites, attached hospitals, and data centers), with partnering NGOs, on government–run programmes, or visit partnering U.S. institutions where they can perform all or part of their research credits under direct supervision of a thesis advisor.

 

Important Data about the Admission Process and the MPH Programme

Eligibility

Bachelors degree in medical and paramedical sciences (MBBS, AYUSH, BVSc, Pharmacy, Nursing, etc.) or Masters degree in Life/Social & Behavioral Sciences or equivalent degree in any other allied stream.

 

Application Fees and Form

A demand draft for Rs. 500 (Five Hundred) only, drawn in favour of:

Ravenshaw-AIPH MPH Programme,  payable at Bhubaneswar

Must accompany each Application Form (down-loadable atApplication Form MPH’ )

 

Last date for Receiving Application : June 30, 2010

Address for mailing the Application Form & Draft :

Convenor 

Ravenshaw-AIPH MPH Programme

Asian Institute of Public Health

N5 / 421 IRC Village; Naya Palli

Bhubaneswar– 751015 
   
Entrance (on-line) Examination and Interviews
June 25, 2010. (if needed, June26 as well )

Commencement of Academic Session  July 19, 2010.

Course Fee :    Rs 2 Lakhs per year

Total number of seats :     60

 

More information can be found at http://www.ravenshawuniversity.ac.in and http://www.aiph.ac.in .

 

For specific questions, please contact MPH@aiph.ac.in or call 0674-6574656, 092383-56139, 94370-94236

 

 

Examples of Courses for MPH Programme

 

1. Foundation of Public Health

This is an introductory survey course, which will ensure that all MPH students, within their first full year of study, are exposed to the fundamental concepts and theories which provide the basis for the body of knowledge in the field of public health.  This course will prepare students to work in public health with a sound theoretical, conceptual and historical basis for their work.  It will also ground them with a practical understanding of public health.  

 

2. Epidemiology: Theory and Applications

The overall course goal is to help students: learn epidemiologic and public health approaches in prevention and control of health problems, gain quantitative analytical skills, understand strengths and weaknesses of different epidemiologic study designs, interpret public health data and epidemiology research findings, and research ethics. 

 

3. Biostatistics

This course is designed to prepare the graduate student to understand and apply biostatistical methods needed in the design and analysis of biomedical and public health investigations. The major topics to be covered include types of data, descriptive statistics and plots, theoretical distributions, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, and one-way analysis of variance.  A brief introduction to correlation and univariate linear regression will also be given.  The course is intended for graduate students and health professionals interested in the design and analysis of biomedical or public health studies. 

 

4. Health Behavior

The purpose of this course is to study the theoretical foundations of health behavior.  Students will develop an understanding of the determinants of health behavior, the models and theories that provide a framework for researching, predicting, and understanding health behavior, and the strategies employed to bring about behavioral changes for health and disease prevention. They will understand social cognitive theory, diffusion of innovation, self efficacy, cognitive dissonance, health belief model, and trans-theoretical models.

 

5. Public Health, Environment, and Society

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to environmental/ occupational factors including biological, physical and chemical factors that affect the health of human communities.

 

6. Critical Issues in Global Health

In recent years, the boundaries among countries have become less defined and people from all corners of the world now feel the effect of globalization. This affects health, economy, culture, and the society. The changing political environment in a country also plays an important role. This course will provide the students with an essential understanding of the global health issues to prepare them for further studies and a career in global health.

 

7. Health Systems and Health Services Administration

This course is designed to be an introduction to the health systems in India and management of health services organizations.  This course will introduce students to the types of health services organizations and health systems in the context surrounding the administration of these organizations and delivery of health care services, and the skills needed to manage a health services organization within this setting.

 

8. Health Promotion:

The purpose of this course is to develop a critical understanding of the theory, concepts and practical issues relating to health promotion. The students will develop professional competences to analyze the need for prevention and health promotion in any setting. They will be able to design, implement, and evaluate preventive or health promotion programmes.

 

9. Health Management

The objective if this course is to provide some of the basic and practical skill sets required in public health management. While this course is also offered under a separate certificate programme to technical, administrative, and support personnel, it is also considered a mandatory course for MPH degree students. Students will learn how to build leadership qualities and communicate effectively.

 

10.  Health Economics

Understanding the basic principles of economics helps in effective management and governance of the health care sector. This course is designed for non-economists to learn and apply different tools in managing thiscomplex sector.

 

11. Health Policy

To impart a general understanding of the logic and process of public policy-making in health. This course will enable students to undertake preliminary analysis of health policy issues.

 

12. Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

To teach basic principles of infectious disease epidemiology, including outbreak investigation and an understanding of the transmission and control of infectious diseases.

 

13. Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases

To make the students understand the importance of non-communicable/chronic (NCD) diseases, their trends, distribution and modalities to control NCDs.

 

14. Applied Research in Public Health

This course will assist candidates to develop the basic skills to conduct applied research to address contemporary problems in public health. The course will emphasize proposal writing, data collection, research design, statistical analysis, computer application, and writing of research reports.

 

Courses available at the AIPH Center for Public Health Informatics

 

1. Introduction to Public Health Informatics

The overall course goal is to help students: introduce to informatics and different informatics categories, overview of public health informatics, its concepts, principles, and application, public health planning, public health information systems and evaluation.

 

2. Overview of Public Health Information Systems

 

The course goal is to help students: introduction to information architecture, overview and advantages of different types of databases, data standards in public health informatics, privacy, confidentiality and security of public health, describe global public health information systems and introduction and evaluation of risk assessment information systems,

3. Advanced Public Health Informatics

 

The overall course goal is to help students: overview clinical decision support systems, geographic Information Systems, public health surveillance systems, barriers to implementation of Public health information systems and future applications of Public health informatics

 

4. Computer mediated Health Education and Health Promotion

 

The overall course goal is to help students: Web based approaches to health education and health promotion, role of health literacy and varied learning needs of public health consumers, and different stakeholders, information retrieval, and quality and content of health information on the internet, public health messages. 

Course offered at the AIPH Center for Translational Research

1. Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in Clinical Research

Course Objective:

1. To understand international rules on medical ethics

2. To familiarize scholars in the Indian and international drug development process

3. To equip attendees with tools to carry out different phases of clinical trials

4. To provide insights into monitoring, data  management, and  reporting requirements for conducting studies of the highest quality meeting national and international standards

 

Topics to be covered : Drug discovery and development process, Pre-clinical studies,

Phase I, II, III, IV clinical trials, Ethics in clinical research- historic perspective, International conference on harmonization (ICH), Good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines, IRB/IEC role and responsibilities, Investigator’s role and responsibilities, Sponsor’s role and responsibilities, Regulatory authority’s role and responsibilities, Clinical data management overview, Designing protocols and CRFs, and Reporting of SAEs/AEs. This course will also include mock trials, audits, and reporting.

Course offered at the AIPH Center for Surveillance and Emerging Diseases

 

1.Surveillance, Epidemic Preparedness and Response

Epidemics and outbreaks pose serious threats to the already weakened health systems in low and middle income countries.  Apart from the morbidity and mortality, they also have long-term social and economic consequences. Therefore, it becomes essential for the managers working in the health systems to know how to identify, plan, and respond to epidemics. Topics in this course will cover principles of disease surveillance, methods of designing a new surveillance system, IDSP–Disease Surveillance in India/OMDSS in Orissa, methods to formulate a response to a “new” or “unknown” disease, principles of disease transmission, outbreak management and control, emerging and re-emerging communicable diseases, laboratory-based surveillance systems, analytical methods in outbreak investigation, epidemic preparedness and response, and case studies.

 

Faculty for the MPH Programme

Surendra K. Mishra, MSc, PGDA, DCS

Health systems, behavioural sciences and communication, reproductive health

 

Ashish Joshi, MD, MPH

Public health informatics, health outcomes research, design of multi-component interventions

 

P N Padmanabhan, PhD, FAAASc

Nutrition, non-invasive methods for monitoring gastrointestinal health, cancer prevention

 

Seba Mohapatra, MD

Maternal Health, health systems

 

Pinaki Panigrahi, MD, PhD
Epidemiology, field surveillance, human research protection, clinical trials

 

P. K. Senapati, MD
Health systems, health care delivery and administration

 

S. Ramanathan,MPhil

Health economics and finance, reporuductive health, gender and equity

Pritish Nanda, PGDHM, MPH
Health communication, hospital management, social mobilization, programme management

E. Venkata Rao, MD
Epidemiology, financial management

Niharika Khanna, MD, DCH
HPV epidemiology, cervical cancer, cancer vaccines

 

Prasanna Nair, MD, MPH

Maternal and child health, epidemiology, HIV/AIDS

Patrik Johansson, MD, MPH

Health communication, community-based participatory research

Ayman El-Mohandes, MD, MPH

International health, programme evaluation

J. Glenn Morris Jr, MD, MPH&TM

Infectious diseases, Cholera, emerging and re-emerging diseases

Ira H. Gewolb, MD
Newborn health, biostatistics

Judith A. Johnson, PhD
Infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, clinical microbiology

Magda G. Peck, ScD

Leadership development and practice, childhood well being evaluation

Chandran Achutan, PhD

Occupational and environmental health

Hala Azzam, PhD, MPH

Workforce development and training, field assessments, HIV/AIDS

Hrishikesh Chakraborty, DrPH

Biostatistics, epidemiology, cluster randomized trials

James Sherry, MD,PhD
Health policy, international health

Jaime Gofin, MD, PhD
Programme evaluation, community-oriented primary care

Li-Wu Chen, MHSA, PhD

Health economics, cost-effectiveness analysis, health care utilization by underserved population

KM Monirul Islam, MBBS, PhD

Epidemiology, international health, development of surveillance system and evaluation

 Ge Lin, PhD

GIS and spatial statistics, statistic methods for defining and quantifying their spatial signals