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Veterinary Public Health Residency

The Ohio State University Veterinary Public Health (VPH) Residency is one of only two programs certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) in the United States. The VPH Residency is a specialized training program for veterinarians, building the next generation public health workforce. The main goal of the VPH Residency is to educate and train professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect and promote human health, using the One Health approach. To accomplish this goal, the VPH Residency provides trainees with diverse learning opportunities and experiences to create professionals in Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

Following completion of the program, Residents receive a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and are eligible to sit for the ACVPM Board Certification Exam.

 
 
As of 2020, the OSU VPH Residency has a 100% first-time pass rate for the ACVPM Board Certification Exam.

Overview

During the three-year program, Residents will obtain a strong foundation in Veterinary Public Health-related topics, such as:

Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases
Food-borne Diseases and Food Protection
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
 
Biostatistics
Environmental Health Issues Related to Agriculture and Food Production
Bioterrorism, Preparedness, and Emergency Response
 

This foundational coursework is aligned with the ACVPM Core Curriculum to thoroughly prepare Residents for the ACVPM Board Certification Exam. Additionally, Residents receive training in cross-cutting One Health competencies, such as project management, leadership, and communication across interdisciplinary stakeholders. 

Program Structure

As part of the comprehensive training program, Residents participate in Training, Experience, and Service activities aligned with ACVPM competencies. Examples of these activities are described below:

Training
 
 
Structured learning or experiential activities such as professional courses, training programs, experiential training, academic conferences, and seminars that result in the Resident gaining further knowledge in subject matter. In addition to their foundational coursework, training activities may include continuing education, the Farm to Table Program, HACCP training, and other state and federal training and exercises.
 
Experience
 
 
Informal learning or experiential activity in which the Resident will work directly with professionals in public health settings (e.g., Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, USDA-APHIS-VS) to gain hands-on experience. Experiential activities may include participating in disease outbreak investigations, performing data analysis, and preparing communications related to preparedness and response.
 
Service
 
 
Activities in which the Resident is directly involved in delivering, organizing and/or executing academic and/or professional service. Service activities provide an opportunity for Residents to put their knowledge and experience into practice. Examples may include teaching in professional or graduate-level courses and providing epidemiological or statistical support to graduate students and clinical residents.

ACVPM Board Certification Exam

As part of their academic training, it is expected that VPH Residents will prepare for and sit for the ACVPM Board Certification Examination. The OSU College of Veterinary Medicine leads an ACVPM study group, which provides additional preparatory classes, educational materials, organized discussion and study sections, and offers ready access to multiple ACVPM board-certified veterinary faculty members and boundary partner organizations, such as USDA.

Learn more about our current Residents here!

Interested individuals should electronically submit a letter of application describing their qualifications and professional goals, an updated Curriculum Vita, the most recent college transcripts, and the names and contact information of three professional references to Dr. Amanda Berrian (berrian.4@osu.edu).

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