University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

PUBLIC HEALTH

Background
Prior to the 20th Century, public health was a part of the everyday activities of the physician.  The ancients, like Hippocrates, promulgated the notion that  environment, behavior, and social factors were viable considerations in the diagnoses and treatment of the patient.

Importance for Future Healthcare:  New Mexico History in the Making
The vision of the national Institute of Medicine is to train physicians in public health as a strategy to promote the public’s health and well being. The Department feels strongly that its residents should learn a set of community and public health skills to enhance its graduates capacity to improve the health of the communities they serve.  The Department is rich in faculty with doctorates or masters in public health (see faculty profiles on this website), and one of its Vice Chairs, Dr. Lily Dow-Velarde, has as a primary interest the integration of public health and medicine.

Certificate of Public Health
Residents in the UNM Family Medicine program are offered the opportunity to graduate with a Certificate in Public Health. The 15 course credits required for the Certificate is equivalent to a little less than half the credits required for a Masters in Public Health. The Certificate has been created to emphasize the importance the residency program places upon these skill sets. These credits fit into the existing 3-year residency curriculum.  They include 6 credits for a community project (required of all residents), 3 credits for Principles of Public Health (planned longitudinally for residents’ grand rounds), 3 credits for Epidemiology (web based) and Biostatistics, 1 credit for Evidence-Based Medicine, and 2 elective credits.

• How do I register for the Certificate of Public Health?

Masters in Public Health
The MPH program at UNM is run by the faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Residents who come with a Certificate will likely be able to complete their MPH during the residency.  Residents who complete the Certificate during the residency can complete MPH during an additional year.  The residency program is currently considering the completion of the MPH during an additional fellowship year, combining both forms of training.  For example, the MPH could be completed during a Rural fellowship, a Geriatrics fellowship or a Family Medicine-OB fellowship.

For More Information   If interested in this option, please contact Dr. Lily Dow-Velarde at livelarde@salud.unm.edu