Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine Electives
The Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine is prepared to help students arrange electives on a wide range of topics pertaining to population health, including population and clinical epidemiology, public health, preventive medicine, health promotion and international health. The following electives are normally available; other topics can be attempted on request. Objectives will be individually negotiated, and location and duration are flexible in most cases.
Epidemiology
Research electives, which can involve exploration of a topic through published literature, participation in an established project, design of a new project, or (occasionally and depending upon duration) conduct of a small research project.
- Cancer epidemiology, molecular epidemiology (Dr. N Birkett)
- Respiratory disease epidemiology, genetic epidemiology (Dr. Y Chen).
- Social epidemiology (Dr. I McDowell): in-depth review of literature linking social circumstances and health status.
- Health measurement (Dr. I McDowell): approaches used to measure health of individuals and populations, with practical experience of evaluating the quality of a particular measurement instrument.
- Epidemiology of dementia (Dr. I McDowell): including the chance to run statistical analyses of an empirical data-base and prepare a report on a chosen aspect of dementia.
- Statistical methods for clinical trials (Dr. R Nair). Design of clinical trials, determination of sample size, avoidance and management of bias, analysis and interpretation of results.
- Epidemiology and health policy (Dr. R Spasoff): measurement of population health and health needs, inequalities in health, developing preventive policy, evaluating existing policy.
Preventive Medicine
- Perinatal health (Dr. P Stewart): correlates and prevention of low birthweight.
- Prevention in clinical practice (Dr. R Spasoff): establishing guidelines for prevention, factors encouraging and discouraging their use. Library-based.
Clinical Epidemiology
Research Synthesis (Dr. G Wells). Methods for synthesizing research results, including systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Cochrane Collaboration.
Public Health
- Urban Public Health Practice, City of Ottawa Public Health. Electives will normally focus on communicable disease prevention/control or environmental health (Dr. D. Salisburys) or on health promotion, promotion of early child development, planning or program evaluation. Visits with public health workers.
- Rural public Health Practice, Leeds-Grenville & Lanark Health Unit (Brockville). Public health in a mixed urban-rural setting: communicable disease control, environmental hazards, health promotion.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Sexual Health Centre, 179 Clarence Street).
- National Public Health Practice and Surveillance, Health Canada : new systems for surveillance of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and diabetes.
International Health
- International contacts with the potential to develop into international electives (Dr. J Last).
- Local electives with the Centre for International Health and Development (Drs. Don and Elizabeth Hillman): students can explore issues related to community-based research, service and education projects in Pakistan, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Guyana, South Africa and several sites in East Africa.
Social & Community Services
Visits to or placements in community agencies serving children, youth, seniors, inner-city populations, immigrants, persons with chronic illness, disability, addictions, etc.