• Angel eLearning  

Public Health Clerkship

Ravinder Mamtani, M.D., Course Director
Deema Al-Sheikhly, MRes, Clinical Curriculum Coordinator

The Clerkship in Public Health, a two-week required course, focuses on public health and health care systems with an emphasis on health care delivery, health promotion, and community aspects of practice. This course is an overview of major public health issues, and the way health care is delivered and organized in the United States and in Qatar. Additionally, the course examines relevant global health issues and health care delivery in other nations to help students better understand the broader aspects of public health.

Specifically, this clerkship presents a wider exposure to various aspects of health care delivery; health care financing and health policy; disease prevention and health promotion; and various community aspects of practice such as environmental and occupational health, and global health. The course is presented by means of lectures and seminars in the specific topic areas. Site visits to health care organizations and facilities, and teamwork are integral parts of the clerkship. The students are also introduced to various topics currently being debated in the health care field.

The course is presented by means of lectures and seminars led by individuals working in the specific topic areas, as well as site visits to health care organizations and public health. Faculty and professionals from other organizations and academic institutions are invited to discuss and or debate contemporary public health issues. This clerkship also uses small group collaboration and discussion approach. Working in teams promotes coordination of written and oral communication skills. It encourages participants in building partnerships. These skills are vital to public health professionals.

A series of field placements and seminars are scheduled over the two-week period. Lecture / seminar discussions and the experience gained during site visits complement each other. Time slots are available for small group collaboration and discussions, as well as for preparing oral presentations. Examples of course topics include public health and its challenges, health care delivery in the US and other nations in the Middle East such as Qatar, global health, emerging diseases, occupational and environmental health, life style medicine, disease prevention and changing paradigm of health care.

Course grade is based on class participation, site visit attendance, and oral presentation and written paper.