Meeting a Critical Need Public & One Health Undergraduate Program

Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine launches a new undergraduate degree program that aspires to prepare students to solve pressing local and global health issues.

Public & One Health (PAOH) degree program Co-Developer Dr. Andrea Perkins explains that first and foremost PAOH is a public health program. Public health is a scientific discipline that focuses on preventing illness and promoting health in populations.

But it has a unique spin with One Health acting as its guiding principle, which means the program “emphasizes the interconnectedness and mutual interdependency of humans, animals and the environment,” according to the PAOH website.

“We are hoping this program is an important way Auburn University can meet a critical societal need,” said Perkins.

THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC & ONE HEALTH MAJOR

Developing an undergraduate degree program was outlined in the college’s strategic plan. Amid the pandemic, Perkins and Co-Developer Dr. Kelley Steury started formulating program ideas. They brought their diverse public health backgrounds to the task, but with similar goals.

“We worked with several groups across campus. We wanted the concept of One Health and collaboration to be built into the program’s fabric. We didn’t want to just say things, we wanted to do them,” said Perkins. After conducting an external market analysis, Perkins and Steury realized the need for the PAOH degree program.

They learned there’s a strong regional and national need for public health professionals with bachelor-level training to enter the workforce. Also, they understood this program would serve the state of Alabama, which consistently ranks as one of the nation’s least healthy states.

ONE HEALTH AS GUIDING PRINCIPLE

One Health is the guiding principle for the PAOH program, but what is it?

Perkins said, “One Health focuses on addressing health challenges by exploring human, animal and environmental factors that may contribute to different problems. It seeks to improve the health of all species in our ecosystem — not by working in silos, but by collaborating, communicating and coordinating to explore all facets of a problem, not just one component.”

Perkins also promotes the concept’s emphasis on taking meaningful action to improve local and global health.

“One Health is very focused on action: how we need to develop, implement, assess and modify. Ideally, we aim to promote more meaningful and actionable steps toward the long-term improvement of health,” said Perkins.

Drawing on knowledge and expertise from different disciplines to understand health problems is what One Health is all about. And that’s exactly how Perkins and Steury went about creating the program.

REACHING OUT WITHIN AUBURN

The development of the program started with simple conversations. “This is how it happens,” said Perkins. “You reach out, talk to and engage people, see what they are offering. We have lots of space for people to contribute with different expertise.”

Diverse expertise is exactly what the program offers. Eight different colleges within Auburn University contribute important courses that cover various topics including health communications, data skills, social and behavioral health, disease ecology, environmental health, food safety and security, zoonotic diseases and more. Perkins said, “Working with other experts makes us a stronger program. People were enthusiastic and excited to participate.”

GETTING STARTED

The PAOH degree program officially starts fall 2024. However, current Auburn students looking to change their major or add a second major can join the program now, with some students already enrolled.

I am excited offering something new that is important. This program will play a critical role in inspiring a younger generation to improve the health and wellbeing of society.”

Dr. Andrea Perkins

Students interested in health and science are well-suited to this major. Within this degree, students may complete all courses required for entry into medical, veterinary, or other professional school, or graduate studies in public health or biomedical sciences. Graduates of this program also have the option to begin working in entry-level careers in public health.

“Our goal, first and foremost, is to enroll students who truly want to be in this program — they must be passionate about public health,” said Perkins. Perkins is excited about what this program means for Auburn, its students, the state of Alabama and the world beyond. “I am excited about offering something new that is important,” said Perkins. “This program will play a critical role in inspiring a younger generation to improve the health and wellbeing of society.”

Why did you decide to pursue a minor in Public Health?

I decided to pursue a minor in Public Health at Auburn University because my undergraduate College of Agriculture advisor brought this degree to my attention and told me about all the opportunities this education could bring in the future. I found out very quickly that she was 100% correct! Public Health has opened so many doors for job opportunities and shown me an education I would have never been exposed to. I am so thankful for my advisor and her introduction to the world of Public Health!

How did what you learned from the Public Health minor prepare you for the DVM curriculum?

There are numerous ways that I feel the Public Health minor equipped me for the DVM curriculum, but I would say the most valuable way was by exposing me to topics and issues all around me that I had never been exposed to previously.

For example, the epidemiology class in the Public Health minor taught me about the value of surveys and the way diseases are spread throughout herds and the world. It was an invaluable class that taught me so much. Another way the Public Health minor prepared me was through the concept of One Health. I learned that veterinarians play a vital role in One Health and that through our work we can have a positive impact on the health of the environment, animals and humans.

What would you tell a prospective student to encourage them to pursue the Public Health minor or the new Public & One Health major?

I would tell any student that was thinking about pursuing either of these degrees to try out the first class and I promise they will be immediately pulled in and intrigued! Once you take your first Public Health class, you start to see public health in every single thing you do because it truly applies to everything in the world around us. I encourage every student that is curious to just go for it and they will be so happy they did! The knowledge and skills you will learn through this degree are applicable to everything you do in your life from now on.

In your opinion, how are Public Health and Veterinary Medicine connected? How do they complement each other?

Veterinary Medicine and Public Health are two fields that could not function without each other because of how interconnected they are. From issues like food safety and security to diseases that can be transferred between people and animals, veterinarians have the unique knowledge and experience to address the many ways animals and people impact one another. When veterinary professionals are aware and educated on public health issues, we can adapt our actions for the betterment of the world regarding herd health, vaccinations, current diseases/issues, needs in the community we serve and so much more. The Public Health field relies on veterinary professionals to help with the development of new drugs for both people and animals. Communities are best served when veterinarians and public health officials work together to solve today’s complex issues. It is vital for the fields of veterinary medicine and public health to be on the same page so we can aid each other and assist in the world around us to make a healthier world for the people, animals and environment that will be left long after our time here is done.