***This article first appeared in Pulse magazine***

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine welcomes applications for the Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) degree program. The 1–2-year graduate degree is open to veterinarians and other professionals in herd and One Health, and provides the professional education necessary to be leaders in critical assessment and application of epidemiological and quantitative methods for solving animal, human, and ecological population health problems.

The program, founded in 1967 by “Father of One Health” Calvin Schwabe, has always recognized the interconnectedness of animal and human health. This holistic view of population health prepares graduates for American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine board certification and careers in public health, wildlife, livestock, One Health, and more.

The program is built on a solid foundation of epidemiology and biostatistics, with additional core courses in Infectious Disease Surveillance, Leadership & Risk Communication, Emerging Issues in One Health, Information Management, and Research Planning. Elective courses in zoonotic disease, food safety, ecology, diagnostic test evaluation, simulation modeling, and risk analysis are available. In addition to coursework, students complete a population health research project for publication.

Megan Moriarty, DVM, completed the MPVM program in 2013, and conducted research on ear-canal cancer that affects Santa Catalina Island foxes during her studies.

“The program was a great experience for me to understand how diseases can be discovered and managed in wildlife populations,” said Dr. Moriarty.

Students benefit from small class sizes, close student-faculty relationships, and a diverse group of classmates that are typically at least 50% international. The MPVM program can be completed in one year, but many students do the program over two years.

More than 1,000 graduates from 87 countries have excelled worldwide in leadership, academic, and research positions with universities, private industry, international agencies, non-governmental organizations, and governments in the United States and 74 other countries.

MPVM alumni are:
•    Faculty at veterinary and medical schools
•    Livestock herd health veterinarians
•    Regulatory/public health veterinarians at state, national, and international levels
•    Wildlife veterinarians
•    Epidemiologists with non-governmental organizations
•    Agricultural researchers
•    Shelter veterinarians
•    Laboratory animal veterinarians
•    Epidemiology consultants
•    Military veterinarians
•    And much more!

Aiko Adell, DVM, PhD, conducted research on waterborne pathogens, risk analysis, and environmental health during her MPVM coursework. She is currently a faculty member at Universidad Andres Bello in Chile.

UC Davis faculty are renowned for their expertise in wildlife, One Health, livestock, ecology, epidemiologic methods, and other fields. They are full-time members of the UC Davis academic senate and federation, conducting research and public service that informs their instruction and provides students with up-to-date information on topics relevant to their degree studies.

The annual priority application period for financial aid consideration is September 1 to January 15. The final application date is June 1. For California residents who would be willing to teach during their MPVM program, the total cost of pursuing the MPVM degree can be revenue neutral.

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