One Health Clinical Elective at the Franklin Park Zoo
IND 512.J
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
Students may add themselves to the waiting list for this course during add/drop periods but not during lottery periods. Please contact Dr. Rick Mitchell, rmitchell@rics.bwh.harvard.edu, for approval to enroll.
One Health is the concept that human health, animal health, and ecosystem health are interconnected and interdependent on each other. It is a framework that fosters multidisciplinary approaches to complex health problems.
Students accompany veterinarians in their daily clinical practice based at the Franklin Park Zoo in Dorchester, MA, and are actively engaged in all aspects of case management, diagnostic work-up, and treatment of zoological species. This foundation of comparative medicine provides the basis for broader discussions on One Health, while a syllabus that includes weekly reading assignments and review of current literature introduces concepts such as the protective role of biodiversity for human health, and how ecosystem disturbances and climate change can influence emerging infectious disease threats. A novel research proposal that incorporates the tenets of One Health is to be prepared, with an informal presentation to be given during the final week.
Daily activities will generally involve 4-6 hours of clinical experience (dependent on active case load) with 2 -4 hours of independent research of learning issues, presentation preparation, etc. Learning issues will be identified with each case, which the student is expected to spend independent time researching daily, being prepared to discuss the material with attendings the following day. The Department of Animal Health for Zoo New England is staffed by three full time veterinarians, board certified by the American College of Zoological Medicine, and four veterinary nurses.
Not Available for Cross Registration
