St. George's University Launches Master's Level Public Health MOOC

GRENADA, West Indies, Nov. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 900 students began work this week in "One Health, One Medicine: A Global Health Approach," St. George's University's first massive online open course (MOOC).

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Taught by Dr. Satesh Bidaisee, Associate Professor and Deputy Chair of St. George's Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and designed and developed by Jonathan Modica of Nutmeg Education, the MOOC covers all global health issues that require human and veterinary applications for solutions.

"The University is uniquely positioned to offer this cutting-edge course because we deliver programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, graduate studies, and arts and sciences, and also offer interdisciplinary learning," said Dr. Bidaisee. "With 75 percent of all human infections derived from animal origin, there is a critical need to determine common solutions."

Charles Modica, Chancellor of St. George's University, said "The University is at the forefront of the One Health One Medicine concept and this course lies at the heart of our mission to give back to the world in a deeper way. We will distribute more courses like this to citizens in third-world countries, empowering them with the knowledge to live healthier lives."

The "One Health, One Medicine: A Global Health Approach" MOOC is a free non-credit bearing course, hosted on the Canvas network, self-paced over an eight-week block of time, and open to the public. It is geared toward pre-medical and pre-veterinary medical students, as well as anyone interested in public health and MPH studies including medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, life sciences, environmental health, health management and international health. Divided into seven modules, this course examines emerging infectious diseases, zoonotic diseases, food safety, environmental health, and international health. The course is comprised of video lectures that can be completed in weekly blocks requiring two hours of contact time per week. At the end of the seven modules, there are also discussions, case studies to prepare and submit and quizzes which can be completed within the eighth (final) week of the course.

The University plans to introduce advanced courses, building on students' knowledge and application of the concept of one health one medicine in their respective fields of health care. In addition, the introductory course will be offered again this spring.

About St. George's University 
St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from over 140 countries to the island of Grenada, West Indies. St. George's is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. The University has contributed over 13,000 physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals who are studying across the world. The University programs are accredited and approved by many governing authorities. For more information, visit www.sgu.edu.

About Satesh Bidaisee, DVM, MSB, MSPH, CPH, FRSPH
Dr. Satesh Bidaisee is an associate professor and the deputy chairman for the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine at St. George's University, Grenada. As a research investigator, Dr. Bidaisee supports community-based participatory activities in the areas of zoonotic disease prevention and control, emerging infectious diseases, food safety and food security, and the pursuit of the One Health concept. Research projects include Chagas Disease prevention and control programs in South America, Abattoir design and development for the Eastern Caribbean, and reptile conservation programs in Grenada. Dr. Bidiasee holds degrees as Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH). Dr. Bidiasee is also a member of the Society of Biology (MSB), United States National Board of Public Health Examiners, Certified in Public Health (CPH), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH). Dr. Bidaisee also holds memberships to the International Society on Infectious Diseases, Food and Agriculture Organization, Veterinary Public Health Global Network, and the American Public Health Association.

About Nutmeg Education
Nutmeg Education, LLC was founded in 2012 by Jonathan Modica and Teddy Hills with the mission of supporting educators with online tools that save them time and make them more effective in the process. Nutmeg's first tool connects the results of teachers' own quizzes to the vast pool of free online resources, creating a structured, individualized way for students to use those free resources to improve. At the same time, teachers receive a comprehensive profile of student understanding to help drive their instruction. It all feeds into Nutmeg's ultimate goal: to increase student achievement everywhere.

SOURCE St. George's University