The Center for One Health Research is pioneering the education of physicians and other medical providers in One Health clinical competencies. COHR is one of the few institutions in the US offering One Health training opportunities for medical students and residents.
Clinical elective in One Health
COHR is the coordinating center for the medical student clinical elective in One Health (FAMED 690) offered through the UW Medicine Department of Family Medicine. This elective is by permission of the instructor and is open to visiting students as well.
This clinical elective provides medical students with a conceptual framework and clinical exposure through which to explore the multitude of clinical applications of the One Health paradigm in a multidisciplinary context. These clinical applications include diagnosis and management of zoonotic infectious diseases, managing animal allergy, bites, and other animal related hazards, and leveraging the power of the human animal bond in the medical context. Through hands on clinical experience at the Woodland Park Zoo, wildlife rehabilitation centers, the Seattle Aquarium, Harborview Medical Center Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic, the UW Zoonotic Disease clinic, the One Health homeless health care clinics and other sites, students will gain experience working with interdisciplinary teams on species spanning approaches to health.
One Health track in Occupational and Environmental Medicine
COHR worked with the UW Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) Residency to create a One Health track in Occupational and Environmental Medicine for OEM resident/fellow training.
Trainees in the UW OEM One Health Track have the opportunity to get specialized training in emerging infectious diseases and the occupational health and safety of animal workers. One Health is an approach to emerging diseases that considers connections between human, animal, and environmental health. Animal workers represent the front lines of the transmission of zoonotic infections between animals and people. OEM practitioners with special training in One Health can play a key role in the global effort to detect, prevent, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats.