Family and Preventive Medicine
[ undergraduate
program | graduate program ]
Courses
For course descriptions not found in the UC San Diego General Catalog, 2014–15, please contact the department for more information.
Lower Division
FPMU 40. Introduction to Public Health (4)
This course provides an introduction to the infrastructure of public health; the analytical tools employed by public health practitioners; bio-psychosocial perspectives of public health problems; health promotion/disease prevention; quality assessment in public health; and legal and ethical concerns.
FPMU 50. Primary Care and Public Health (4)
This course explores historical and current interactions, achievements and challenges of primary care and public health. It will analyze the impact of common medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, mental health disorders, and others on individuals, their families, and society.
Upper Division
FPMU 101A. Epidemiology and Biostatistics A (4)
This course will introduce the fundamentals of epidemiology and biostatistics, including methods to student distributions and determinants of infectious and chronic diseases and how this information is used to identify modes of transmission, and develop and statistically test etiologic hypotheses. Prerequisites: FPMU 40 and upper-division standing.
FPMU 101B. Epidemiology and Biostatistics B (4)
This course will present analytic epidemiologic study designs and the statistical methods used to examine associations between risk factors and health outcomes. Topics will include case-control and cohort studies, randomized clinical trials, causality, bias, confounding, effect modification, and multivariable analysis. Prerequisites: FPMU 101A, Psych 60 or Math 11, and upper-division standing.
FPMU 110. Health Behavior and Chronic Diseases (4)
This course introduces health behavior concepts through applications to chronic disease prevention. The focus is on smoking, dietary behaviors, and physical activity and is organized around relationships to health, measurement, influencing factors, interventions, and translation to public health practice. Prerequisites: FPMU 40 and upper-division standing.
FPMU 120. Health Policies for Healthy Lifestyles (4)
This course covers the rationale for and effectiveness of policies to influence nutrition, physical activity, and substance use behavior. Policies include legalization, taxation, labeling, produce manufacturing, warning labels, licensing, marketing, and counter-marketing practices and restrictions on use. Prerequisites: FPMU 110 and upper-division standing.
FPMU 130. Environmental and Occupational Health (4)
This core public health course addresses the fundamentals of environmental and occupational health, including identification of hazards, basic toxicology, risk assessment, prevention/protection, and regulatory/control policies. Specific environmental and occupational hazards and relevant case studies will be presented. Prerequisites: FPMU 50, FPMU 101A and upper-division standing.
FPMU 199. Independent Study (2-4)
Individual undergraduate study or research not covered by the present course offerings. Study or research must be under the direction of a faculty member in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and approval must be secured from the faculty member prior to registering. P/NP grades only. May be taken for credit three times. Prerequisites: upper-division standing, completion of ninety units of UC San Diego undergraduate study, a minimum UC San Diego GPA of 2.5, consent of instructor, and a completed and approved Special Studies form.
Graduate
FPM 231. Exposure Assessment and Biomarkers in Epidemiology (2)
To address how exposure assessment accuracies or biases can influence study outcomes and conclusions in epidemiology. Special emphasis will be on biomarkers as recent measures of exposure.
FPM 232. Perinatal Epidemiology (1)
This guest-lectured weekly seminar will address the cause (e.g. AIDS, substance abuse), diagnosis, and treatment of various perinatal diseases. The student will gain in-depth knowledge of obstetric-pediatric diseases through a medical, legal, and epidemiologic perspective.
FPM 233. Clinical Nutrition (2)
Clinical nutrition is the study of nutrition and diet as related to the prevention and treatment of human disease. Nutrition is an interdisciplinary field of study, built on a foundation of biomedical and behavioral sciences. This course emphasizes class discussion of clinical topics and assigned readings in current areas of research and practice (i.e., diet and cancer, vitamin and other diet supplements), with case studies and illustrative class exercises.
FPM 237. Microarray Technology and Informatics (2)
This course is an introduction to microarray technology and analysis of gene expression data. This ten-lecture course will cover a range of microarray topics including platform types. Image processing, experimental design, and statistical analysis and application in medicine and health sciences.
FPM 238. Introduction to Clinical Family Medicine (1-7)
Introduction to clinical ambulatory medicine where students spend one afternoon per week in a physician’s practice participating in patient care commensurate with their training. Students may opt to continue the course over successive quarters or enroll full time during the summer for up to four weeks. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit two times. Prerequisites: medical student status.
FPM 243. Genetics and Health Behavior (3)
Explore the often controversial role of genetics in health care behavior research. Topics include inherited predisposition to common diseases, genetics and health behaviors, prenatal testing and cultural issues in genetic medicine. Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student or consent of instructor.
FPM 244. Clinical and Public Health Elective, Baja California, Mexico (2)
(Cross-listed with MED 248) Integrated clinical and public health experience with U.S. and Mexican graduate student and faculty teams over three to four days in Baja California, Mexico; emphasis on common clinical and public health problems in underserved populations. Minimal working knowledge of Spanish recommended. May be taken for credit four times. Prerequisites: UC San Diego SOM student and graduate students with consent of instructor.
FPM 245. Essentials of Global Health (4)
Illustrates and explores ecologic settings and frameworks for study and understanding of global health and international health policy. Students acquire understanding of diverse determinants and trends of disease in various settings and inter-relationships between socio-cultural-economic development and health. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: medical or graduate student.
FPM 246. Occupational/Environmental Health (2)
An introduction to the history and epidemiology of work-related disease. A review of occupational-related health problems, i.e., heart disease, pneumoconiosis, peripheral neuropathy, sterility, birth defects, psychiatric problems. Emphasis on the occupational history in the diagnosis of job-related disease and disability. Major modalities of prevention and control will be presented and the role of health practitioners, government, management and labor will be reviewed. The course will include guest lecturers, films, videotapes and field visits to local industries and/or clinicians treating occupational diseases. Prerequisites: SM 208.
FPM 247. Clinical Epidemiology Seminar (2)
This seminar is designed to expand the student’s understanding of clinical epidemiology by investigating several major controversial issues, such as treatment of breast cancer, oral hypoglycemic in diabetes, and dietary habits as a risk factor for coronary artery disease. The seminar will address clinical and methodological issues in the epidemiology of various chronic diseases.
FPM 252. Problems in Global Health (1)
This is a highly practical course focusing on implementation of successful methodologies to solve global health issues. Emphasis is on how poverty and health are connected. Examination of the elements of successful interventions will be discussed using case studies drawn from real-life situations. Prerequisites: graduate student or medical student.
FPM 257. Cancer: Cause and Prevention (2)
This course will provide an overview of the problem of cancer and its avoidable causes. It covers some of the hottest topics currently facing cancer prevention professional as they try to prevent cancer from occurring in the first place and delay its progression.
FPM 258A. Public Health Doctoral Lecture Series I (2)
This first quarter of a three quarter sequence combines didactic instruction, interactive sessions and student presentations. Topics cover study design, ethics, data analysis and management techniques, and qualitative research will be presented. Focus: lectures (different from II or III). Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student, SOM student.
FPM 258B. Public Health Doctoral Lecture Series II (2)
This second quarter of a three quarter sequence combines didactic instruction, interactive sessions and student presentations. Topics cover study design, ethics, data analysis and management techniques, and qualitative research will be presented. Focus: lectures (different from I or III). Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student, SOM student, FPM 258A.
FPM 258C. Public Health Doctoral Lecture Series III (2)
This third quarter of a three quarter sequence combines didactic instruction, interactive sessions and student presentations. Topics cover study design, ethics, data analysis and management techniques, and qualitative research will be presented. Focus: lectures (different from I or II). Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student, SOM student, FPM 258B.
FPM 259A. Applied Epidemiology—Scientific Analysis (6)
Students will explore an epidemiologic research question by reviewing relevant published literature, and then design and conduct appropriate data analysis using a pre-existing dataset. May be taken for credit two times. Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate students.
FPM 259B. Applied Epidemiology—Scientific Writing (6)
Students will learn the principles of scientific writing, review examples of scientific literature, and then complete a manuscript suitable for publication based on their project from FPM 259A. May be taken for credit two times. Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student, FPM 259A.
FPM 259C. Applied Epidemiology—Scientific Presentations (6)
Students will learn the principles of scientific presentations, for the classroom, and for scientific meetings (both oral and poster presentations). Students will then prepare and deliver presentations based on their project from FPM 259A. May be taken for credit two times. Prerequisites: Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health graduate student, FPM 259B.
FPM 270. Cultural Perceptions of Health and Disease (4)
To improve knowledge about health and illness within cultural contexts, including review and discussions of epidemiologic studies describing health indicators/beliefs/practices. Students interact with experts in cross-cultural health research to explore ethnicity/culture in health care delivery and utilization, and disease risk. Prerequisites: medical or graduate student. Other students admitted with consent of instructor.
FPM 272. Community Advocacy (4)
The UC San Diego Student-Run Free Clinic Project operates in partnership with two community programs for the homeless and an inner-city elementary school. Students participate in didactic sessions learning principles of working with the underserved and are supervised in clinical, health education, and administrative roles at the clinic sites. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: medical student.
FPM 277. Health Behavior Interventions II (4)
This course focuses on critical analyses of success and failure of behavior theories as applied to interventions in multiple fields (e.g. smoking, dietary behavior, and physical activity). It covers individual and population approaches to behavior change. Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the UC San Diego/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (PU 75 and PU 76).
FPM 278. Scale Development for Behavioral Health Measurement (4)
Course will present theory and methods for developing scales to assess health behavior constructs (e.g., self-efficacy, social support). Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health. Graduate level statistics or research methods class.
FPM 280A. Practicum in Health Behavior I (4)
Students will learn about grant writing, project management, and preparation of manuscripts for publication and presentations for scientific meetings, and also work individually with a faculty mentor to learn how to conduct a health behavior intervention. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (PU75 and PU75). Courses must be completed in sequence (e.g., A before B and B before C).
FPM 280B. Practicum in Health Behavior II (4)
Students will learn about grant writing, project management, and preparation of manuscripts for publication and presentations for scientific meetings, and also work individually with a faculty mentor in preparing manuscripts using data from a specific health behavior intervention. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (PU75 and PU75). Courses must be completed in sequence (e.g., A before B and B before C).
FPM 280C. Practicum in Health Behavior III (4)
Students will learn about grant writing, project management, and preparation of manuscripts for publication and presentations for scientific meetings, and also work individually with a faculty mentor in analyzing existing data sets. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the SDSU/UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (PU75 and PU75). Courses must be completed in sequence (e.g., A before B and B before C).
FPM 285. Clinical Trials: Issues and Dilemmas in Clinical Trials (2)
(Cross-listed with NEU 285) This course provides a methodological perspective on clinical trials. Topics will include ethics, design of Phase I–IV trials, randomization/blinding, bias and sample-size power. Lectures will also cover “application” with eminent UC San Diego trialists describing conduct, design and statistical issues of specific studies. S/U grades only. Prerequisites: medical or graduate student standing.
FPM 286. Free Clinic II (2 or 4)
The Free Clinic Project operates at three community-based sites. In this class, students, under faculty supervision, provide clinical services and learn administrative, health education and leadership. S/U grades only. May be taken for credit as many times as desired. Prerequisites: FPM 272.
FPM 287. Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (2 or 4)
(Cross-listed with MED 287) Designed to increase students understanding and skills required to diagnose, study, prevent, and control emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. This course will focus on contributing factors in emergence, surveillance, epidemiology, prevention and methodology for studying these diseases. Prerequisites: students enrolled in Joint Doctoral Program in Global Health PU 75–77, medical students or graduate standing.
FPM 290. Health Policy and Health Behaviors in the United States (3)
This course summarizes characteristics of the US health-care system and how it motivates health behaviors that negatively or positively affect outcomes. Also addressed are contemporary health policy issues related to health behaviors (e.g. smoking, dietary behavior, and physical activity). Prerequisites: must be enrolled in the UC San Diego/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (PU75, PU76 and PU77) or consent of the instructor.