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Graduate Studies Calendar 2012-2013 Courses of Instruction Course Descriptions C Community Health Sciences MDCH
Community Health Sciences MDCH
Community Health Sciences 600       Introduction to Community Health Sciences
An introduction to the Department as well as a general orientation to the education and research programs in Community Health.

Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Students must be registered in Community Health Sciences or Community Medicine Residency Program. This fall block week course is a requirement for all thesis-based MSc and PhD students entering graduate programs in the Department of Community Health  Sciences.     
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 644)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Community Health Sciences 601       Determinants of Health
Learners will gain an understanding of the determinants of health within a population health framework. The course begins with an introduction to health and world views on how health is constructed. It then examines the determinants of health and population health frameworks through both an historical context and a contemporary analysis as well as key concepts such as the social gradient. The evidence-base for some of the determinants is then presented. The course ends with the implications for the determinants of health construct in analysing and addressing specific population health problems.

Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
This winter block week course is a requirement for all thesis-based MSc and PhD students in the Community Health Sciences graduate program. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 642)
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Community Health Sciences 602       Practicum in Public Health and Preventive Medicine 
Clinical or field-based practicum for the Master of Community Medicine Program of the Community Health Sciences graduate program.
Course Hours:
H(1-0)
Notes:
Students must be registered in the Master of Community Medicine Program or the Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency program.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 649.01)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Community Health Sciences 603       Practicum in Healthcare Epidemiology
Clinical or field-based practicum for the Healthcare Epidemiology specialization of the Community Health Sciences graduate program.
Course Hours:
H(1-0)
Notes:
Students must be registered in the Community Health Sciences graduate program, Healthcare Epidemiology specialization.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 649.02)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Community Health Sciences 604       Practicum in Community Health Sciences
Clinical or field-based practicum for students in any specialization of the Community Health Sciences graduate program.
Course Hours:
H(1-0)
Notes:
Students must be registered in the Community Health Sciences graduate program.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 649.03)
NOT INCLUDED IN GPA
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Community Health Sciences 610       Biostatistics I: Essentials of Biostatistics
Introduces the fundamental concepts of summarizing data and statistical inference, including graphical displays, hypothesis testing, p-values, and confidence intervals. Specific topics include comparisons of means and proportions, non-parametric tests, correlation and regression, confounding, sample size determination, and power calculations.  Additional topics include a brief introduction to analysis of variance and covariance, logistic regression, and analysis of time-to-event data. Students gain hands-on experience analyzing data using STATA statistical software. Although this course uses STATA exclusively, much of the technical knowledge and some of the computing techniques are applicable to any statistical package.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
There are no formal prerequisites but good quantitative and mathematical skills are an asset.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students and Community Medicine Residents. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. Not available to Open Studies students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 643.01)
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Community Health Sciences 611       Biostatistics II: Models for Health Outcomes
Extends the fundamental concepts to modelling health outcomes using modern regression analysis techniques. Logistic and linear regressions, and their extensions, are covered in detail. The rationale, formulation, and statistical assumptions underlying each regression technique are discussed. Methods for selecting and assessing models are included. Additional topics include a brief introduction to models used in the analysis of repeated measures, longitudinal studies, and time-to-event data. STATA statistical software is used to analyze data.  Required course for Biostatistics and Epidemiology specializations.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 or Medical Science 643.01 or graduate-level course in (bio)statistics.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. Not available to Open Studies students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 643.02)
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Community Health Sciences 612       Biostatistics III: Models for Repeated Measures Studies and Time-to-Events Studies
Discusses techniques for analyzing data collected at more than one point in time (repeated measures) and time-to-event (survival) data. Topics include generalized linear models (GLM), generalized additive models (GAM), Poisson regression, generalized estimating equations (GEE), and proportional hazards regression with time-varying covariates. STATA statistical software is used to analyze data.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 611 or Medical Science 643.02.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. Not available to Open Studies students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 643.03)
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Community Health Sciences 640       Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Principles and methods of descriptive and analytic epidemiology. Emphasizes the underlying concepts and approaches of epidemiological research and critical appraisal of epidemiologic studies including: observational study designs and their vulnerabilities to bias, measures of frequency and association, basic methods for addressing sampling variability, confounding, and effect modification. Concepts related to causal judgement in epidemiology are also introduced.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 or Medical Science 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students and Community Medicine Residents.  Consent of instructor is required for all other students. Not available to Open Studies students.      
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Community Health Sciences 641       Introduction to Clinical Trials
An introduction to methodological issues in the design and conduct of randomized controlled trials. Topics include ethics, blinding, randomization, sample size determination, sequential designs, data monitoring, and the logistical and organizational aspects of single centre and multi-centre trials.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 and 640 or Medical Science 643.01 and 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students.  Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.04)
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Community Health Sciences 643       Research in Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control 
Emphasizes the research aspects of hospital epidemiology and the application of basic epidemiologic and biostatistical techniques in the hospital environment. The course uses an interdisciplinary approach and fosters the integration of knowledge and skills from the bench to the bedside and back.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 647.07)
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Community Health Sciences 644       Surveillance I:  Data Handling for Infection Control 
Focuses on the skills needed for data handling related to Infection Control in various settings. The primary aims are: (1) to develop the skills to properly manage data using various tools and technology; (2) to use basic statistical tools to analyze data used in Infection control; (3) to properly interpret and draw appropriate conclusions from data used in infection control.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. This is an online course.   
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 647.10)
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Community Health Sciences 645       Surveillance II: Principles of Surveillance
Focuses on the practice of surveillance for Infection Prevention and Control in various settings. The primary aims are:  (1) to be able to base surveillance on an appropriate rationale; (2) to understand and use various methods of surveillance; (3) to make recommendations and follow up on the results of surveillance; (4) to be able to evaluate a surveillance program and incorporate into quality improvement.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 644 or Medical Science 647.10.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. This is an online course.    
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 647.11)
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Community Health Sciences 646       Introduction to Public Health Surveillance
Surveillance is a public health function.  Topics included in this online course include definition and overview of public health surveillance, indicators, frameworks and principles for the planning and evaluation of surveillance systems; analysis and interpretation of surveillance data; communication of public health information; and legal and ethical issues relevant to surveillance systems.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 and 640 or Medical Science 643.01 and 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 647.12)
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Community Health Sciences 647       Clinical Epidemiology
Designed for students who have some familiarity and experience in epidemiology, biostatistics and who have a background in clinical health care or related field. It focuses on the application of epidemiologic methods to clinical health issues.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 and 640 or Medical Science 643.01 and 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to Community Health Sciences graduate students with a clinical background. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 647.15)
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Community Health Sciences 648       On-line Basic Infection Control
Focuses on providing novice Infection Control Professionals (ICPs) with the basic knowledge, tools and strategies needed to do Infection control in a board range of health care environments from health care institutions to the community. The purpose of this entry to practice course is (1) to identify and describe the scope of infection prevention and control problems and issues for novice ICPs and (2) to examine and integrate their current expertise with the basic knowledge, tools and strategies needed to examine problems and develop practical solutions in Infection Control.
Course Hours:
F(3-1.5)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students. This is an online course.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 660)
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Community Health Sciences 649       Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases
Focuses on the principles of epidemiology that are of particular relevance to infectious diseases. The course emphasizes the research aspects of infectious diseases epidemiology and how the basic techniques of epidemiology and biostatistics are applied in the communicable diseases.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(Medical Science 613.01)
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Community Health Sciences 660       Foundations of Health Services Research
An introduction to the fundamental concepts of health services research including topics related to health systems and methods in health services research, as well as evaluation of health systems performance, with emphasis on knowledge translation and health policy creation and analysis.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 645.18)
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Community Health Sciences 661       Health Economics I
Application of basic concepts from economics to examination of health and health care policy issues, such as why we have the kind of health care system we have, various aspects of health care reform, promotion of health, and evaluation of interventions.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 679/Economics 679)
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Community Health Sciences 662       Economic Evaluation
Designed for students interested in being able to critically interpret economic evaluation studies of health or health care interventions and beyond. The aim of the course is to introduce students to the concepts and methods of economic evaluation, provide an introduction to how it may serve as a useful tool in health and health care decision-making, and to enable students to critically appraise the economic evaluation literature.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.08)
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Community Health Sciences 663       Decision Analysis in Health Economic
Students will be introduced to the concepts of decision analysis and how it may serve as a useful tool in health care economics evaluation.  Through attention to a clinical question or health care policy issue, students will develop the skills necessary to perform an economic evaluation to address it.
Course Hours:
H(3-2)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 662 or Medical Science 659.08.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.06)
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Community Health Sciences 664       Administrative Data Analysis Methodology

Administrative data have been used widely for decision making and research. Analysis of the data requires knowledge of the data features and unique analytical skills since the data are not collected for research purposes.  This course is designed to provide these skills.  Through analyzing available administrative data, students will write manuscripts suitable for publications at peer-reviewed journals.


Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Minimum grade of "B+" in Community Health Sciences 610 and 640 or Medical Science 643.01 and 647.01 and consent of the Instructor.
Notes:
Consent of the Instructor must be obtained by September 30.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.07)
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Community Health Sciences 665       Leadership in Health Care Organizations
A foundation for developing management and leadership skills in health care organizations. The curriculum includes: fundamentals of leadership; formal and informal components of organizations; strategic, operational, financial and project planning; managing change and conflict; human resources; and evaluating organizational performance. A variety of learning opportunities are incorporated including: reading materials, student seminars, self assessment tools, case studies, team assignments, guest speakers and class discussion.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 645.10)
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Community Health Sciences 666       Health Policy
An advanced level course focused on developing and deepening participants' understanding of critical policy issues affecting health and health services. The course will primarily review health policy in the context of Canadian populations and systems. However, a more global comparative frame of reference will be used to test, challenge and contrast both the historical and current underpinnings of health policy in Canadian jurisdictions.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 645.15)
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Community Health Sciences 667       Introduction to the Legal and Ethical Framework of Health Care in Canada 
An introduction to two integrated aspects of health care in Canada: the legal dimensions and the ethical dimensions. No formal background or training in law or ethics is presupposed. Successful students will gain grounding in the ethico-legal complexity of health care and health research in Canada.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 645.17)
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Community Health Sciences 680       Foundations of Population/Public Health
Foundations of Population and Public Health is an introductory course intended to acquaint students with the concepts, theories, methods, and debates that underpin population and public health research. The course covers a wide range of topics including the core functions and history of public health, critical debates in population and public health, and the methods for population health research (essentially social epidemiology and some political economy).  The course format is a mix of formal lectures dealing with technical material, and class discussion based on pre-assigned readings. Students participate in discussions through a variety of media including on-line chats and discussion boards using Blackboard, as well as during class time.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 601 or Medical Science 642.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 651.04)
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Community Health Sciences 681       Health Research Methods
Introduction to health research, including research design, measurement, data collection and proposal writing.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 610 or Medical Science 643.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students.  Consent of instructor is required for all other students. Not available to Open Studies students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.02)
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Community Health Sciences 683       Qualitative Health Research
Proposal development, interview skills and other data collection skills, data analysis, use of visual aids, and the preparation of final reports.
Course Hours:
H(6-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 659.05)
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Community Health Sciences 687       Environmental Health
Examination of the interaction between natural and man-made environments in human health/illness.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students and Community Medicine Residents. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 651.06)
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Community Health Sciences 689       Global Health and Development
An examination of health, the determinants of health, and approaches to health policy and programming in the context of less developed country populations. The course provides an overview of the history and evolution of primary health care and the role of health in development and examines current trends and issues related to global development. Cross-cutting themes include: international perspectives and trends in health sector reform, globalization, policy programming and financing, public participation in decision making, governance, health human resources, gender, human rights, partnerships and information-education-communication among others.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 651.08)
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Community Health Sciences 700       Community Health Directed Study
Independent study in special topics at an advanced level in Community Health Sciences.
Course Hours:
H(1-6)
Notes:
Consent of faculty member who will supervise the chosen study.
MAY BE REPEATED FOR CREDIT
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Community Health Sciences 710       Advanced Topics in Biostatistics
Advanced topics and methods used in Biostatistics.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Consent of instructor is required.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 712.01)
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Community Health Sciences 720       Pro Doctoral Seminar
Pertinent topics discussed to prepare students for thesis preparation.
Course Hours:
H(2-3)
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Community Health Sciences 740       Advanced Epidemiology
An expansion on the understanding of causality and threats to validity in epidemiologic research.  The focus will be on the assessment and control of bias, including selection, information and confounding.  The concept of effect modification (interaction) will be appraised.  Stratified analysis will be considered as a tool for the assessment and control of confounding and effect modification and will be applied to a variety of study designs including case-control, and cohort studies.
Course Hours:
H(3-2T)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 640 or Medical Science 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 709)
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Community Health Sciences 741       Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis
An exposure to all steps involved in the conduct of a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 640 or Medical Science 647.01.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 711)
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Community Health Sciences 742       Advanced Topics in Epidemiology
Advanced topics and methods used in Epidemiology.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 640 or Medical Science 647.01 and consent of the instructor.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 712.02)
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Community Health Sciences 760       Advanced Topics in Health Services Research
Advanced topics and methods used in health services research.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 660 or Medical Science 645.18 and consent of the instructor.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 712.03)
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Community Health Sciences 761       Advanced Methods in Health Research
Advanced health research designs and measurement techniques.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 681 or Medical Science 659.02.
Notes:
Enrolment is open to all Community Health Sciences graduate students. Consent of instructor is required for all other students.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 705)
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Community Health Sciences 780       Advanced Topics in Population/Public Health
Advanced topics and methods used in population/public health.
Course Hours:
H(3-0)
Prerequisite(s):
Community Health Sciences 680 or Medical Science 651.04 and consent of the instructor.
Also known as:
(formerly Medical Science 712.04)
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