Epidemiology 101: Recommendations of the Consensus Conference on Undergraduate Public Health Education

The Epidemiology 101 report of the Consensus Conference on Undergraduate Public Health Education was developed by faculty from Schools of public health, Programs in public health and faculty from colleges and universities without Schools or Programs in public health. The report recommends that all colleges and universities offer epidemiology 101 taught as part of general education. Epidemiology may be taught as a way of thinking that satisfies a science distribution requirement. Epidemiology 101 may be an elective for a variety of majors. Learning outcomes were defined for basic and advance courses. These include the ability to describe the historical roots of epidemiologic thinking and their contribution to the evolution of the scientific method as well as the ability to critique epidemiologic research in terms of key ethical principles. A curriculum framework for epidemiology 101 was presented including six components: history, philosophy and used of epidemiology; descriptive epidemiology; association and causation; analytical epidemiology; evidence-based public health; and applications to policy, clinical and basic sciences. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the College Board have supported the development of the Young Epidemiology Scholars Program that includes the development of high quality materials that may be useful in teaching undergraduate epidemiology from a liberal education perspective. These have been included in the report and integrated into the epidemiology 101 curriculum framework. Epidemiology 101 should be taught without prerequisites; should be taught from a conceptual rather than a technical perspective; and should use a range of illustrative examples not limited to health and medicine.