Clinical Epidemiology: A Two-Week Intensive Course

April, Spring Quarter
Dates/Times, TBA

This course is designed to introduce first-year medical students to epidemiology (its methodology and approaches, and its applications to clinical medicine and clinical investigation). The course also covers the most commonly used statistical principles and methods found in the medical literature.

At the conclusion of this course, students should have a basic understanding of epidemiologic methods and study design. They will be able to review published medical papers critically and assess the validity of their design and inferences. Students will also understand the place of epidemiology and biostatistics in clinical medicine and clinical investigation (e.g., how they are used for identifying the causes of disease in order to develop preventive methods, identifying populations at high risk for particular diseases, and evaluating new drugs and other therapeutic modalities, screening and early disease detection, and alternative ways of delivering health care).

The course will consist of lectures, group discussions of epidemiologic problems, and clinical case presentations. All lectures and clinical presentations will be held in the Wood Basic Science Auditorium; group discussions and project meetings will be held in the Preclinical Teaching Building.