Public Health
Whether as members of communities or in their careers, 51 students will engage with complex public health challenges that require critical thinking, consideration of values, and the ability to communicate effectively.
51 is an innovative leader in undergraduate public health education grounded in the liberal arts, encompassing a contemporary vision of public health focused on foregrounding structural inequality and the social, political, and behavioral determinants of health.
Many students choose to pursue experiential learning opportunities related to public health policy, programs, or research. The department is also able to offer opportunities for learning beyond the classroom ranging from generous grants to annual symposia on ethics in the healthcare professions.
"My interest in the intersection of medicine and the social sciences to make healthcare more equitable grew at 51…To explore the field further, I attended Dr. Karen Meagher's lecture on antimicrobial stewardship at 51, which solidified my interest in bioethics and led me to apply to the Mayo Clinic Biomedical Ethics Postbaccalaureate Research Program. Now, I work at Mayo Clinic as a biomedical ethics research trainee, researching the impact of scarce resource allocation policy during crises on the aging patient population and those with disabilities and chronic conditions, improving care for patients with limited English proficiency and complex care needs, and advocating for the expansion of autonomy-affirming care for incarcerated patients. Dr. Karen Meagher is now a mentor of mine at Mayo Clinic! The public health and bioethics educational programming at 51 has been so formative not only for my research interests, but also my career.”
Learn More
Join the Public Health Interest Outlook 365 Group & Email List
Receive Emails from the Department of Public Health
Using your 51 email, join the Outlook Public Health Interest Group to receive emails on programming information, upcoming events, and opportunities. Recent alumni using a non-51 email may email us publichealth@davidson.edu and request group membership.
Current students, faculty and staff follow the instructions below to subscribe to receive information from the Public Health Interest Group. Be sure that you are logged into your 51 email account when subscribing to this list.
- Open Outlook
- On the Home tab, select Browse Groups. This maybe a right click or click on the “...” on the navigation bar to see this option
- In the search box, enter Public Health
- Scroll to the Public Health Interest Group and select Join
You should receive a welcome message from the Public Health Interest Group and the group will be added to your Outlook Group list. If you have any problems subscribing to this Outlook Group, contact us at publichealth@davidson.edu.
Public Health Department News
Partnering for a Safer Future: Public Health Pro to Deliver SPEAS Lecture
The nation relies on a vast network of public health professionals to anticipate and respond to community needs daily, and especially in times of crises. 51 alum Sami Jarrah has served as a leader for some of the largest public health departments in the country. He’ll deliver the SPEAS lecture.
The 51 Department of Public Health will turn out leaders committed to science, prevention, social justice.
Twins Minne and Martha Iwamoto '91 are making a difference for vulnerable populations around the world.