PITTSBURGH -- The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare worrisome gaps and inequities in how the nation protects its population from public health threats, but it's also sparking interest among younger Americans who see a career path stepping into that breach.
That's the thinking behind a University of Pittsburgh decision, announced Thursday, to formally debut an undergraduate public health program for this coming fall. The bachelor of science in public health is a new arrival on the sprawling research university campus with a vast medical and health sciences complex — one linked to the generations of discovery from organ transplantation and cancer treatment to the polio vaccine.
The inaugural class will matriculate in fall 2022, Pitt officials said. Applications have far exceeded expectations, they said.
"We've already received more than 800 applications from graduating high school seniors locally, regionally and internationally interested in our program, said Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, dean and Jonas Salk Professor of Population Health at Pitt's Graduate School of Public Health. "The COVID-19 pandemic, undeniable health inequities and global climate change have clearly sparked a passion for public health among the next generation."
Undergraduate students "have expressed particular interest in epidemiology, infectious diseases and climate and health," Pitt officials said in making the announcement. "The program will start with a smaller class in the fall (a class of around 50) to ensure quality of education with an increase in subsequent academic years. We also plan to expand the program to Pitt's regional campuses."
The university, which long has offered graduate studies in public health, considered an undergraduate program over the years, but it has become a high priority for the school's new dean. "It is also a particularly poignant time given increased interest in public health related to the pandemic and climate change," officials said.
Across town, the pandemic has also been cited by Duquesne University officials including President Ken Gormley. Plans on that campus to open a college of osteopathic medicine in 2024 are moving forward, with construction on a new building to begin in March .
There is a severe shortage of primary and family care doctors, especially in underserved rural and urban areas, something magnified by COVID-19, he said.
"It is so clear that this is the moment for a project like this," Mr. Gormley told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last year about Duquesne's medical school plans.
Experts including those at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to disparities among racial, ethnic and income groups concerning COVID-19 infection rates, access to health care and attitudes about the virus and vaccine. Occupation and the ability to work from home are factors, too.
"Racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented in essential work settings such as healthcare facilities, farms, factories, warehouses, food processing, accommodation and food services, retail services, grocery stores, and public transportation," said the center's website, referencing research. "Some people who work in these settings have more chances to be exposed to COVID-19 because of several factors. These include close contact with the public or other workers, not being able to work from home, and needing to work when sick because they do not have paid sick days."
Students in Pitt's new program will major in public health, completing coursework in metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and abroad, led by established public health faculty. Students will also fulfill 120 service hours, "learning from and collaborating with community leaders to resolve real-world health threats," officials said in the announcement.
Pitt officials, in their announcement, pointed to one student who sees a strong career path.
"In a traditional health care team in the hospital, you don't often see public health professionals or people who have come to this work with a public health perspective," said Jonathan Yasin, who is eying medical school after his undergraduate degree. "I feel like this program is an amazing opportunity for an undergraduate. Not only am I getting clinical experience for medical school, I am also seeing medicine through a public health and social justice lens."
Pitt officials said they made a "soft launch" in the fall of 2021, enrolling 133 existing undergraduate students from across Pitt. The inclusion of an "Essentials of Health Equity: Exploring Social and Structural Determinants of Health" course as a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree core requirement is unique to the Pitt program, officials said.
"It highlights the program's commitment to addressing health inequities necessary for promoting health and well-being across all populations and communities," Pitt said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
Officials said a BSPH degree offers "an entry-level requirement for many careers, including for community health specialists who do contact tracing investigations for infectious diseases, quality improvement coordinators who manage data to enhance public health programs, public health administrators who plan and implement disease prevention programs and research assistants who work in laboratories to help answer health-related questions."
It also provides a strong foundation for students who seek to pursue graduate-level education in medicine and nursing, as well as dental, rehabilitation and pharmacological sciences and a host of other areas of professional study with a human health focus, such as biomedical engineering, sustainability and social work.
Pitt officials said those wishing to learn more can visit Pitt Public Health's undergraduate program's website.
