By: Brianna Kreditor, MPH
The second publicly funded Veterinary School in Texas offers a novel PhD in One Health Sciences. The School of Veterinary Medicine at Texas Tech University (TTU) was envisioned in 1971 but not realized until 2014. The school is driven by a simple purpose:
“to serve veterinary educational and service needs of rural and regional communities of Texas and to provide access to affordable high-quality education”. (1,2) In addition, the school’s mission “strives to meet the current and future needs of Texas and its citizens.”
The PhD in One Health Sciences focuses on five goals of the competency-based
program, and “...recognizes that current public health challenges require an inclusive version of – and interdisciplinary/interprofessional approach to – global health”. (1,2) Overall, graduates with a PhD in One
Health Sciences will have a broader vision of One Health, with the goal of identifying the connection between animal, human, and ecosystem health. This is made possible through the school’s five interdisciplinary emphases that include one health; disease ecology, prevention, and management; andragogical scholarship; sustainability of animal agriculture; and molecular
mechanisms of disease. (1,3)
The School of Veterinary Medicine at Texas Tech University (TTU-SVM) welcomed its inaugural class of veterinary students in Fall 2021 and debuted a PhD in One Health Sciences the following year, with the first cohort of 25 PhD One Health Sciences. (1)
The One Health Sciences PhD program focuses training in the five disciplines and a competency-based approach with the goal of students demonstrating proficiency within competencies to address current and emerging One Health challenges. Now, 38 PhD
students are enrolled in this ambitious program.
TTU has the unique opportunity to foster One Health training as a deep learning experience for their students, where research or electives are customized to students during the 72-credit-hour program. The program aims to enhance professional development,
skills, and competencies within One Health. In addition, training experiences, such as TTU’s disaster day, offer scenarios which can be targeted using a One Health approach. Disaster day is a collaboration among the Schools of Vet Med, Pharmacy,
Nursing, and the College of Medicine.
The first cohort of veterinary students will undertake a clinical rotation year in 2024, where they will obtain experiences using a hybrid, community-based approach, offering rotations both on campus and off campus with their community partners. TTU has 65 clinical partners in the state and some in New Mexico for Vet students, allowing
students to rotate at a clinical site based on their interests
According to Dean Loneragan, the school has grown in just three years to be home for almost
300 students, staff, and faculty, and anticipates 400 DVM students, 75 graduate students, and 125 full-time equivalent staff and faculty. (4) As the PhD program continues to grow, TTU plans to hire faculty solely dedicated to the PhD program. Growth
opportunities continue for faculty and the school, with 38 current graduate students and an incoming class of 8 graduate students in the fall
John Gibbons, MS, PhD, Program Director for One Health, noted there are opportunities to expand
the program, such as the inclusion of a master program in addition to supporting a Texas Tech one health initiative that is in the planning phase.
Dean Loneragan’s area of expertise is in epidemiology and public health. His research interests include antimicrobial uses and resistance in bacteria of livestock populations, and providing more insights into the ecology of zoonotic bacteria in
animals; his research profile can be found here.
John Gibbon’s area of research is focused on multifaceted approaches to address basic fertilization and early embryonic development and developing and modifying reproductive techniques.
References
Nguyen, T. A., Dascanio, J. J., & Loneragan, G. H. (2022). Research, discovery, and innovation: a novel PhD in One Health Sciences, American Journal of Veterinary Research, 83(11), ajvr.22.09.0163. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.22.09.0163
Togami E, Gardy JL, Hansen GR, et al. Core competencies in One Health education: what are we missing? National Academy of Medicine. 2018. Accessed June 4, 2018. https://doi.org/10.31478/201806a
Brooks, Weston. (2022). Texas Tech’s Innovative Doctorate in One Health Sciences Get Final Approval. Texas Tech Today. https://today.ttu.edu/posts/2022/12/Stories/Texas-Tech-Innovative-Doctorate-in-One-Health-Sciences-Gets-Final-Approval
Inaugural cohort of students enrolled in our PhD in One Health Sciences. American Journal of Veterinary Research 83, 11; 10.2460/ajvr.22.09.0163
Loneragan, G. H., Dascanio, J. J., & Conklin, B. L. (2022). Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine Driven by a Simple Purpose, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 260(14), 1777-1777. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.09.0411
Roadmap to diversity: integrating holistic review principles into medical school admission processes. Association of American Medical Colleges. 2010. Accessed Aug 2022. https://www.aamc.org/services/member-capacity-building/holistic-review
Competency-based veterinary education. American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. 2018. Accessed Aug 2022. https://www.aavmc.org/programs/cbve/