The University Medical School announced a new joint program yesterday which offers students a master's in international public health and also requires them to serve in the Peace Corps.
Paige Hornsby, an assistant professor in the Medical School, anticipates accepting "half a dozen" applicants next semester, and will accept students in a rolling admissions process. The final deadline is March 1.
Hornsby said this program, called Peace Corps Master's International in Public Health, will enhance and enrich both the academic and humanitarian experiences.
It produces more highly trained volunteers for the Peace Corps, while students receive academic credit and support from the University, she said.
Students first apply to the Master's of Public Health program, which has been at the University since 2004. If accepted, they spend one year completing coursework and then 27 months abroad with the Peace Corps, after which they return to the University for another semester.
They then graduate with a master's degree and significant experience and training, Hornsby said.
"It benefits the University hugely," she said. "U.Va. is always first or second in Peace Corps volunteers. It benefits us in terms of faculty involvement and work overseas and helps student experience." The program's leaders hope participants "come back as global citizens," said Jeanita Richardson, associate professor of public health sciences.
"To positively impact health, you need to understand communities," she added. "To promote health begins with developing meaningful relationships"
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