Student health extras: Learning from leaders, keeping students safe

Students profile Health Administration Section members

APHA Health Administration Section student members have spent 2015 making connections with leaders in their field, interviewing current and past Section leaders for profiles in the Section’s newsletter.

“We did a student survey last year and found that our HA students really wanted to connect with working professionals,” said Kusuma Madamala, PhD, MPH, chair of the Health Administration Section. “We wanted to provide students with other opportunities to connect than less frequent in-person networking events. This, combined with feedback from the last Annual Meeting, is what led to the development of these interviews.”

Students asked established members questions about social and technical skills required to perform their jobs, formative experiences that carved out their career paths and recommendations they have for young professionals entering the health administration field.

Outbreak shows need for safety practices among students

An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis among veterinary students in Philadelphia has led public health researchers to call on veterinary medical institutions to better ensure student safety.

In February, a student health center was notified of five veterinary students who were experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms. An investigation found that all five students had attended a training session at a bovine obstetrics laboratory and handled two euthanized calves. The students’ symptoms and experience with calves suggested infection with cryptosporidium, a protozoa that causes diarrhea and is common among calves. Further investigation found that among 22 students who attended the training session, 16 reported health symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, fatigue and vomiting.

Bovine obstetrics lab protocol calls for donning personal protection equipment and cleaning boots and removing gloves and coveralls after handling animals. While all 22 students wore gloves during the training sessions, the number of students who removed their coveralls or washed their hands is unknown.

The investigation was highlighted in the July 24 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Kim Krisberg contributed to this report.