UC Davis Rx One Health Summer Institute

Jerrisa Ching, Washington State University

As a representative of Washington State University, I participated in the 2019 University of California at Davis (UC Davis) Rx One Health Summer Institute in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania from June 23-July 19, 2019. One Health is an initiative that involves the collaboration of multiple disciplines to promote the health and well-being of humans, animals, and environment. This program provided an immersive One Health curriculum and hands-on experience for veterinary students, veterinarians, and other health professionals interested in One Health, public health, international medicine, and global health careers. This year, the 2019 Rx One Health cohort was made up of 22 individuals from 9 different countries (USA, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal, Somalia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Japan, and India). My Rx One Health cohort and I participated in diverse activities in Tanzania, which ranged from livestock farm visits and zoonotic disease surveillance activities, Ruaha National Park wildlife disease surveillance and sampling, health institute/research facility tours, agriculture visits, Mafia Island ocean conservation/ecology/water and waste management activities, Masaai community and culture engagement, and government policy discussion. 

The UC Davis Rx One Health program was valuable for my veterinary education and professional development as it guided me towards my career pathway in veterinary public health. After I participated in this program, I affirmed my passion for veterinary public health while providing myself open doors into One Health careers in veterinary medicine. In addition, I learned the importance of veterinarians' role in community and government engagement since this skill permits you to build a relationship with all species to implement One Health interventions in a population. From the Rx One Health program, I intend to incorporate my knowledge and skills to improve the public health infrastructure systems in the state of Washington and Hawaii, USA. 

For any veterinary students interested or want to learn more about One Health, public health, or global health, I would highly recommend applying and participating in UC Davis Rx One Health Summer Institute Program!