waterfalls

Applicant Eligibility

  • Can I get school credit for the course? (e.g., MPH, MPVM)
    • Receiving credit for this field course will depend on the graduate program and university you are attending, and will be your responsibility to pursue, should you so desire. Please check with your program directly to explore this as a possibility.
  • What backgrounds/disciplines will the course participants represent?
    • Rx One Health is open to all health disciplines, including human and animal medicine, public health, agriculture, environmental sciences, social sciences, and ecology and conservation professionals/students.
  • Can undergraduate students participate in the course?
    • This course is only open to graduate and professional students, as well as early career professionals already possessing advanced degrees.
  • In terms of faculty, who will accompany participants in the field?
    • RxOH is led by a group of faculty from UC Davis.  Faculty leadership rotates during the course depending on topic or location, but there are always several faculty with the group. 

 

What about COVID-19? 

COVID-19 has changed the way we all live and learn - and continually offers new challenges.  The Rx One Health organizers are committed to making every effort to safely hold the course in 2024.  Specific details regarding any COVID-19 policies and procedures will be communicated to all admitted course participants.   All participants will need to show proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination. Full COVID-19 plans and policies will be shared with all admitted participants.   For participants traveling from out of state, out of country, and/or arriving by air travel, additional pre-course quarantine and or testing requirements may exist and will be discussed and decided on an individual basis. 

 

In 2023 we followed the following guidelines:    All participants will have to submit to the course organizers their personal plans for quarantine in the event of an early course departure or cancelation in the event of issues related to COVID-19.  Upon arrival to campus all participants and faculty must take and show a negative COVID-19 test (cost and logistics covered by the course fees) - and University or County COVID-19 mandated practices will be followed (ie, social distancing, masking, daily symptom monitoring).  Participants will be staying in single rooms while on the UC Davis campus.   

 

Pre-trip Planning

  • What does my course fee cover?
    • Course fees pay for instructional costs and learning supplies, inclusive of transportation and logistics during the course (not to and from), insurance, and permits.
  • How/when can I get a course itinerary?
    • A detailed course itinerary and curriculum is usually distributed a few weeks before the course begins. Bear in mind that FLEXIBILITY will be the name of the game during this immersion course, as each day may not go exactly as planned depending on local circumstances, opportunities, and challenges. 
  • Can we get a list of participants with contact information to facilitate communications before the course?
    • Yes! We will circulate a list with participant and faculty biographies before the course so that you have a chance to connect before starting the field course experience together, and you'll also get to virtually meet each other through several Zoom video preparatory sessions held in May and June. 
  • What pre-trip safety training and group meeting are required?
    • Typically two Skype or Zoom virtual group meetings are planned for all participants to discuss course logistics and ask questions about planning for their trip.
    • There is also a required safety training that involves two virtual Skype/Zoom meetings and a series of small reading assignments with quizzes you are required to complete in advance of the course. 
  • What travel insurance is available for participants? 
    • UC Students
      • All UC students receive UC travel insurance by registering their trip. More information will be provided by e-mail and at the mandatory Safety Orientation conducted by the Office for Global Programs
    • US Residents (but non-UC Students)
      • US residents are considered ‘UC Affiliates’ (through enrollment in the Rx One Health Course) and are eligible for UC travel benefits free of charge. In order to obtain UC travel insurance, US course participants must register their trip at: https://ehs.ucop.edu/away/#/
    • Non-US Residents
      • For Non-US Residents, emergency medical and medical evacuation insurance will be provided by the Rx One Health course fees for the duration of the course. Confirmation of your coverage will be provided.
    • Participants should also check if their own health insurance applies overseas and/or whether they are eligible for travel coverage from their home institution
    • Please Note: General Liability Insurance is automatically provided for all course participants.

Course Logistics

  • When do I need to arrive? What happens when I arrive? 
    • Participants will need to be at the start location (TBD, either Davis, CA or other northern California location) on Sunday,  June 23.   If traveling from a non-North American location, participants may be required to arrive several days early.  Specific details on where to go will be shared with all admitted participants.  After convening as a whole, participants will be “on the move” to continue the program in California.  At the end of the course, activities will finish mid afternoon Sunday July 7 to travel home, upon returning to the UC Davis campus.    Specific details regarding arrival to UC Davis will be discussed with participants on an individual basis. 
  • What does a typical day look like?
    • Days will be varied and diverse, so come prepared for a dynamic experience. Participants can expect both formal and informal lectures, group discussions, team-based activities, problem solving exercises, field work, and interactions with local individuals (including local experts, community members, and stakeholders). Days will be long and action-packed, with very little “down” time! A packing list will be provided to participants in May.
  • What hands-on experiences will be involved?
    • We will be working at landscape interfaces where communities, livestock, agriculture and wildlife interact near national forests, protected reserves, and coastal ecosystems. The faculty will provide insights and information on locally relevant and timely One Health issues affecting livestock, wildlife, people, and our shared environments. 
  • Where will we be staying and what can we expect in terms of meals, internet, cellular phone coverage, etc.?
    • Accommodations will be secure (although no location can be guaranteed 100% safe from theft, so participants will be expected to practice vigilance and foresight with regard to their belongings), and will vary, from single dorm rooms on the UC Davis campus, tents and sleeping bags in the Sierra, and rustic comfortable housing at Hastings. 
    • Toilet facilities will vary from flush toilets and hot water, to pit toilets and no showers.
    • Potable drinking water and prepared meals will be available throughout the trip. Please notify us of any diet restrictions you have as soon as possible so the meals can be accommodated according to your needs.
    • Internet (of variable access speed) will be available at most but not all venues, intermittent access should be expected.
    • Cellular phone coverage will vary by location.   
    • A packing list will be provided to all participants in May.   All participants will need to bring their own sleeping bag, sleeping pad, 2 person tent, and head lamp.  If this presents a difficulty, please let the organizers know, as rental or borrowed options may be available.  
  • What laundry facilities will be available?
    • Please bring a small amount of powdered laundry detergent for hand washing your essentials. Laundry services will be available at Davis and Hastings. 

POINTS OF CONTACT

Dr. Jennifer Lane

One Health Institute, University of California, Davis

rxonehealth@ucdavis.edu