After completing this course, the student will
- be familiar with the principles of selecting an appropriate study design to assess occurrence and etiology of public health problems
- be cognizant of the concepts underlying use of cohort, case-control and clinical trial designs
- understand the strengths and limitations of major epidemiologic study designs
- be able to identify sources of bias in epidemiologic studies and be familiar with methods to minimize such biases.
- be able to critically review existing epidemiologic literature and interpret the results of a particular study after considering potential sources of errors, including bias and confounding.
- be able to consider the limitations of a particular study in the context of other research in the field
- be able to write a structured research plan

Participation in lectures and practicals, and submitting a research plan for a proposed epidemiologic study.

This course is available every other year.