Alumni speak

This course is helping me in my regular work. Earlier I had only basic knowledge about case-control study, cross-sectional study, RCT etc. But after joining this course, I am able to know all the history of epidemiology and its development in modern world, study details and the statistical part plays an important role for my regular work. I have a little knowledge about statistics but now I am able to do basic statistics and some bio-statistical works. As I am working in the field of cancer epidemiology these things will play a vital role. I want to start various epidemiological studies in our population and this course will boost me for initiating these studies. After completion of this course I shall be able to write scientific papers, which will be considered as a professional growth in a scientific way. So, this course is up to the mark for those professionals who are working in the field of Epidemiology. The software which we are using for doing this course is up to the mark and I am very much lucky that I am doing a course in such an institution - where the instructors are very helpful.

After doing this course, I’ve got good understanding about various study designs by discussion of appropriate reviewed research papers, improved my biostatistics and statistical analysis skills through this course. I have got strong understanding about data analysis, clarity on communicable, non-communicable diseases epidemiology and outbreak investigation; improvement in my paper writing skills. I’m a working health care professional in area of public health but limited access to higher education because of personal and professional reasons. This distance learning program is particularly useful for me in skilfully assessing the dimension of public health issues, determine appropriate strategies to meet emerging challenges and apply such knowledge to improve influencing policy decisions in health and allied health sectors.

This course is creating deep approach, new innovative and opportunities in research. The content of this course is very interesting and useful in my current research work and increase my knowledge in the field of Epidemiology and Public Health. I am working on Public Health problem “tuberculosis” last 7 years. The aim of my study is to know geographic distribution, circulation and phylogeographic peculiarities of MDR-TB strains in the community. We have learned research methodology, biostatistics and epidemiology tools and these tools are very useful in my current job. The course covered major biostatistics and epidemiology tools for the management, analysis and reporting of public health data. This course reviewed infectious disease principles and the use of epidemiologic methods in the assessment of selected communicable diseases of national and international importance and the role of surveillance and methods of control and prevention. This course also discussed measures of frequency and association, introduce the design and validity of epidemiologic research, and give an overview of data analysis.

I did the course because at that point of time we were implementing tobacco cessation program with the help of telephonic based quit line services. As I was new to tobacco control program implementation, this course did help in understanding various tobacco control measures and enhanced my wisdom for better program implementation. The notes and recorded presentation helped me a lot to bring in the right perspectives for programs. What type of communication approaches and behavior, change model we were looking for was quite good. Final practicum and assignments helped us to propel on what all we studied in one year of course period and apply it.

I am so happy to receive the certificate and the recognition of my studies on the post graduate diploma in health promotion and tobacco control. I’ve learned thoroughly about the subject concern. It has added more knowledge and skills to my clinical practice and better awareness education to my patients as well. The course has given me a hope to start a tobacco cessation center, a hope for the society to fight against the menace of the ill effect of tobacco-the killer substance. The state govt. officials of Health and Family welfare had approached me to associate with the state activities of tobacco control program. This has added a feather to my cap. I have got the recognition from the people and the govt. of the department concern. A big thank you to PHFI. A suggestion for the curriculum -audio visual recordings on how to do consultation & counseling to the client on tobacco cessation. More lessons on the use of medication should be introduced.

It is an excellent course and it is more useful to me. After completion of this course I will be able to change the people’s attitude, behavior and knowledge. This course helps in improving public health and to enable the people the health is an asset.

The biggest strength of the course is the diverse group of faculty delivering the lectures and also that it had the systematic lectures all put together in easily understandable presentations. Through this course I’ve come to know lot many novel things and would like to recommend this course to my colleagues as well.

The main strength of the course is itself- Tobacco awareness. You can login to the Learning Management System (LMS) at any time, whenever you are free. Downloading and saving of course material is easy and one can go through the material anytime as per his convenience, it is time saving. Tobacco related topics were nicely divided into various lectures and each topic was presented with enough details. LMS concept is good, and so is the course content. It would have been good if it contained latest updates.

The way this course was designed is really superb as it gives a systematic flow to the course as if the person is sitting in the classroom and can easily participate in discussion and can ask any query.

The recorded lecture pattern reduced the abstract nature common with most online/distance learning programs as obtained in the UK and some other countries. This brought in some degree of reality to the program, simulating the traditional school program. This is quite commendable!