A new Master of Public Health in Lifestyle Medicine (MPH in Lifestyle Medicine) will be offered by Loma Linda University as an “Off-Campus” program at the Adventist University of France Adventist University (AUF) in Collonges-sous-Salève, France. This un-precedent offer will target predominantly European and Middle Eastern countries with a state of the art academic degree in a field of increasing importance in medicine.
For over one hundred years the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been promoting health principles that are at the cutting edge of medical science in the area of preventive and lifestyle medicine. Loma Linda University, a flagship institution of the Church, is a leading world institution in this field. The Adventist Health Studies conducted by the university´s researchers have shown that the “Adventist lifestyle” contributes to greater longevity, less disease and better quality of life in people who follow the age old counsels presented in the Bible and the writings of Ellen G. White.
Presently, Loma Linda University´s new MPH in Lifestyle Medicine is the only program of the kind in the world. Up to now, students have had to spend at least one and a half years at the University in order to get this degree but the new program in Europe will allow new students to do this over a 4 year on a part-time basis. Each student will need to spend 2 weeks every summer for intensive training at the AUF. The remaining modules will be taught on-line and can be done from home. Another advantage of the new program is that there is no need for students to stop their normal occupation while studying, with no consequent income loss. Classes begin in June 2012.
Major changes in medical systems around the world can be predicted for the near future. Lifestyle related diseases have become a major burden for health systems and increasing importance is now being given to the prevention and treatment of many of these diseases through the adoption of healthier lifestyles. One can anticipate that health professionals will be called upon to start introducing lifestyle counseling in their own clinical practice. Churches also have an opportunity to positively impact their communities in this area. This is the time to get ready for this!
The new MPH in Lifestyle Medicine in France is a partnership between LLU´s School of Public Health, AUF, and the Health Ministries Departments of the Trans European and Euro-Africa and Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Candidates to this program need to have completed a clinical professional degree including but not limited to medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, clinical psychology, nutrition, physical therapy or exercise physiologist. Graduates will be academically prepared to apply preventive methodologies to chronic diseases, conduct individual health assessments and provide medical lifestyle counseling, apply lifestyle-related research findings and lead and evaluate health promotion projects.
Get ready for the present - Invest in the future! Apply now for the MPH in Lifestyle Medicine in Europe at www.llu.edu/mphlifestylemedicine