Supercourse Newsletter December 1, 2005
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Introduction to the Supercourse:
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/assist/sum.htm
Dear Friends,
Birthing of Global Schools:
It is really exciting about the possibility of �seeding� schools
of public health around the world. Already we have 18 countries
asking to join to develop Schools of Public Health. These in-
clude Australia, China, Croatia, Haiti, India, Iran, Israel, Ka-
zakhstan, Nepal, Russia, Senegal, Switzerland, Tanzania, US, Uz-
bekistan, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. School of Public Health
faculty from 4 countries agreed to help. There are also 12 coun-
tries who want a school and 2 fledgling schools.
If successful the graduates of these programs will eventually
take high places in the MoH. This is critically needed for exam-
ple, even in my state of Pennsylvania. A few years ago the Sec-
retary of Health was a Neurosurgeon. He proposed such important
public health policy approaches such as pre-frontal lobotomies
for smoking cessation (only kidding!!). But there really should
be more public health people in ministries.
We have a group now of 33 people who volunteered to help shape
and develop new global schools. For example, how can we use the
power of our network within countries and between countries to
promote the construction of schools of public health?
In beginning to think through this effort, the within country
cost to a country is not large. To obtain an MPH in Pittsburgh
requires that a student attend about 700 classes. On the Super-
course we have 2,405 PowerPoint lectures. In addition we have
over 30,000 faculty world-wide. Already many of you have signed
up to help �tele-coach� new faculty in Yemen, Russia or Zambia.
We can thus help new schools over the rough early period of
time. The cost would be 1/10 that of a Medical school and much
less than a F16 fighter jet, or a new bridge across the Nile.
Part of the difficulty is our image. We are perceived to be peo-
ple who work in sewers, boil water and bore people with our end-
less smoking cessation talks. As a famous comedian once said...
We just get no respect!!
We have been thinking that we need some pizzazz. Now is the time
to jump on these schools what with Avian Flu, Aids, Tsunamis,
Hurricanes and Earthquakes. It is time to change our image. It
is time to swagger into the world with something new. How about
a new name? What if we build say a �Pakistani Global School of
Health and Disasters� or the �Zambia Global School of Prevention
and Disasters�, or the �Nigerian Global Academy of Prevention
and Disasters�. We think we will settle on building Schools of
Global Health and Disasters. We would much appreciate your
thoughts.
This is new stuff; we need considerable input from all of you,
as we have the opportunity to truly revolutionize global health.
We would REALLY appreciate comments:
mailto:ronaldlaporte@gmail.com
Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. Arabic Saying
APHA Lillienfeld Award:
On Monday Dec. 12, 2005 from 4:30-6:00 in Marriott Salone K
Grand Ballroom in Philadelphia, I will be very honored to re-
ceive the Lillienfeld award for lifetime achievements in educa-
tion because of you and the supercourse. I wish you all could
come to this event so we can celebrate the Supercourse together.
Big Bad John Buck:
It is exciting times on Bridgebrooke Lane. Big Bad John Buck is
back. Big John Buck is a 10 point buck deer that stands 6 foot
six and weighs 245. He just drifted into Wexford and stayed all
alone. He walks with a swagger in the cold crisp air. Big John
is a �babe magnet�, he has a harem of 8 cute women deer. He is
no fool, as this is the first week of hunting season. He is a
gentleman in that he allows his women friends to go first. Per-
haps this is not that altruistic as this saves Big Bad John from
being knocked off as he will readily sacrifice his wives to save
his own soul. He is a handsome devil. He snorts loudly in the
woods, sort of like me in Allergy season. He scares the devil
out of me at 5:00 in the morning when I take Benson out. He
snorts, I jump, he runs with is white tail flapping. He is a
most beautiful creature. He does not say much, kind of quite and
shy.
Big Bad John Buck is also helpful in chasing the Turkeys away.
We hear the Turkey Sneezing and many are reported to have fe-
vers. We are about to do a study on Bridgebrooke on the nasty
disease call Turkey Flu.
Big John
Big John
Every morning at the mine, you could see him arrive.
He stood 6 foot 6, weighed 245.
Kind of broad at the shoulders, narrow at the hip.
And everybody knew you didn't give no lip to Big John.
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
Nobody seemed to know where John called home.
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone.
He didn't say much, kind of quiet and shy.
Click on 110.
Best Regards from:
Big Bad Ron, Faina, Soni, Eugene, Mita, Francois, Arlene, Julia,
Saida, Anna
mailto:super1+@pitt.edu