About
The Doctoral Competency Evaluation (E894) requires students to synthesize and to integrate knowledge acquired through their coursework in epidemiology. Students will be evaluated on the following Epidemiology PhD competencies:
1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of basic and advanced concepts of epidemiology.
2. Apply basic and advanced principles of epidemiology to answering research questions.
3. Explain the critical differences between epidemiologic descriptive and analytic study designs, the measures that can be estimated from each, and their strengths and limitations.
4. Describe how to select an appropriate study design for a specific research question or health problem.
5. Conduct appropriate statistical analysis of secondary data using statistical computing software for cross-sectional, case/control or cohort data.
6. Conduct and interpret epidemiologic analyses from a range of multivariable models (including linear, logistic, and Cox regression models).
7. Identify and critically evaluate different approaches to modelling complex exposures including dose-response relationships, time-varying exposures, and testing for the presence of effect modification.
8. Describe and discuss advanced theoretical and methodological issues in causality and causal inference.
9. Use causal diagrams to represent a priori subject matter knowledge, assumptions, and epidemiologic biases.
10. Discuss key methods for controlling for potential confounding, including matching and using instrumental variables and propensity scores, as well as appropriately utilizing repeated measures.
11. Identify the setting in which conventional methods for data analysis are inadequate and propose alternative ways to analyze the data in these settings.