Student Epidemic Action Leaders (SEAL) Team

What does the SEAL Team do?

SEALs will attend class in-person and complete at-home assignments to develop knowledge and skills in communicable disease and applied epidemiology. All training activities will prepare SEALs to sign up for field assignments at partner agencies such as the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and local health jurisdictions (LHJs) where they will assist in outbreak investigations and other public health preparedness and response activities. The nature of the field assignments will depend entirely on what real public health issues are affecting our community. 

SEAL Team Competencies

What is the time commitment?

SEALs will enroll in EPI 594 in the Winter and Fall quarters. They will also have the option of taking a public health surveillance course (EPI 506) in Spring. During the Winter and Fall quarters, we will have weekly class. SEALs will begin signing up for field assignments in the Spring. During the Spring and Summer quarter, students will have the option to register for one credit, but can remain on the SEAL Team without registering. In Summer quarter, there will be no in-person meetings, but SEALs will still be expected to complete field assignments, regardless of registration status.

Is this for class credit? Can it count as my practicum?

The first quarter (Winter) will count for 2 credits while subsequent quarters will each count for 1 credit. SEALs are not required to register for a summer credit, but can if they want.

It may be possible to develop your SEAL Team field placement into a practicum, though this will be on a case by case basis. Being a part of the SEAL Team, or taking the course, does not fulfill the practicum requirement on it’s own.

For questions, please contact SEAL Team Director, Janet Baseman (jbaseman@uw.edu) or SEAL Team Program Manager, Nicole Marshall (schwalbe@uw.edu).