CSET Health Science study plan

Define health science as a field and distinguish it from clinical medicine, public health, and allied health practice

List the core disciplines that contribute to health science (biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, epidemiology, nutrition, and behavioral science) and state one contribution of each

Explain the levels of prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary) and classify ten given health interventions by level

Describe the scientific method as applied to health research and identify independent, dependent, and confounding variables in three sample study descriptions

Outline the major body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, nervous, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, urinary, reproductive) and state the primary function of each

Trace the path of blood through the heart and pulmonary and systemic circuits, naming chambers, valves, and major vessels in order

Explain the mechanics of breathing, including the roles of the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, and pressure gradients

Interpret a basic health data table by calculating rates, ratios, and percentages and identifying the appropriate measure for a given question

Describe how homeostasis is maintained through negative and positive feedback, using at least two physiological examples

Identify the leading modifiable risk factors for chronic disease (tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, alcohol misuse, obesity) and explain their mechanisms

Compare communicable and noncommunicable disease models and describe the epidemiologic transition

Explain the chain of infection and apply it to propose control measures at each link for one specific pathogen

Describe the purpose, schedule logic, and herd immunity concept of vaccination and address two common misconceptions with evidence-based responses

Design a health promotion intervention using a recognized planning model (for example, PRECEDE-PROCEED or the health belief model) and justify each component

Apply the social ecological model to identify individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy influences on one health behavior

Evaluate two real health communication campaigns against criteria of reach, accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and evaluation design

Analyze how socioeconomic status, education, and environment produce health disparities and propose one equity-focused strategy

Summarize the organization and financing of the U.S. health care system, including public (Medicare, Medicaid) and private insurance and the role of employers

Compare health care delivery models (fee-for-service, managed care, accountable care) on cost, access, and quality dimensions

Explain key health policy concepts including cost, access, quality, and the uninsured and underinsured populations

Describe the role of public health agencies at local, state, and federal levels and give one concrete function of each

Analyze an ethical dilemma in health care (for example, resource allocation or informed consent) using at least two ethical frameworks

Explain how culture, language, health literacy, and beliefs shape health behaviors and health care utilization

Describe the social determinants of health framework and rank five determinants by strength of evidence for impact

Interpret common health statistics (incidence, prevalence, mortality rate, case fatality, relative risk) and identify misuse or misleading presentation in two examples

Evaluate the credibility of a health information source using criteria of authorship, evidence, currency, and bias

Design a simple controlled experiment or survey to answer a health science question, specifying sampling, variables, and controls

Calculate and interpret basic epidemiologic measures (attack rate, incidence, prevalence, relative risk) from provided data

Read and summarize a peer-reviewed health science abstract, identifying research question, design, key findings, and limitations

Explain the difference between correlation and causation and identify at least three criteria for causal inference

Synthesize content across all four domains by creating an integrated review sheet connecting foundations, prevention, society, and skills

Complete a timed 60-question practice set spanning all domains and score at least 80 percent

Review every missed practice question and write a corrected explanation for each

Rehearse constructed-response answers for two prompts under timed conditions