5001.0: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - Board 7

Abstract #10602

Down from the tower-up from the trenches: Linking theory and practice in an MPH training program

Mary Beth Love, PhD, Emma V. Sanchez, BA, BS, and Zoe Cayson, ScD. Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132-4161, 415 - 338-2708, love@sfsu.edu

In the last decade, a succession of national reports by The Institute of Medicine (IOM, 1988), Pew Health Professional Commission (1991, 1993, 1995) and Public Health Professionals reveal two consistent themes. One is that postsecondary training in public health is not adequately preparing graduates to meet existent and anticipated public health challenges, largely because the training is taking place in isolation from actual public health practice and without a curriculum linking theory with problem-solving of community health issues. Major health problems and epidemics are far more complex and dangerous today than they were in the past. We need to train a new cadre of public health professionals who possess the collaborative, problem solving and technical skills needed to solve the systematic problems challenging the health of our multi-cultural communities (PEW, 1995; Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, 1995; Conners et. al, 1997). In order to address the decade long critique, the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University was awarded a U.S. Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education Grant (FIPSE) to develop an model MPH curriculum for the 21st century. The model consists of three major innovations: 1) formation of a formal educational partnership with the San Francisco Department of Public Health; 2) incorporation of Problem Based Learning; 3) skill internships for the five basic community health education competencies. This paper will discuss these innovations and the evaluation to date of their impact on the training of MPH candidates.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session the participants will: 1. Understand the need for alternative models for training MPH students 2. Be able to identify curricular components that address the changing public health training needs 3. Become familiar with the preliminary results of this model on MPH level training and its implication for public health education

Keywords: Curricula,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

The 128th Annual Meeting of APHA