The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49241

Marita K. Murrman, EdD¹, Beth Filiano, MPH², and Ian Lapp, PhD². (1) Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, SPH/722 West 168 Street, Room 914, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-0096, mkm27@columbia.edu, (2) Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, SPH/722 West 168 Street, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10032

Aim: To design an experience for full-time public health practitioner/part-time MPH students from the New York City Department of Health (NYC-DOH), which integrates supervised practice placements and facilitates a graduate's promotion within the NYC-DOH.

Methods: The Department of Sociomedical Sciences practicum requires 280-hours in a planned, supervised and evaluated practice experience. Full-time public health practitioners working in their related academic concentration, are required to complete 140-hours.

The student meets with the practicum director and coordinator to discuss the student's short/long-term career goals and their desire to remain or move from their current department within the NYC-DOH. We then identify student's current skills, the skills likely to be developed before graduation, and the skills and competencies they need to achieve career goals.

The practicum director and coordinator work with the student to investigate potential practicum opportunities, both within and outside of the student's department, and to identify preceptors. We specifically look for projects that don't need to be completed during regular work hours like developing a curriculum, an evaluation strategy, or a needs assessment strategy. The student's full-time job often forces practicum work to non-class evenings/weekends. The practicum experience becomes the basis for the final paper.

Results: Preliminary analysis of student and preceptor evaluation forms (closed and open-ended questions) suggests that matching student and preceptor/experience based on the student's skills/needs as well as the preceptor's needs result in a positive experience all around. Facilitating a graduate's job promotion is more difficult to evaluate due to structural factors within the DOH.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the major challenges for full-time public health practitioners/part-time MPH students in fulfilling a practicum requirement.
• Describe a process for addressing the challenges that part-time MPH students face in fulfilling a practicum.
• Develop a model that fits the unique requirements of public health practitioners seeking an MPH.

Keywords: Public Health Curriculum, Public Health Agency Roles

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.