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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Michael D. Byrd, PhD, MPH, Director, Bureau of Community Health and Chronic Disease Prevention, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, 1777 St. Julian Place, Columbia, SC 29204, 803-545-4481, byrdmd@dhec.sc.gov and Lillian U. Smith, DrPH, MPH, CHES, Director, SC Public Health Consortium, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, 800 Sumter Street, HPEB, Columbia, SC 29208.

The state health department has been challenged in its ability to recruit and retain doctoral prepared evaluators and epidemiologists. With multiple departures of doctoral prepared staff to academia, the practice and academic partners of the South Carolina Public Health Consortium developed the innovative Public Health Practice Post Doctoral Program. With a 25/75 split between academia and practice, respectfully, the program is intended allow post doctoral scholars an opportunity to enhance their practice experience while improving the evaluation and epidemiologic capacity of the health department. At the same time, the post doctoral scholars will be associated with an academic department or center of the school of public health and be able to build their research agenda or teaching experience. Additionally, these post doctoral scholars assist with the implementation of the joint research agenda between the partners. In developing and implementing the program, the Consortium was challenged in processing a training program through a research-oriented system; establishing a recruiting and hiring process that bridged both systems; developing mutually beneficial development plans and opportunities for scholars; and creating a process evaluation plan to monitor and improve the program.

Learning Objectives: