259279 It's not just a Model, it's an Attitude - Integrating the DrPH Core Competencies in a Unique DrPH Practice Degree Program

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 5:08 PM - 5:20 PM

Patricia Rohrbeck, MPH, DrPH, CPH , Department of Public Health Education, University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX
Christine Moranetz, PhD, FAWHP , Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Department of Public Health Education, University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Fort Worth, TX
Allen Applegate, MPH, DrPH , Administration for Children and Families, Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
The goal of the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Practice degree in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center is to provide advanced training in public health practice and leadership linked to each of the competencies of the seven domains as outlined in the ASPH Education Committee – DrPH Core Competency Model, Version 1.3. As a result, each degree component – Curriculum, Integrated Competency Evaluation (ICE), and Doctoral Residency – is competency-based. Students learn about the model during their first semester when they create a Professional Development Plan assessing their initial level of mastery for each competency and identifying steps toward improvement. This competency-based Professional Development Plan serves as a guide for the student throughout the DrPH Practice program. The ICE and DrPH Residency are competency-based experiences assessing the level of mastery the student achieved for each competency after completing their course work and related professional development activities. To ensure a competency-based curriculum, each faculty teaching a DrPH Practice core course is required to address the competencies in the syllabus linking them to learning outcomes and assessment methods. The DrPH Committee utilizes continuous quality improvement (CQI) questionnaires to survey each student on how well DrPH Practice core courses meet their professional development needs. CQI reports have led to creative changes in the curriculum structure, content of courses, have inspired development of new courses and options for professional development. This presentation will discuss the development and challenges of a competency-focused DrPH Practice degree program.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
1. Demonstrate how the DrPH Core Competency Model was integrated into the DrPH Practice Degree Program. 2. Identify ways to assess levels of mastery of the DrPH Core Competencies throughout a DrPH Practice Degree Program. 3. Assess the benefits and challenges of a competency-based DrPH Practice Degree Program.

Keywords: Professional Development, Public Health Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate assistant at the Department of Public Health Education UNTHSC-SPH and a DrPH Practice student who assisted with integrating the DrPH Core Competency Model.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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