261601 Program Impact: Outcomes of an internship program designed to facilitate the development of minority students to become leaders in the public health

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Steve Owens, MD, MPH , Directors of Health Promotion and Education, Washington, DC
Mariela Alarcon-Yohe, MPH , Directors of Health Promotion and Education, Washington, DC
  
Responding to the public health workforce needs of improving the availability of minority public health professionals and strengthening the development of these individual needs, the Directors of Health Promotion and Education (DHPE) has developed a strong partnership with minority-serving institutions of higher education and the public health community to recruit, train and retain minority students to become leaders in the public health field. Since 2002, DHPE has provided workforce development opportunities for over 400 minority students through the implementation of its internship and fellowship programs. Besides providing solid practical public health field experiences for the interns, DHPE's approach to workforce development includes incorporating the 10 Essentials of Public Health Services, core competencies, fostering campus and public health community partnerships, and professional development activities into internship placements. Results: The internship program alumni are tracked for at least five years post internship placement. Through using a mixed method approach to evaluate internship program outcomes, key areas have been identified to empower minority students and facilitate their entry into the public health workforce, thereby positioning them in employment opportunities that will facilitate their progress to become leaders in public health.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
To demonstrate how strong campus and public health partnerships enhances minority public health students professional development. To discuss essential areas that facilitate development of early career minority public health professionals transition into leadership roles in public health

Keywords: Workforce, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal or co-principal investigator on multiple federally funded grants on minority health, health promotion, workforce developemnt and health equity. Among my research interests include; improving health outcomes of minority populations, particularly African Americans. I have worked on projects targeting underserved communities in academia, state and federal levels and the non-profit sector. I currently work closely with state departments of health and minority-serving institutions of higher education.
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.

Back to: 4099.0: Workforce Development: Preparing the Next Generations of Minority Public Health Leaders*