Bridging the Gap between Public Health Students & the Utah Public Health Association: An Evaluation of Successes and Opportunities for Improvement

Challenges within the field of public health are becoming more complex. The Institute of Medicine recently stated that the educational training in the U.S. is not adequately preparing the future public health workforce. This is primarily attributed to the lack of relationships between academia and public health professionals. Public health workforce challenges in Utah are no exception. The Utah Public Health Association (UPHA) is doing exceptional work to bridge this gap between students and professionals in the field. With the creation of its Student Caucus just four years ago UPHA created a connection for students and mentors, allowing students to be better prepared for the constantly changing obstacles in a public health career. With student representation at each graduate program and reliable communication with every accredited, 4-year university, student membership has doubled every year since its creation. Student attendance of UPHA events, particularly the annual public health conference, has also increase remarkably. In order to determine student interest in mentoring opportunities, the Student Caucus (UPHA-SC) created an online exploratory survey, available to all public health students in Utah. The survey captured the attitudes and objectives of current public health students regarding their professional and practical experiences. Among the respondents (n=186) were undergraduate (53%), graduate (37%), and doctoral students (10%) attending 5 Utah universities. Ninety-four percent of respondents were interested in engaging with professionals through an organization that offered networking and job opportunities.  Results from this survey have allowed UPHA and other professional organizations to create a model for sustainable student involvement. Through the utilization of the UPHA Student Caucus, public health students will be better connected with professionals, allowing for a more prepared and skilled future workforce.