WED-051 - MPH Practicum Experience: Honoring the Autonomy and Strengths of the Communities We Serve

Brief Abstract Summary: Learn how MPH students are applying public health competencies in their practicum experience in a purpose driven, mutually beneficial experience between self, community, and the placement agency. Course instructors partner with preceptors to co-design and mentor MPH students throughout the semester. Workshops on positionality, problem statement creation, design thinking, centering community, and health communications coincide with on site projects.

Detailed abstract description: Finding meaningful ways to involve students in practice based settings in the community can be time consuming and difficult. Often, organizations that cannot afford to support an intern may go without the necessary help. Students, too, miss the opportunity to bring their skills to a practice based setting if opportunities are not widely known or if projects are very narrow in scope , leaving little room for adaptation. Our course aims to pair these unmet needs while including the effective elements of co-design, skill building workshops/assignments, and in- depth mentorship.
All accredited schools of public health are required to ensure graduates are competent in all 22 CEPH core learning competencies and to apply those skills in a practice based setting through an Applied Practice Experience (APE). Community engagement and collaboration are at the heart of practicum experiences. Students have a variety of options in meeting the APE , and many choose a summer internship between their first and second years. Some, who are seeking a more structured schedule, or additional opportunities to gain experience as a practitioner, enroll in a semester-long practicum course. One of the courses at YSPH, the Public Health Practicum, combines both the student’s interest and passion for a topic/population with an identified need by organizations providing public health services through the application of co-design. Course instructors meet with partners to gain an understanding of agency/community need and a clear student role in addressing it. . For many smaller nonprofits and local health departments, this vital partnership not only provides skilled students to aid in capacity, but also reduces the strain on budgets.

Additionally, subject matter experts in our local community provide guest lectures to to demonstrate how to authentically center community voices and to share inspiring stories of resilience encountered during the challenges of health promotion program implementation.
In this presentation, we will outline our process for ensuring that projects are mutually beneficial and that students prioritize community engagement. We will share specific examples of projects that exemplify this approach, demonstrating our methodology for training future practitioners.