MPH Practicum Considerations

DRAFT 2/23/04 version 1.2 RJE & DJT DRAFT

University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences MPH Practicum Planning

Statement: As a central experience and requirement for the Master of Public Health degree in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, students must complete a 6 credit hour course –260- contact-hour project in a public health setting. This practicum experience, including a final paper or written report and oral presentation, constitutes the final examination. A site for each practicum project may be selected by the student or by one of the School’s departments, which is developing working relationships with a number of organizations.

Brief description: Comprehensive and integrated application of the learning required by the MPH program in a practice setting to demonstrate a professional competency in public health practice.

Scheduling: Start date: Fall 2006  Course will be available during the fall and spring semesters o Two 3 credit hour courses – 12 contact hours per week for two semesters or 1 ½ days per week o One 6 credit hour course – 24 contact hours per week for one semester or 3 days per week

The course will only be offered each semester as a, 3 credit-hour section. Six total hours are required. The course can be taken as 3 credit-hours over 2 semesters or 6 credit-hours in one semester.

Estimated number of students: (THIS WILL BE DETERMINED BASED ON THE # OF PRACTICUM STUDENTS THAT CAN BE SUPPORTED.)  2006: 15-20  2007: 20-30  2008: 25-40

Ideas/concepts:  Cast broadly  Along discipline lines  Department chair (or designated faculty members) in each department as point of contact  MPH coordinator is point of operations and is the liaison between the School (all Departments) and Practicum Sites  Specific deliverables for practicum will be based on the “learning contract”.

Degree programs requiring this course: Course is required for the Masters in Public Health.

DRAFT Page 1 of 5 DRAFT DRAFT 2/23/04 version 1.2 RJE & DJT DRAFT

Course pre-requisites or co-requisites: All core courses for the MPH must be completed and student must be admitted into a concentration area.

Students for whom the course is intended: Master’s level – course represents the culminating experience towards the achievement of a professional degree in public health, the MPH. Students should therefore, demonstrate a graduate level of understanding of public health principles, processes, sciences, including a competency in public health practice.

Relationship of course to other courses: This course integrates the public health curriculum in the area of student concentration. Students should discuss the concentration or focus of their MPH with their faculty advisor. Students discuss and decide on a department, program and concentration focus of their MPH with their advisor by the end of the spring semester of their first year. Each department will have one practicum experience course.

PHEP 679 Practicum Experience: Epidemiology PHBS 679 Practicum Experience: Biostatistics PHEH 679 Practicum Experience: Environmental Health PHKC 679 Practicum Experience: Health Knowledge and Cognition PHMS 679 Practicum Experience: Health Management and Systems

Example: 679-01 and 679-02 as 3 credit-hour sections for each department, as described previously.

Teaching method: This course requires a “learning contract” between the student, faculty advisor, site preceptor and the course director on a project that will achieve the desired purpose of the practicum experience course.

Evaluation of student performance: Students will be given a menu of options to base their performance on. The “learning contract” will clearly outline the deliverable (as agreed upon by all parties) and how it will be evaluated. Options for deliverables may include the following:  A paper or written report (15 page minimum – length should be sufficient to purpose) on the practice experience, to be submitted to the practicum site and student’s advisors no less than a week prior to the oral presentation.  A 40 minute oral presentation and 20 minute discussion session with a review committee consisting of: o Student’s faculty advisor (a maximum ratio of 1:5 per faculty member) o Student’s site preceptor o Faculty from the program most relevant to the issue addressed (optional) o Faculty from outside the program most relevant to the issue addressed (optional) o Others, if required.  A poster presentation

 Development of a grant proposal

A student will be judged as either successful = Pass or unsuccessful = Fail. Regular, on-site attendance is a key component to receiving a passing grade as well as the successful completion of the agreed upon project.

Course objectives:  Identify and select a practicum site/situation  Develop a “learning contract”  Obtain signed agreement by all parties  Execute project  Summarize experience based on “learning contract” deliverable

Instructional materials: Practicum should be consistent with content provided in MPH Practicum Experience Resource Materials. Need to develop information for MPH practicum – a 3 to 4 page document providing information to assist students and faculty to prepare and execute a successful practicum project, written paper or report, and oral presentation. List of considerations for the practicum:  Undertaking the practicum  Developing the plan  Plan approval  Executing the practicum project  Reporting on the practicum project  Judging the practicum  Responsibilities of the key members of the practicum team

Standard Requirements for Practicum Deliverables Written paper or report outline: The written paper or report of the practicum should be provided to the student’s faculty committee no less than one week prior to the oral presentation. The written paper or report should be between 15 and 20 pages, excluding appendices, printed in double space 12 point font size. The paper or report should use the following general guideline:  Abstract (not to exceed 1 page)  Background of the Practicum (Problem Statement)  Description of the activity or intervention (for which the student had responsibility)  Results and lessons learned from the Practicum (Analysis)  Recommendations (for future actions on the topic)  Final Comments

Oral presentation: The oral presentation serves as a demonstration that the student can make a professional report to an informed audience in a persuasive and proficient manner. Students should create a PowerPoint presentation for their oral report. Copies of the presentation should be made available to the faculty committee at the beginning of the presentation.

Final evaluation: The Practicum will be judged as Satisfactory = Pass or Unsatisfactory = Fail based on the decision of the faculty committee outlined in the “learning contract” and the Course Director. Factors included in the decision will be the quality of the deliverable and evidence that the student has mastered the essential public health science in a manner that demonstrates professional competence. Criteria for assessing competency will be developed by the faculty responsible for MPH tracks based on the Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals as published by the Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice.

Public health competencies (http://trainingfinder.org/competencies/list.htm): 1. Analytic assessment skills 2. Policy development/program planning skills 3. Communication skills 4. Cultural competency skills 5. Community dimensions of practice skills 6. Basic public health sciences skills 7. Financial planning and management skills, and 8. Leadership and systems thinking skills

PROPOSED local organizations to be involved in practicum projects are: (WILL BE EXPANDED)  Louisville Metro Health Department  Kentucky Department for Public Health  National Health Services  Humana – Pharmacy Division, Outcome Analysis  University Hospital – Infection Control  Health Kentucky  getCare, Inc.  Water Department  Air Management  Barnett’s Group  Brown Cancer Center

Practicum sites will be no more than 45 minutes each way, unless the student desires a site in a particular area and is willing to commit to the travel time. Travel time does not count toward the number of hours required to work on site at the practicum location.

Student MPH Practicum Project Proposal Form: A form needs to be developed that includes:  Student name:  Have core course requirements been met?  If core course requirement is waived, Department Chair approval is required.  Concentration admitted in:

 Site preceptor name:  Faculty advisor name:  Course director:  Project title:  Description of the project:  Amount of time devoted each week  Number of credits:  Project approval:  Signature and date lines: for student, site preceptor, faculty advisor, course director, and chair.  Comments:

Evaluation and Additional Forms: Additional forms will need to be developed for:  Site preceptor evaluation form  Deliverable evaluation form  Status of completion  Student evaluation of practicum experience  Faculty advisor evaluation of student  Practicum site inventory  List of practicum sites and site preceptors

DRAFT Page 5 of 5 DRAFT