PBHE697 - Public Health Practicum

Students will demonstrate the following competencies drawn from the list of Program General Core Competencies: (However, not all of these will be demonstrated in every student’s practicum due to the focused and individualized nature of each student’s experience.)

After successfully completing this course, you will be able to:

• CO-1 - Communicate public health information and issues effectively to health professionals and the public through diverse communication channels
• CO-2 - Apply information technology to diverse aspects of public health and communication.
• CO-3 -Apply information technology to diverse aspects of public health and communication.
• CO-4 - Critically review and apply evidence-based evaluation of published medical and public health literature.
• CO-5 - Demonstrate the ability to discuss a public health problem substantively and scientifically, including demographics, geography, magnitude and time trends.
• CO-6 - Discuss and explain the typical operations and procedures of health departments and other agencies responsible for public health.
• CO-7 - Identify and discuss strategies for collaboration and partnership among organizations focused on public health goals.
• CO-8 - Discuss ethical choices, values and professional practices implicit in public health decisions, considering the effect of those choices on social justice and accountability.
• CO-9 - Demonstrate understanding of the three core functions of public health (assessment, policy development, and assurance.)

Please join the forums each week. Replies must be posted in the week due and replies after the end of the each week will not be graded. The Forums are for student interaction and input should be submitted before the weekends in order to fully participate in the discussions. Students should post their reflections and discuss their experiences as they progress.

Guidelines:

• Post the initial response to each forum by 11:55pm, ET, Wednesday.
• Initial responses should be no less than 450 words.
• Initial responses are to be original in content and demonstrate a thorough analysis of the topic.
• Reply to at least 2 of your classmates in each forum by 11:55pm, ET, Sunday.
• Replies to classmates should be no less than 200 words.
• Responses to classmates are significant to advance the forum.
• All forums can be accessed in the Forums section of the course.
• Forum rubric is included in the forum section of the course
• Additional guidelines for week one forum introduction are included in the forum tab within the course
• More in-depth specific instructions for each forum can be found in the forum tab within the course.
• Late Forum posts receive a 10% per day late penalty. If your 2 peer responses are posted after the week is ended (after Day 7, Sunday) they receive a zero, in that the discussion is over and you cannot receive credit for participation in a discussion with others after the discussion week has closed.

Students will be responsible for providing a peer response posting for at least two (2) of their peers’ postings, unless there are less than 3 students in the course, where only one (1) peer posting will be required. Your peer postings should challenge or expound upon at least one of the points made by your peer, and “I agree” does not constitute as an adequate response. As graduate students, you will be expected to provide comprehensive, relevant and well supported points in your assignments.

We all bring something unique to the classroom, from our understanding, our experiences, and our value systems. We honor and respect each person’s diverse beliefs to help us see beyond the classroom to be the most effective individuals we can be. Therefore, we should all be respectful of others while expressing our viewpoints and opinions. Proper netiquette behavior is expected. Any inflammatory, demeaning or disrespectful language in a posting will be immediately removed from the discussion space.

Reflections:

Please share with your peers some of your thoughts about events that occurred during these past two weeks at your practicum location. You may share your thoughts about the activities/duties and challenges you faced during these two weeks, or any additional insights you would like to share with your peers. Your reflection posting should be at least 400-500 words in length and please be sure to respond to at least two of your peers' postings during the week.

Deliverables:

In addition to their final paper, students are required to submit ALL final completed deliverables agreed on with the instructor and preceptor.

Practicum experience

• Students should have already received the Practicum Handbook from advising. If you have not received it, please contact the Practicum Coordinator.
• The practicum provides students with an opportunity to integrate the concepts they have learned in their public health courses to practical, real-life experiences. A practicum experience differs from an internship. An internship’s focus is on-the-job training for new employees, or providing practical experience for someone who is new to a position or a profession. A practicum, on the other hand, describes college-level practical course work in a particular field.
• The practicum involves working on a project related to public health practice. You will work with a professional in the field, who will serve as a preceptor during the practicum. You will work with the practicum coordinator, your practicum course instructor, and your preceptor to set and achieve objectives for this intensive experience.
• The practicum handbook will provide you with guidance as you prepare for and work within the practicum course and during the practicum experience.
• By its nature, the practicum involves comprehensive work outside of the classroom. You must be prepared to plan well in advance for this experience. The School of Health Sciences Practicum Coordinator will work with you to help you meet your academic objectives.
• The practicum is a planned, supervised experience in which the student applies academic learning to real-word situations in a specific discipline. The following elements are present in every practicum:
  • It is a planned coordinated experience developed in collaboration with the student, the preceptor, the instructor, and the practicum coordinator
  • It has a requirement of a specific number of 180-200 field-work hours to be completed during the 16-week practicum course
  • It includes a student placement plan that must be approved and signed by the student, the preceptor, the practicum coordinator, and the course instructor
  • It includes periodic feedback and a final evaluation from the preceptor to the student and the instructor
  • It includes student feedback related to the practicum experience and the preceptor
  • It includes a concluding report on the experience, submitted within the practicum course classroom and according to course guidelines

    What to do during the practicum?

• Work with preceptor on practicum project, abiding by “student responsibilities at practicum site” in the practicum handbook
• Keep detailed log of practicum work and hours, as defined in the practicum course.
• Prepare any documents or other requirements for the practicum organization, as agreed upon in the work plan
• Communicate regularly with preceptor and instructor to receive feedback on progress
• Complete Form F (Practicum Time Log) and submit weekly as instructed in classroom

What to do near the end of the practicum?

• Make sure all practicum work and requirements are on track for completion, by reviewing objectives and agreed-upon practicum work plan
• Use the Practicum Completion form as a guide to ensure that all work is completed
• A week or two before the end of the practicum, provide preceptor with evaluation form, to be completed and submitted to instructor
• Complete all course work related to practicum, as outlined in the course syllabus
• Complete the Practicum Evaluation form and the Preceptor Evaluation form as directed in the classroom

After the practicum is completed, send Thank You letters to the organization and the preceptor

• More in-depth specific instructions for each assignment can be found in the Assignment tab within the course.
• Assignments submitted late without advance notice will receive a 5% per day late penalty and will not be accepted for grading five (5) days past the due date.

Practicum Checklist

It is the student’s responsibility to submit all forms within the classroom. Preceptors should not submit forms directly to instructor by email. Instead, they should return forms to you for submission in the classroom. You may start your practicum at any time as long you have the paper completed. Make sure you have all papers completed by the end of week 3.

At start of class: Provide preceptor with course syllabus PBHE597, and Form A (School of Health Sciences Practicum Site Memorandum of Understanding).

Instructions for completion of Form A: After the preceptor signature, and the student signature, please submit to the practicum coordinator for approval and signature. After the practicum coordinator sign, he/she will return the form to you to submit in the classroom in the assignment section for the instructor approval and signature.

End of Week 3:

• Deadline to complete and submit Form A (School of Health Sciences Practicum Site Memorandum of Understanding)
• Submit Preceptor Information Form B and Preceptor Resume.

  End of Week 6:

• Student, instructor, and preceptor conduct first conference.
  • Student will schedule arrange first conference with instructor, and preceptor either via phone, email, or online chat. This contact should include the instructor, student and preceptor. The student must arrange this meeting and ensure all participants can attend.
• Preceptor complete Form C (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance) and share with student to submit in the classroom
• Turn in Form F: Practicum Time Logs

  End of Week 11:

• Student, instructor, and preceptor conduct second conference.
  • Student will schedule arrange second conference with instructor, and preceptor either via phone, email, or online chat. This contact should include the instructor, student and preceptor. The student must arrange this meeting and ensure all participants can attend.
• Preceptor complete Form C (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance) and share with student to submit in the classroom
• Turn in Form F: Practicum Time Logs

  End of Week 15:

• Student, instructor, and preceptor conduct third conference.
  • Student will schedule arrange third conference with instructor, and preceptor either via phone, email, or online chat. This contact should include the instructor, student and preceptor. The student must arrange this meeting and ensure all participants can attend.

    Power Point Presentation: This week you will submit your project for review by your classmates in the Forum

    Forum submission:

1. You are required to present your project to the class “in the forum area of the classroom. Your presentation should provide a comprehensive overview and highlight the key sections and points of your paper. Use either the vertical or horizontal Power Point poster templates for this presentation (attached in the Week 15 Forum)
2. You are required to comment on the poster presentations of at least two of your classmates. All of you have worked very hard on this project, and many of you know each other well from courses over the last several months. Take the time, even in this last few days of the course, to review and comment on the work that your classmates have done.

   End of Week 16:

• Preceptor complete Form D (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance) and share with student to submit in the classroom
• Students submit Form E (Student Evaluation of practicum and Preceptor experiences)
• Use the Practicum Completion Checklist to verify your completion of practicum requirements
• Turn in Form F: Practicum Time Logs

Form Submission List

Form A: School of Health Sciences MOU

Form B: Preceptor Information Form

Form C: Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance (Weeks 6 & 11)

Form D: Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance (Week 16)

Form E: Student Evaluation of Practicum and Preceptor Experiences

Form F: Practicum Time Log

Required Course Textbook:

There are no required textbooks for this course. However, students are encouraged to review all textbooks and supplemental materials provided during previous coursework taken during their graduate studies in the Masters of Public Health program.

Academic Writing Requirements:

The School of Health Sciences requires use of APA format and style and all students are encouraged to have a current copy of the APA Publication Manual. All written assignments are to be submitted in APA format style unless otherwise noted in the assignment directions.