Experience Preferred

Abstract

Universities offering undergraduate degrees in health promotion or health education and/or graduate degrees in public health typically require an internship, practicum, or fieldwork experience. This type of mentored experience is an important aspect of career development for the next generation of public health professionals and benefits not only the students but also the profession and the communities in which they work. This article provides perspectives from four public health professionals who have recently graduated from designated minority-serving institutions and highlights the ways in which internship, practicum, or fieldwork experiences have contributed to their career development. From a career development perspective, internships provide unique opportunities to develop professional networks, practice competencies learned in the classroom, gain experience in different environments, and share lessons learned with others in our field. The diversification of the public health research and practice workforce is increasingly recognized as crucial in building health equity. Internship programs that focus specifically on the academic and professional development of students underrepresented in public health provide experiences that meet or supplement academic requirements, and provide students with real-world experience and an expanded network of mentors and role models.

Public health practicum: a scoping review of current practice in graduate public health education

“…Practical placements are extremely beneficial to students, 10 17 as evidenced by their integration into many of the leading public health masters' programmes worldwide. However, this review demonstrated significant variation in practicum design, use of guidelines, and accreditation between the programmes reviewed.…”

“…These mentored experiences are also critical to career development, providing unique opportunities to develop professional networks, gain experience in different work-environments and collaborate with others in the field of public health. 10 This model builds on the traditional research-focused thesis paradigm towards one of implementation science, where the new generation of public health practitioners are supported to develop interdisciplinary skills for multisector engagement to move from research to action. 9 11 …”

Preparing Students for a More Public Health–Aware Market in Response to COVID-19

“…Early-career public health professionals indicate that experiences in practice are essential to acquiring needed skills and developing mentors and role models ( 13 , 24 ). The presentation of products generated by practice-based courses and the delivery of services though service-learning experiences can also strengthen academic–practice relationships and improve training of the next generation of the public health workforce by establishing connections in the field.…”

Public health education and health system needs in Pakistan: a mixed methods study

“…Without adequate practical exposure during training, students are vulnerable to developing an inability to apply classroom knowledge to real world problems. Studies show that practicums and internships allow students to exercise the learned competencies on actual public health challenges and to develop lasting professional networks (14)(15)(16). Above all, providing in-training experiential exposure helps students focus on the outcomes of their education in terms of developing relevant competencies (17).…”