Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113979

Rena G. Boss-Victoria, DrPH, MSN, RN, CNS, Public Health Program, Center for HIV Prevention Evaluation, Policy and Research, Morgan State University, 1700 E Cold Spring Lane, Jenkins Bldg, Room 343, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-4042, drbossvictoria@aol.com

This presentation will describe an innovative practice in public health practitioner education. In 1999, as a response to a call for change within the public health arena, the Public Health Program (PHP) at Morgan State University (MSU) was designed and founded as a practice-based program, with a focus on health disparities and working in and with communities. A key component of the PHP is its internship program. The MSU PHP faculty has developed the Enhanced Minority-Serving Institution Model for Public Health Education and Training (EMSMPHE) to integrate health education, participatory research and community service in multi-level, community-based practice settings. A case study of student internships working with a local government commission on HIV/AIDS demonstrates the mechanics and utility of the internship model in effectively blending academic training with practical experience with an effect on city-wide HIV/AIDS policy This case study, through an analysis of the internship process, student perspectives, their products and outcomes; and the impact on public health policy, demonstrates both the utility and strengths of the EMSMPHE model in achieving both important public health goals and developing a more vital public health workforce through practice-based approaches.

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