Real world public health: 10 years of bringing local public health to life for graduate students

Graduate programs in public health offer young professionals a rigorous academic introduction and grounding in the ten essential services of public health. However, exposure to public health practice is often limited to a project-based practicum with one preceptor. To introduce students to the range of complex, real life scenarios with which practitioners at the local level grapple, the Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) and the Institute for Community Health (ICH) successfully developed an innovative half-day symposium which has been held annually for the past 10 years. The symposium, “Real World Public Health (RWPH),” features three interactive workshops based on local, current hot topics; a career panel; a keynote speaker; and a networking lunch. Presenters and facilitators are encouraged to candidly discuss challenges such as political factors, funding, data, advocacy, capacity, and sustainability. In 2012, students from eight different academic institutions attended RWPH. Students reported increased insights into the interdisciplinary nature of public health, career opportunities, and local public health. They also reported an improved understanding of local public health practice beyond what they had learned in school (mean rating 3.36 out of 4). In addition to the positive student impacts, CPHD and ICH staff benefit from disseminating their successful work to both students and staff; generating opportunities for student internships; and strengthening relationships with local universities. The presentation will share the evolution of the program model; planning tools; and evaluation results.