HLTH 698 - Practicum (16 wk)

HLTH 698 Competency Exam

The student must complete an multiple-choice assessment of the core curriculum he or she has studied through the MPH degree program. The exam will be accessed and completed through the MPH Student concourse. Students are given access to the exam upon completion of HLTH 511 (usually in the first 25 hours of the program). The first attempt should be made prior to beginning the Practicum. If necessary students may make up to three attempts at the exam but it must be passed before the end of the first week of the Practicum course. This assignment will be pass/fail and is a requirement for completion of the course.

HLTH 698 Logic Model

Using the provided template, the student will create a logic model. This tool will help organize the practicum outcomes and objectives.

HLTH 698 Instructor Contacts (4)

The student must contact the instructor via internet video call software such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or WebEx to discuss project progress during the course. Discussion points for each phone call are outlined to coincide with completion of the practicum.

HLTH 698 Project Paper

The student will write a paper based on the practicum as an integrative learning experience. For the student undertaking a field research project, this will take the form of a standard research article complete with methodologies, data analysis, results, and discussion. Time spent researching for the paper will not count as practicum site hours. For the student choosing to participate in an ongoing public health program, the paper will take the form of a case study describing and evaluating the particulars of the program. The final document and all citations are expected to meet the standards of the current AMA Style Manual and be of publication quality. The paper will be developed throughout the term according to the stages below. In addition to the usual Blackboard submission, each stage will be submitted to one of the student’s classmates for peer review during the first week of each stage of development. Peers will submit the papers they edit to Blackboard the following week. A grade will be given for the student writing skills and for their services as an editor.

HLTH 698 Annotated Bibliography

The student will choose 20 relevant research articles or government sources to create an Annotated Bibliography. Annotations must be 100–200 words for each source.

HLTH 698 Introduction

This section will establish the background for the practicum, define the central problem or focus area of the practicum, and address the student’s rationale for pursuing this specific area. At least 5 peer-reviewed or government resources must be included.

HLTH 698 Methods

The student will give a step-by-step description of the activities that have been or will be undertaken during the practicum. The student must use best practices found in the research literature as a guideline. At least 3 peer-reviewed or government resources must be included.

HLTH 698 Results

The instructor will assume that the student has not yet collected the final data at this point. However, the student will be able to write the framework for this section leaving spaces for numerical data as needed. The student must have a concept for the graphs, tables, and figures needed for the final version.

HLTH 698 Rough Draft

The student will submit a rough draft that combines the work completed in the previous stages. The Rough Draft must be 15–20 pages and include at least 20 peer-reviewed or government resources (5 more than the original annotated bibliography).

HLTH 698 Peer review

The student will provide peer review/editorial services for a classmate during development of each section of the paper using the Review functions on Word. The edited paper will be submitted for grading of the student edits.

HLTH 698 Final

The completed Project Paper is expected to approach a professional level of writing. It must be 15–20 pages (not including the cover page and references) and include at least 20 peer-reviewed or government resources. The student will submit this assignment via SafeAssign without subjecting it to further peer editing.

HLTH 698 Video Presentation

The student will create an original oral presentation of his or her practicum using the Video Everywhere tool in Blackboard. This presentation will be viewed by faculty and other students in advance of the student’s exit interview. The video must be 8–10 minutes and provide a professional overview of the practicum’s purpose, design accomplishments, and recommendations. A PowerPoint of 5–8 slides must be uploaded with the oral presentation.

HLTH 698 Preceptor Evaluation

Preceptors will be contacted and supplied an evaluation form by the practicum coordinator during the first module/week of the term. The preceptor will evaluate the demonstrated level of student engagement, professionalism, and competency during the practicum. A numeric grade will be assigned to the student for this element based on the preceptor evaluation. A minimum of 120 hours of experience will be required to garner full credit for this portion of the grade.