Practicum Information for Preceptors
As a requirement established by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all Master of Public Health students must complete a 135-hour applied learning experience, or practicum. Since practical knowledge and skills are essential to a successful career in public health, a planned, supervised, and evaluated practicum is an essential component of a public health professional degree program. The goal of the practicum is to provide opportunities for students to synthesize, integrate, and apply practical skills, knowledge, and training learned through courses, gain professional experience in a public health work environment, and to work on public health issues that are of particular interest to the student.
New Practicum Sites and Preceptors
Practicum Sites
The MPH program partners with various community-based organizations in Detroit and surrounding areas in order to provide students with a quality experience that relates to each student's professional interests and goals, provides them with an opportunity to explore new fields or organizations, and enhances their professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes, all while serving their host site. Types of host sites include but are not limited to:
- Local and state public health agencies
- Not-for-profit organizations
- Hospitals and for-profit businesses .
Site Preceptors
Preceptors are responsible for providing guidance, supervision, and evaluation of the public health activities in the field. Site preceptors usually have an advanced degree, ideally an MPH, and at least five years public health work experience. Site preceptors are expected to orient the student to the agency/organization and assist the student in gaining access to resources, information, and data required for the student to complete the learning goals and objectives of the practicum. Those who are interested in becoming an MPH practicum preceptor should e-mail Practicum and Community Engagement Coordinator, Sarah Donaldson at sdonalds@med.wayne.edu.
The Practicum Process for Preceptors
Proposed Work
All established MPH practicum preceptors will be surveyed prior to the start of each new semester to gauge their interest in and ability to host one or more practicum students in the semester following. At that time, any interested preceptors will be expected to submit a summary of proposed work. The summary should include the number of students the site and/or preceptor would like to host and brief descriptions of the work students will be expected to complete.
Placements
After students complete the requirements to become eligible to enroll in the practicum, they will meet one-on-one with the Practicum Director at which time they will address their interests, career goals, and skills. With the Practicum Director, students will review the proposed work submitted by each preceptor. When a suitable placement is identified, students will be required to reach out to the preceptor via e-mail, attaching their resume, and requesting an informational meeting with the preceptor. This meeting will serve as an opportunity for the preceptor to meet directly with the student to discuss the site, the proposed work, and determine if the student will be a good fit for the site.
The Learning Contract
Students are required to choose three core competencies and two concentration competencies to focus on throughout their practicum. The Learning Contract establishes those student-desired competencies, the site/preceptor expectations, two deliverables, and timeline prior to the start of the practicum. Preceptors should be prepared to discuss these items with the student at the informational meeting or within the first week of each student's practicum work hours.
Completion of the Practicum
In order to complete the practicum, students are required to submit an updated resume, a signed time log, an abstract, and a poster detailing their practicum. They must also demonstrate that they have achieved their selected competencies through submission of their required two Deliverables.
January 2024 - June 2024 Applied Practice Experience: