Department of Health Policy and Management
and
General Public Health

Practicum Guide
2005-2006

Practicum Requirement And Definition

All MPH students in programs administered by the Department of Health Policy and Management, as well as students in the Program in General Public Health are required to satisfactorily complete a one-term practical experience called a practicum, as part of their matriculation. The practicum experience may include work in administrative, research or clinical settings or participation in ongoing research or program activities. Practica are individually selected and tailored to meet student needs. Therefore, the focus, substance and approach of the practicum will vary, depending on the particular program or concentration of the student and on her/his specific interests, professional goals and objectives. These objectives, however, must be consistent with the general objectives of the Department and School as outlined below. During the practicum the student works under the aegis of a specifically identified individual who acts as a practicum preceptor and who agrees to directly supervise the work of the student. Decisions on the nature, location, specific objectives and activities of the practicum are arrived at following discussion and agreement among the student, faculty advisor, departmental advisor, and practicum preceptor, whose respective responsibilities are outlined below.

Some single degree MPH students may elect to do an administrative residency instead of or in addition to a practicum. All administrative residency placements are coordinated through the Department of Health Policy and Management.

The full-time practicum is scheduled to take place during the summer term following the first year of study. Since arranging a satisfactory practicum requires considerable advance planning by students and advisors, students should contact the departmental advisor by January of the first year. There are no geographic restrictions on practicum locations.

General Objectives of the Practicum

The practicum as a requirement of the MPH degree provides special opportunities for learning which are different from, supportive of and supplementary to the more academic aspects of the program. These special opportunities will enhance and enrich the School's overall education efforts and outcomes as well as those of the various programs. The practicum may offer such general advantages as:

• helping the student to conceptually integrate classroom and real-world experiences,
• helping establish career goals by providing a transition from theory to practice,
• offering apprenticeship training often not available on the job,
• offering exposure to a variety of health care organization,
• helping students gain confidence, competence and satisfaction in completing individual projects, and gain insight into personal skills and attributes.

A variety of experiential approaches may be used to achieve these kinds of objectives. Again, the one essential ingredient of the practicum is that it be tailored to fit the educational needs and goals of each student individually.

Implementing The Practicum

A successful practicum depends on the consultation and mutual cooperation among the departmental and faculty advisors, student and preceptor and the discharge of particular responsibilities by each.

The Advisor's / School's Responsibilities

Arranging the Practicum

The Department is responsible for seeing that an appropriate choice of practicum is made, and for assisting the student in arranging the practicum including where and when it will take place. If the proposed site of the practicum and/or the prospective preceptor is unfamiliar to the advisor, a pre-placement site visit and interviews with prospective preceptors may be desirable. The faculty advisor may consult with and counsel the student in developing a particular placement. All practicum placements must be approved by the departmental advisor, who works with the student's regular faculty advisor to design the practicum program. As a rule, there is no separate practicum advisor.

Approving Objectives and Scope of Practicum

The educational objectives and general activities of the practicum are outlined by students with the guidance of the faculty advisor and with input from the preceptor. The proposed practicum must be approved by the Department. Agreement should be reached on the beginning and termination dates, the role of the practicum preceptor, the scope of the student's activities, and the nature of expected student reports, papers or other products, prior to beginning the practium.

Communications with Preceptor

When the practicum placement is settled, the departmental advisor will communicate with the preceptor, confirming the placement and the objectives and content of the practicum. A project assignment letter will be signed by both the preceptor and the student. The preceptor will receive a copy of the Practicum Guide. At the end of the practicum, the departmental advisor will see that the preceptor's evaluation of the student and practicum is received by the Department and will write a letter of acknowledgment, thanking the preceptor for her/his supervision of the student during the practicum placement.

Monitoring and Evaluating the Practicum

During the summer, all practicum student will attend a meeting with the departmental advisor and facility members to discuss the progress of their practca. Where possible, out-of-town students will participate via telephone conference call. If such arrangement is not possible, it will be the students responsibility to arrange a mid-practicum review with the departmental advisor. Student's perspective. Advisors will be available to counsel students during the practicum should problems arise.

Reporting and Maintaining Records

The Department will maintain appropriate records and documentation about practicum locations, placements and completion. The Department will compile and keep updated a listing of practicum sites and make available the various practicum report forms. These records will be used for evaluation, future selection of placements, student references, and other appropriate educational and administrative purposes.

The Student's Responsibilities

Arranging Practicum and Specifying Objectives

Because students have a stake in making the practicum a worthwhile educational experience, each student is expected to take an active part in identifying and arranging a meaningful practicum experience and for specifying the objectives and activities of the practicum. This is done through discussion with the advisor and potential preceptor. A student cannot arrange and undertake a practicum without the approval of the Department of Health Policy and Management. As emphasized earlier, the student must contact the departmental advisor the January before the anticipated practicum start date so that suitable plans for the placement can be made. In completing the practicum, the student is expected to act in a professional manner.

Completion of Practicum

The student must meet the specified objectives of the practicum by successfully carrying out all practicum plans, including completion of all activities and assignments and preparing a 10 page report which is due one month prior to the Fall Practicum seminar. The report will include a description of the host organization, student's responsibilities, curriculum connections, and personal and professional development. Each Spring preceding the practicum, the Department will hold a mandatory pre-practicum orientation session in which the expectations and requirements of the practicum program are presented and discussed. During the final fall semester, all student are required to attend the Department's practicum seminar.

HPM Practicum Seminar

Upon completion of the summer practicum, students are expected to enroll in P8581, the HPM Practicum Seminar for 0-1 credits. The practicum papers submitted at the end of the summer are used as the basis for planning the student practicum presentations. The seminar consists of two half-day communication training sessions and one all day practicum workshop. The communication sessions taught by a professional development consult are schedule at the begging of the second fall semester. These classes focus on improving student oral presentation skills and offer students the opportunity to practice public speaking in an informal and supportive environment. In early October, during the one-day practicum seminar, students give presentations within small groups of peers, faculty and alumni. The day concedes with a wrap up session for all participant facilitate by the faculty seminar leader.

Student who complete their academic work in one year and are not in residence during the Practicum Seminar are required to complete practcum papers as part of their degree requirements.

The Preceptor's Responsibilities

Arranging and Supervising the Student's Experience

The agency, program, project or individual that agrees to accept a student for the practicum assumes a vital educational role. The practicum preceptor coordinates and supervises the student's experience and define activities which will help meet the objectives of the student and the School. The preceptor is formally considered an important educational resource within the Department of Health Policy and Management. The practicum preceptor coordinates and supervises the student's day-to-day work and takes responsibility for seeing that the specific experiential objectives and activities arranged for are being carried out. The preceptor designs and critiques student assignments, counsels and guides the student. Where applicable, the preceptor provides the student with an orientation to the agency/organization and acts as liaison between the placement agency and the School of Public Health.

The practicum preceptor is not held responsible for the quality of any student papers which may grow out of the practicum but is free to suggest to the student the most appropriate use of any data collected or any observations documented, and may impose reasonable restrictions on the use of such information.

Reporting and Evaluation

The preceptor will be asked to cooperate with the advisor/School in site visits and/or other contacts designed to obtain information on the progress of the practicum, and to allow students to attend practicum seminars as arranged in advance. At the end of the practicum the preceptor will be asked to provide the School (through the departmental advisor) with a written evaluation of the student's performance, and other comments on the student's prior experience and preparation for the practicum.

Length And Schedule Of Practicum

General Information

The length of the required practicum is 3-4 months, and unless special arrangements are made, it is assumed that all MPH candidates will abide by this requirement. As a rule, the practicum is designed as a full-time experience. Any change in the one-term length of the practicum or modification in the way it is scheduled is the exception rather than the rule. The primary justification for altering the duration of the practicum is educational. In making a decision, account must be taken of the relationship of the student's past education and experience, present level of expertise and future educational and career goals.

Any substantial alteration in practicum duration or any significant modification in scheduling the one-term practicum must be put in writing by the student and receive prior written approval from the Department. Final action on exception to the one-term length of the practicum for a given student should be made no later than the end of the second term following admission to the School.

Meeting The Practicum Requirement Through Prior Professional Experience

The practicum requirement may be waived under special circumstances for the following students:

• Those who enter the School with strong professional backgrounds by training and;
• Those who are completing a health-related internship in a dual degree program at Columbia.

Changing The Practicum Location

With proper planning, satisfactory and educationally beneficial practicum experiences are almost always arranged. If, however, difficulties arise, the student should consult with her/his advisor. In extreme cases, when placements prove totally unsatisfactory, a new student placement can be arranged with the consent of the student's program director and with the assistance of the advisor.