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Practicum and Culminating Experience Resource Page

To help facilitate the practicum and culminating experience, the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics has created the Practicum and Culminating Experience Resource Page to provide you with one location for:

Definition of the Practicum and Culminating Experience

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requires the following of all students:

  • Practicum: "All professional degree students must develop skills in basic public health concepts and demonstrate the application of these concepts through a practice experience that is relevant to the students' areas of specialization."
  • Culminating Experience: "A culminating experience is one that requires a student to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice." (CEPH, School of Public Health Accreditation Criteria, Amended June 2005).

Therefore, in accordance with these requirements, all MPH students in The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) are required to demonstrate proficiency in the application of the skills they acquire during their academic programs through the Practicum (PubH 214.13) and the Culminating Experience (PubH 215.13).

Practicum

In the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, the Practicum is a credit/no credit course which consists of three elements:

  • (a) Epidemiology-Biostatistics Skills Building Seminar - designed to help prepare students for their practice activity and professional life. Once students are registered for the Practicum, they do not need to register separately for the Skills Building Seminar as it is included in the two-credit Practicum course. The seminar, covering procedures useful to epidemiologists, is a six or seven week course offered in the first half of the fall and summer semesters. It should be taken as close to possible to the start of the practicum activities.
  • (b) Practice Activity - defined as a planned, supervised, and evaluated experience in a public health organization. The Practice Activity can consist either of a primary research or surveillance project including data collection and analysis, or a secondary analysis of an existing database. The Practice Activity enables the student to apply new skills in the context of public health, and must not be directly related to the student's day-to-day work. If the student does conduct the Practice Activity at his/her place of employment, this must be a separate activity for which the student is not remunerated.
  • (c) Attendance at three Department research presentations - Students are expected to document their attendance by writing a paragraph describing each presentation including title, speaker, and a one-paragraph summary. Presentations cannot be counted twice to meet the SPHHS colloquium requirement.

Culminating Experience

The Culminating Experience (CE) is a graded course which consists of the following four products that stem from research and practice involving a specific public health issue:

  • (a) Concept Paper - The concept paper is a brief description of the goals of the proposed study and should outline how it will be performed.
  • (b) Proposal - The proposal is an expanded version of the concept paper, outlining the study in detail; it can be used for IRB submission.
  • (c) Final Report - The final report is a write up of the completed study and analysis which should be written in formal scientific language.
  • (d) Oral Presentation - The oral presentation is a 20-minute presentation highlighting the key findings of the study and analysis.

Although it is not required, many students choose to link their Practicum and Culminating Experience so that the content of the selected Practicum is linked to the planning and interpretation aspects of the CE. Students may also choose to conduct a Practicum that is independent of their CE; in this case, the Practicum needs to be conducted first and a separate project needs to be identified for the CE.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Mandatory Practicum Orientation Session Information

Any MPH students planning to work on their Practicum during fall 2009 or spring 2010 are required to attend the mandatory Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Practicum Orientation Session. This is a requirement in addition to the requirement of attending the SPHHS Practicum Orientation.

The next DEB Mandatory Practicum Orientation sessions will be on Friday, September 18th from 12:00pm - 2:00pm.

Please RSVP to sphsxl@gwumc.edu by Friday, September 11, 2009 and indicate which session you will attend. Food will be served, so it is important to RSVP by the deadline listed.

If you cannot attend either, please send an e-mail to the previous address so we can poll whether another session will be held at a later date.

Resources

Please refer to the following resources and guidelines to complete the Practicum and Culminating Experience:

Practicum/CE Forms

Please visit the School of Public Health and Health Services' Practicum website for more information and to access the Practicum forms listed below. Click on the highlighted CE form to view or download it.

Student Practicum Forms

The following forms must be completed by students to participate in the Practicum:

  • Student Profile
  • Student Practicum Plan
  • RTF Form - This form must be signed by your Practicum Director

The following forms must be completed by students at the midpoint and the end of the Practicum:

  • Midpoint Evaluation Form
  • Final Student Evaluation Form

Site Preceptor Practicum/CE Forms

The following forms must be completed by Site Preceptors to participate in the Practicum:

  • Practicum Site Application
  • Practicum Project Application

The following forms must be completed or signed by Site Preceptors during the Practicum and Culminating Experience:

ORISE Fellowships at Office of Smoking on Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

The CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) is inviting MPH and MS students in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics (DEB) to apply for the ORISE Fellowship. The ORISE Research Participation Programs at the CDC are designed to give students an opportunity to participate in current research and development activities and studies, and related technical projects at CDC.

Individuals selected for the ORISE program are committed to a 3-month rotation at CDC in Atlanta. The qualifying student is assigned to work with a Health Scientist, Toxicologist or Epidemiologist in OSH on predetermined research, evaluation or surveillance projects.

For more information about the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH):

For more information about ORISE Fellowships, please visit:

Fellowship Deliverables:

  • Students present to CDC scientists and staff
  • Students may have the option of publishing with the CDC scientist they work with
  • Students serve as a point of contact and source of information for future ORISE fellows
  • The ORISE Fellowship awards students $3,200 per month during the 3-month rotation

Participation Requirements:

  • Applicant must have received a college degree
  • US citizenship of permanent alien status is preferred
  • Medical/health insurance required and available through ORISE if the participant chooses

Application Process:

The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics will receive applications from students. A panel of DEB faculty will review the applications and forward selected candidates for review and final selection by OSH staff. Students who wish to apply must submit the following materials:

  • Cover letter expressing interest
  • Detailed curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Writing sample - 5-10 pages
  • Unofficial transcript

The ORISE Fellowship applications must be submitted to Ms. Susan Lin in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at sphsxl@gwumc.edu by the following deadlines:

  • February 15 for Summer semester fellowships
  • May 15 for Fall semester fellowships
  • September 15 for Spring semester fellowships

Other Student Awards and Opportunities

Links to Other Practicum Resources

Information for Students Traveling Abroad

Students who are considering traveling abroad should contact their Practicum Director regarding forms that need to be completed.

Advanced planning and preparation are necessary for international placement.

Practicum and Culminating Experience Faculty and Staff

For general questions or questions regarding this website, please contact the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Practicum and Culminating Experience Coordinator:

Susan Lin
Ross Hall, Suite 125 D
Tel: (202) 994-7071
Fax: (202) 994-0082
Email: sphsxl@gwumc.edu

To arrange a meeting with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics Practicum and Culminating Experience Co-Directors, please contact:

Amanda Castel, MD, MPH
Practicum Co-Director
Ross Hall, Suite 119 B
Tel.: (202) 994-8325
Fax: (202) 994-0082
Email: sphaxc@gwumc.edu
Office Hrs: Fri. by appt		 Ann Goldman, MPH
Practicum Co-Director
Ross Hall, 119 E
Tel.: (202) 994-4581
Fax (202) 994-0082
Email: sphasg@gwumc.edu
Office Hrs: Wed. 2-4 p.m.; by appt

Dr. Castel advises students with last names A - L.
Professor Goldman advises students with last names M-Z.

site maintained by James Kraetz | last updated 20 November 2009 | Site Map