The COVID-19 pandemic brings challenges and new opportunities for MPH students
Students in the MPH/MS program are required to complete an Applied Practice Experience (APE or practicum) project during their second year. Students have the choice between a three or six credit hour course, which consists of 150 or 300 contact hours, respectively. In the pre-pandemic years, this course could occasionally be an obstacle for non-traditional graduate students since many organizations, and typically students, wanted an in-person experience. Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, students expressed concerns about how they were going to complete this course.
According to Gabi Boehm, APE instructor, being a graduate student is no easy feat. Aside from the increased workload - compared to many undergraduate degrees – most 91ֿ master’s students also work full-time and have family and personal responsibilities. “I worked closely with students and previously established site contacts to try and secure placements for their projects,” says Boehm. “Some students were able to complete their projects internally at their place of employment, with most of these projects directly relating to COVID-19, leaving little room to focus on specific interest areas,” continues Boehm.
In Boehm’s experience, public health students were excited to be a part of a team working to mitigate the risks of COVID-19. This was a chance to put what they’ve learned into practice. One of the biggest challenges was to secure a remote project for the students. New barriers to success such as lack of communication, revised project timelines, which could potentially delay graduation, and changing project goals meant students needed to be flexible.
Many MPH students had the chance to work with CPH alumna, Rose Penix, quality, culture and inclusion coordinator at Summa Health, who provided support and flexibility throughout the APE, especially for out-of-state students. Summa Health was one of the organizations that welcomed remote projects. “During the pandemic, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with 91ֿ MPH candidates that are flexible and resilient. The work we were doing had to adapt quickly to the ‘new normal’ and a great deal of our work had to center on COVID-19 as a public health crisis,” states Penix.
CPH graduate student Makenzie McElwain, pictured, was one of the students who completed her APE at Summa Health. “The mobile vaccine program assessment was a success,” continues Penix. McElwain “did thorough and professional work, and was effective in our inter-agency meetings. She produced compelling and feasible programmatic recommendations that were utilized by the health system. The positive impression that she made has these departments readily look forward to bringing on new 91ֿ students for programmatic work,” Penix concludes.
Some of the COVID-19 specific projects that were developed: Assessing Patient COVID-19 Information in the Summa Internal Medicine Center (IMC); Development of a Mechanism for Summa's Mobile Vaccine Strategy; Development of a quality improvement survey to address COVID-19 vaccine health beliefs for Summa Health patients.
McElwain was very satisfied with her APE experience at Summa Health and was glad to share her feedback.
How did COVID-19 affect your APE at Summa Health?
McElwain: Though COVID-19 had negative impacts, it positively impacted my APE experience at Summa Health. The pandemic not only allowed me to challenge myself and complete a fully online practicum project but gave me a good foundation for a practicum project topic. The staff at Summa were always readily available during my APE and were very accommodating.
How did your actual experience differ from your expectations?
McElwain: Prior to the start of my APE, I did not expect much or really have a good understanding of what a practicum project entailed. Now that I have completed the project, I am more skilled regarding program implementation, patient-provider relationships, and effective communication in a healthcare setting.
What has this opportunity meant to you?
McElwain: I am extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to complete my APE at Summa Health. Doing so allowed me to learn how to work with and communicate with health professionals. It is one thing to learn about data collection, analyses, and program implementation in classes, but it is a whole other ball game to be doing it yourself. It truly was remarkable that I had the chance to pick a topic that I was passionate about, collect primary data from patients, analyze it, and make implications for Summa Hospital. I believe that this APE project pushed me in the right direction and better prepared me for my future career within the field of public health.
Special thanks to Rose Penix and Summa Health for working diligently to facilitate our dedicated CPH graduate students allowing them to complete their required APE.
If your company is interested in hosting one or more students for their APE, contact Gabi Boehm at gboehm@kent.edu.