Competencies: MPH 613- Practice Lab: Integrated Lead Poisoning Prevention

For this practice lab there were several competencies covered, however, the two most impactful were MPH18 “Select communication strategies for different audiences and sectors” and MPH20 “Describe the importance of cultural competence in communicating public health content.” On the surface this practice lab was about searching for lead sources and creating a lead poisoning prevention program. However, after more than a cursory look it was evident that it required looking into the various cultures within the town. The cultures present impacted potential sources of lead, as well as likelihood of lead exposure. This was the first masters level course I took in the BSPH to MPH program, and I took it concurrently with the undergraduate course Health, Culture, and Diversity – Reducing Disparities in Public Health. Taking these two courses in the same semester allowed to gain a deeper understanding of how culture impacts health and health communication. It also reinforced the lessons on cultural competency learned in both classes. This practice lab showed the importance of stakeholder involvement at all levels of planning and implementation to understand the cultures in the community, build trust, and provide educational opportunities and materials that would be successful. As a public health professional, it is vital that I understand not only what the issues are, but who the issues affect. 

Competencies: MPH 632-Practice Lab: Hazardous Material Production & Transport Risk Management 

This practice lab did not include the cultural component that the MPH 613 lab did. The audience, instead of being a diverse community, was an employer who already has an understanding of the likely risks and potential hazards. The competencies that were driven home by this practice lab were GEH 2: “Evaluate risks posed by environmental health hazards using risk assessment methods,” and GEH 3. “Recommend approaches for recognizing, preventing, and addressing environmental health hazards.” This practice lab required me to identify and assess the risks both in the chemical plant as well as during the transport of the chemicals and chemical waste. Once that was complete, I had to develop recommendations to prevent potential hazard events. It required me to research the chemicals themselves, proper chemical handling and storage and chemical transportation standards. I also decided to go further and investigate stricter state level and international guidelines to develop a plan that reduced risk to a high level while also taking into consideration that there would likely be budgetary constraints on implementation. Taking organic chemistry as part of the BSPH program helped prepare me for some of the concepts in this lab, and while I would not have been likely to say this while I was taking the class, now that it exists only in my memory, I am grateful to have the foundation it laid before taking MPH 632.