Competency 1
MPH 2: Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context
This competency focuses on data collection methods, and I would achieve the above competency through my practicum experience by selecting research studies with data collection methods that are sound and apply to various populations and environments in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many courses contributed to this competency: MPH 612, 616, and 746. However, I chose to focus on MPH 746 Epidemiology for this competency. In the course, we completed a Study Design Project. This project was broken into multiple sections to be completed throughout the semester. The purpose of this project was to apply epidemiological methods, which are used in a wide range of public health practices, by choosing a health problem or a disease in your area and applying what you will learn in this course. I chose to focus on the prevalence of obesity in adults in the Hampton Roads Area. While no data collection was required for this project, I chose and planned an appropriate epidemiological study to address my research question. The final submission for this project is attached below.
competency-mph-746-evidenceReflection:
This competency has allowed me to learn skills that can not easily be replaced. Truly understanding quantitative and qualitative data collection methods is a hard skill to master, but once public health professionals have a sound understanding, they can take their knowledge and apply it to problems in the real world. As a public health professional, I am going to be faced with problems both big and small, and I will need to determine the best way to evaluate those problems to pick the best possible solution. If I am unable to determine which data collection method best fits my specific situation, I may struggle to find a suitable solution. And if I am unable to find a solution that works, my community may suffer for longer than they need to or deserve to. Competency MPH 2 helps to establish the framework for bettering our communities, thus being a crucial competency for all MPH students.
Competency 2
MPH 4: Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.
This competency focuses on interpreting data analysis results, rather than the above competency that focused on selecting the appropriate data analysis method. For this competency, I would achieve it through my practicum experience by taking the findings of multiple studies on PFAS and compiling findings in a way that comprehensively and concisely presents key findings. This competency was covered in MPH 612 and 616, which are the two courses I have taken at the time of this writing. For this competency, I focused on MPH 612 Statistical Reasoning for Public Health. During this course, we completed a Data Analysis Project that was broken into three parts, the first part focuses on the following learning outcomes: use of a probability sampling method to draw a random sample, distinguish between quantitative and qualitative data, graphically display data based on their type, calculate measurements of central tendency and measure of dispersion, run basic summary statistics for a set of data, interpret results of the descriptive statistics, and write clearly and concisely about statistics using proper writing mechanics. The purpose of part two of the project was to use sample data to estimate values of population parameters as well as to test hypotheses or claims made about a population parameter. And the purpose of the third part was to use sample data to investigate the relationship between two variables. Below I have included the data analysis project, and while we submitted the project in three separate parts, I’ve combined them for viewing simplicity.
competency-mph-612-evidenceReflection:
Along with being able to identify which data collection method is best suited for a specific project, being able to analyze the data collected is crucial for public health professionals. In my current role as the COVID Epidemiologist at the Portsmouth Health Department, I am constantly reading over and analyzing COVID-related data to report to supervisors. Me being able to get the data is one thing, but now that I have the skills to analyze, understand, and interpret the data, I can take my interpretations and use them to find a solution to public health problems. This allows me to contribute to the public health world, as I can identify a problem, get the data needed, and determine if the problem is significant or if proposed solutions are working. My goal as a public health professional is to improve the lives of the communities around me, and data interpretation allows me to do just that.
Competency 3
Competency MPH 21: Perform effectively on interprofessional teams.
Shifting gears from data analysis, this competency focused on working with professional teams on various public health topics. During my practicum experience, I worked with the four subcommittees assigned to the project in a professional setting: Health and Toxicology, Monitoring and Occurrence, Policy Regulation, and Treatment Technology. Additionally, during one of my courses, MPH 615 Systems Thinking and Management, I worked in a team of three to complete our IPE project. The group was composed of myself, a second MPH student, and a Dental Hygiene student. Our combination of knowledge and experiences allowed our group to bring a lot to the table when discussing our topic: access to healthcare for senior citizens. Below I have attached our group’s presentation slides. Additionally, I have included my individual paper from the project.
competency-mph-615-evidence-2competency-mph-615-evidence-1
Reflection:
As a public health professional, if I cannot work with others as part of a team, I will struggle. In public health, we are oftentimes faced with situations or problems that are larger than one person. Being able to come together as a team to tackle a situation is crucial – it helps save time, different people bring different perspectives to the situation, and it brings our public health team closer together. I had taken this competency and applied it outside of ODU. I focus on teamwork in all aspects of my life: work, education, and personal relationships. Before the group project in MPH 515, I had a hard time speaking up in group projects. I was fearful of coming across as aggressive or too pushy. However, this experience and other experiences through my MPH program have shown me that being vocal about my thoughts and opinions does not mean I am aggressive. Rather, I simply am contributing to the situation at hand. I have become more comfortable speaking up in a group setting for my thoughts to be heard and as a public health professional, I am comfortable voicing my thoughts to be my community.
Competency 4
GEH 2: Evaluate risks posed by environmental health hazards using risk assessment methods.
Competency GEH 2 focuses on environmental health hazards, and during my practicum experience, I was responsible for taking recent literature and research on PFAS and evaluating them for potential human and environmental impacts. While I covered the competency during my practicum, I also used it during one of the courses that I have taken so far: MPH 632 Environmental and Occupational Health Risk Assessment. Competency GEH 2 applied to many assignments completed during the course but was most applicable to Assignment 10, which was the final assignment of the semester. Assignment 10 was also the Risk Management and Practice Lab assignment for the course. For the assignment, we were given a scenario and had to identify the health hazards/risks presented, state our recommendations, and provide details on how we would implement our recommendations.
competency-mph-632-evidenceReflection:
Environmental health hazards are not leaving the public health scene any time soon, and as a new public health professional, I must be able to identify and evaluate the risk of these situations. One of the main learning points I took away from this competency is that you cannot always avoid all of the hazards. Sometimes, whether due to budget limitations or lack of resources, public health professionals have to decide which hazard should be responded to first (or at all). These decisions are not easy, but I can say that after this assignment, the course, and other MPH courses, I am more comfortable in taking part in these conversations and decisions. At the end of the day, I want to protect the health of my community, so being able to determine with hazard needs to be handled first to best protect others is crucial as my role as a public health professional.
Competency 5
GEH 4: Critically assess policymaking processes of local, state, federal, and international agencies, related to environmental health and governance.
For this fifth competency, I would achieve the competency through my practicum because I had to critically analyze what materials and evidence VDH needed to present to the General
Assembly of Virginia to pass regulatory guidelines for the following compounds: PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFHpA, PFNA, PFHxS, and other PFAS. Additionally, this competency was covered in Paper 1 for MPH 622 Environmental Law, Governance, and Justice. This is the only class I have taken thus far in my MPH that covers this competency. For this paper, we were to analyze a public health law or act and discuss current legal issues surrounding it. I chose to focus on the Food Modernization Act and I looked into infringement of whistleblower protections. We concluded the paper with a personal reaction to the act or law we selected. This provided students with the platform to provide their thoughts and opinions on the research done, which was a unique opportunity and I am thankful for it.
Reflection:
As a public health professional, not only do I need to understand the policymaking processes of local, state, and federal government to better understand new public health policies, but I also need to understand what the policies are telling me so I can follow them correctly. Throughout the COVID pandemic, policies surrounding the virus, isolation and quarantine, and vaccinations have constantly changed. Working directly with the pandemic response, I was put in charge of looking over new guidelines and policies, determining how they would affect our operations, and reporting to the team how we needed to adapt. MPH 622 and this competency requirement gave me both the skills and confidence to do this at my workplace. While some of the COVID policies were not as intense as the material covered in class, I now do not shy away from legal documents and proceedings. These skills are just another thing in my public health “toolbelt” that helps me help my community. Now I can understand and enforce legal policies, and perhaps one day is a part of the process of creating new public health policies.