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The Public/Community Project

"Overview of Course Activities"

Course Objectives:

This required, four-week Public/Community Project is designed to acquaint medical students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes basic to the Public Health/Community Health Model for addressing a community health problem or issue.

Activities:

Students will spend four weeks completing a Public/Community Project. The project is to be chosen by the student and will have a focus on a public health issue/problem present in the community setting. Students will partner with a public or private agency that focuses on the topic chosen. They are expected to use national, state and local public health resources, computer searches, and readings in completing their project.

Students will complete two computer guided programs. The first will introduce them with the basic science of Public Health. The second will teach students, using a virtual computer game, how to conduce community-based health need's assessment, intervention and evaluation.

Project Types:(you will be doing one or two of these components of a community project)

A- Health Needs Assessment (which includes: defining the community, characterizing the community's health, and prioritizing their health concerns)

B- Propose/Implement Targeted Interventions: Implementation of an action, activity, training, or educational program that is meant to alleviate a defined public health problem or issue. This should be measurable and address a specific group.

C- Evaluate Implementation/Outcomes. Review of an ongoing project to determine its effectiveness and make recommendations for changes on future actions (Is the program doing what it is intended to do? What changes may be needed to be more effective?)

Three Questions to Ask before a Project Topic is Chosen:

(These are Dr. Babitz' criteria for approval of a project)
1- What is important to the community/population group you are working with? (This may include public heath personnel, agencies, and the community-at-large)
2- What issues have the greatest impact on the health of the specific identified group (in whose opinion?)
3- What issue can be reasonably addressed (studied) over 4 weeks?
4- Will the proposed project receive the appropriate amount of effort?

Project Guidelines:

1-The project should provide a benefit or service to a community or population group.
2-Choose a project topic that is closely related to a health care area that involves local/community public health systems. Avoid topics that are narrow in scope and have limited occurrence and effect on the community. Topics that lend themselves to intervention and prevention methods are preferred.
3-Avoid politically sensitive topics (example: birth control in teenagers) and projects that deal with children 18 and under.

Past Topics:

Students may view a listing of past projects completed by going to the Public/Community Project Web Page at: http://library.med.utah.edu/pcp/ Click on "Student Course Work" and then again on "View a list of Public Health Project Titles." This is only one program year's list and is provided as an example of the types and scope of past projects.

The PCP is a University of Utah Service Learning Course and provides addresses the health issues and problems of communities while students learn important skills and knowledge.