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Undergraduate Student Field Experience Requirements
Students
in Public Health Education, School Health Education, and Health Care
Management in the Department of Health Science and Human Ecology are
required to complete a field experience. The field experience is
intended to provide a supervised application of content and theory
basic to health education and health care.
Program curriculum seeks to integrate basic and applied public health
theories and methods in applying them to real problems of human
populations. Assessment, planning and evaluation are common themes in
the department's educational programs. Health Education is a
competency-based professional preparation program.
Health
services organization and delivery, general managerial and leadership
skills, and other health service management skills are common themes in
the department's health care management program.
The field experience includes a 240 hour (for health care management
students or health education who enrolled prior to 2006) or a 320 hour
(for health education students enrolling in 2006 and later) experience
which takes place in an appropriate public health setting. Settings may
include hospitals, managed care organizations, government agencies or
health departments, community organizations, advocacy programs or other
related health settings. Environmental health science students complete
a 200 hour field experience which often takes place in a county health
department.
The
entire field experience process takes approximately a year, beginning
with the field experience search process which takes place during HSCI
489 Pre Field Experience, experiencing the field placement in HSCI 492
or 495, a senior seminar in HSCI 493 offered concurrent with 492 or
495, and ending with the required final project report, portfolio, and
poster presentation.
The Goal of the Field Experience
The field experience is intended to provide an applied practical
experience where students have an opportunity to integrate knowledge,
skill, and expereince.
The purpose of the field experience is to:
a)
Provide an opportunity to work with public health professionals on a
meaningful project related to health education or health management.
b)
Integrate classroom material with planned, supervised, and practical work experience.
c)
Provide an experience that exposes students to employment opportunities and health specializations.
d)
Provide opportunities for leadership in health settings.
e) Provide an opportunity for students to apply competencies and prepare them for national credentialing exams.
Ultimately, the field experience further contributes to helping CSUSB
meet its goal to strengthen its ties with the community by contributing
to the betterment of health of the population living in the vicinity of
the University.
Field Experience Objectives
During the field experience the student will be able:
- To apply competencies and knowledge gained throughout the HSCI experience.
- To
obtain first hand experience in a school; public or community health
service, organization or agency; or in a health care setting
- To apply knowledge and skills acquired throughout the HSCI curriculum
- To explain how health education fits into total public or community health
- To explain how health care management fits into total public or community health
- To demonstrate a concern for health, human rights and dignity in the context of community health
-
To analyze and explain the organizational structure of the host
organization, including its mission, goals, values, constituencies,
funding, impact on clients and other constituencies, relationship with
the community and effect(s) on oneself
- To discuss human rights and ethical principles to be followed when working with community organizations
- To demonstrate problem-solving skills
- To demonstrate skills to work effectively across diverse sub-groups and cultures
- To demonstrate skills to work effectively as a member of an interdisciplinary team
- To demonstrate leadership skills
- To demonstrate the ability to formulate an idea from conception to completion of a project
- To explain the role of politics in the work environment
-
To demonstrate the ability to navigate effectively among various
constituencies and agendas in order to accomplish the stated objectives.
Field Experience Benefits
Health Science field experience has three beneficiaries:
a) Students: apply public health knowledge taught in class into
practice inside the community and learn from the actual experience in
the real world of public health practice.
b) Community: working with a preceptor to improve the health of the
community through services provided by the future health cadres.
c) Institution: foster closer relationship between the Department of
Health Science, the faculty, the site of internship, students and the
community.
Students are required to:
a) Determine a project based upon the organization's needs, work, or mission;
b) Develop a field plan or scope of work based upon the above;
Types of Field Experience
Each student and assignment is individually determined Each
relationship between the student and the preceptor is unique.
Flexibility is important. Students and projects vary as to required
supervision. One student may have a major project within one department
of the organization while another student may have several smaller
projects from a variety of organizational sub-units. Some placements
are predetermined and require the student to fit into the specified
conditions. Other placements are flexible and built around the
students' specific skills and interests. The work should be flexible
enough that the student can be exposed to a variety of meetings and
decision-making at all levels of the organization. The diversity of
student background permits a variety of projects in which students can
participate. Preceptor Responsibilities (overall responsibilities include but are not limited to):
A. Assist the student in developing project objectives to be achieved during the internship.
B. Orient the student to the staff, organization (including the
dress code), and the community the organization serves
C. Plan with the student specific activities as well as their
role, responsibilities, and supervision during the internship.
D. Inform the student of required training, background check,
fingerprinting or other necessary preliminary requirements
E. Determine with the student the dates of the internship, daily attendance, and hours of attendance.
F. Share with the student other learning opportunities that might exist in the organization.
G. Orient the organization's staff to the student's project objectives.
H. Set up a site visit date and time for the faculty internship coordinator to visit the site.
I. Approve and sign the student's internship project plan
and letter of agreement prior to the onset of the student's activities
with the organization
J. Complete and review a performance evaluation with the student at the end of the internship.
K. Sign the bi-weekly log indicating hours and completed Department Information
Department Information Health Science Concentrations
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