Master!of!Public!Health! MPH!Practicum!Guidelines! …the!student!will!not!be!covered!by!the!university!liability/worker’s!compensation!insurance.!! Goals!of!the!Practicum!Experience!!

MPH$Practicum$Guide$and$Proposal$Revised$September$2017$!

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!Master!of!Public!Health!!

MPH!Practicum!Guidelines!!!!

CU!Anschutz!Medical!Campus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Practice!Based!Learning!Office!–[email protected]!!

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MPH!Practicum!Basics!!Practicum!Requirements!!

•$ All!MPH!concentrations!in!the!Colorado!School!of!Public!Health!require!students!to!successfully!complete!a!Practicum!experience!in!which!the!student!demonstrates!competencies!and!integrates!public!health!knowledge!!!!

•$ Minimum!of!120!hours!of!experience!in!the!field!of!public!health!(CU!and!CSU)!and!150!for!UNC!•$ PreNdefined!tasks!that!assist!an!organization!in!addressing!an!unmet!need!while!supporting!student!growth!in!

developing!skills!in!public!health!practice!•$ Preceptor!site!approval!from!Academic!Advisor!and!Practicum!Office!•$ Students!must!be!registered!for!the!Practicum!course!before!logging!hours!toward!Practicum!requirement.!!If!the!

Practicum!will!not!be!completed!in!one!semester,!a!student!may!receive!an!“incomplete”!and!receive!a!final!grade!at!a!later!time.!!If!a!student!is!not!registered!for!Practicum!credits!and!the!student!is!injured!while!working!on!the!Practicum!the!student!will!not!be!covered!by!the!university!liability/worker’s!compensation!insurance.!

!Goals!of!the!Practicum!Experience!!

•$ Apply!classroom!theory,!knowledge,!skills!and!techniques!to!a!professional!work!setting;!•$ Enhance!and!develop!new!skills!needed!to!function!as!a!professional!in!a!public!health!setting;!•$ Work!on!a!specifically!defined!public!health!problem!or!issue!project!that!is!salient!to!the!Preceptor!site;!•$ Participate!in!a!setting!that!allows!the!student!to!explore!future!career!decisions;!•$ Engage!in!professional!selfNassessment!and!personal!reflection;!•$ Build!a!personal!network!of!professional!leaders!in!public!health;!•$ Connect!with!local!and!state!public!health!agencies!and!other!communityNbased!organizations,!which!serve!the!

public’s!health!to!create!support!for!the!public!health!community!and!future!recruitment!opportunities.!!Practicum!Process!!

1)$ Complete!prerequisite!requirements!for!Practicum:!a.$ Successfully!complete!Public!Health!Practice!course!(CSU)!or!Foundations!in!Public!Health!course!(CU/UNC)!b.$ Successfully!complete!18!credits!including!three!core!MPH!courses!

2)$ Complete!the!Practicum!Proposal!including,!learning!plan,!placement!agreement!and!online!certifications!(see!checklist!for!a!full!list)!

3)$ Gain!Approval!from!community!Preceptor!and!Academic!Advisor!4)$ Submit!Proposal!and!receive!an!access!code!for!the!Practicum!Course!

!Practicum!Online!Course!Assignments!!!

•$ Log!of!Practicum!experience!hours!•$ Organizational!Structure!Paper:!Organization’s!structure!and!governance,!mission,!strategic!plan,!leadership,!

funding,!budgeting,!staff!management!!•$ Analytic!Journals!•$ MidNpoint!evaluation!!•$ Final!evaluation!!•$ Final!Online!Practicum!Presentation!

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Practicum!Placement!!Since!each!student!has!a!unique!set!of!interests!and!skills,!the!Practicum!experience!will!be!created!as!an!individualized!experience.!!!The!student!will!be!matched!with!a!community!agency/host!site!and!a!community!Preceptor.!!The!placement!of!students!will!be!flexible,!but!the!following!guidelines!will!be!used!to!assess!appropriateness!of!practice!placement:!!

•$ Requires!students!to!apply!graduate!level!competencies!!•$ Engages!students!in!addressing!a!specific!public!health!issue!in!a!field!setting!•$ Advances!students’!competencies!and!knowledge!in!public!health!practice!•$ Exposes!students!to!the!ten!Essential!Services!of!Public!Health!•$ Has!specific,!defined!project!goals!with!deliverables!•$ Has!a!realistic!time!frame!that!is!appropriate!for!a!student!to!manage!based!upon!their!unique!skills!and!knowledge!•$ Has!a!Preceptor!who!has!appropriate!training!to!1)!oversee!the!project,!2)!willing!to!agree!to!responsibilities!

outlined!in!the!project!learning!plan,!3)!is!approved!by!the!MPH!Practicum!coordinator!•$ Enhances!the!students’!professional!network,!career!potential!and!professional!development!

!Establishing!a!Practicum!Host!Site,!Preceptor!and!Project!

!The!responsibility!of!creating!an!exceptional!Practicum!experience!ultimately!lies!on!the!student.!!However,!the!student!is!not!alone!in!this!pursuit.!!The!student!will!work!closely!with!their!faculty!advisor!and!the!MPH!Practicum!Office!to!receive!support!and!guidance!to!ensure!an!enriching!experience.!!!To!start!the!placement!process!a!student!should:!

•$ Review!Practicum!requirements!•$ Review!the!Practicum!Guidelines!and!Proposal!document.!Complete!the!skills!assessment!and!create!a!list!of!

preferred!settings,!topics!and!skills!to!develop.!•$ Create!an!account!on!ColoradoSPHConnect.com!to!review!opportunities!•$ Meet!with!faculty!advisor!and!or!Practice!Office!to!discuss!student!interest!sand!opportunities!available!at!Preceptor!

sites!!Responsibilities!of!Preceptor!and!Host!Sites!!The!goal!of!the!Practicum!is!to!help!grow!the!student!personally!and!professional!for!a!career!in!the!field!of!public!health.!!!The!experience!is!intended!to!provide!students!with!an!opportunity!to!develop!professional!skills!in!a!public!health!setting!while!contributing!to!the!needs!of!an!organization.!The!school!recognizes!that!this!goal!needs!the!support!and!commitment!from!community!partners!that!are!practicing!public!health!in!various!settings.!!The!primary!responsibilities!of!a!host!site!and!Preceptor!are!to:!!

•$ Work!with!students!to!develop!a!realistic!graduate!level!project!within!the!Practicum!time!commitment!and!student!schedule!

•$ Provide!the!student!with!a!background!about!the!organization!and!project!•$ Be!available!to!meet!with!student,!provide!supervision,!and!feedback!•$ Provide!resources!for!students!to!complete!project!(i.e.!office!space,!computer,!access!to!data)!•$ Provide!written!feedback!for!the!student!and!the!school!by!completing!evaluation!forms!midway!through!Practicum!

(after!60!hours!completed)!and!a!final!evaluation!•$ Support!students!in!professional!development!activities!(i.e.!include!in!staff!meetings,!introduce!organizational!

leaders,!invite!to!professional!events)!______________________________________________________!!

•$ *Organizations,must,have,a,current,Educational,Affiliation,Agreement,with,ColoradoSPH,•$ *Organizations,are,encouraged,to,post,all,student,opportunities,on,ColoradoSPHConnect.com0,

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Preceptor!and!Host!Site!Benefits!!

The!Practicum!experience!adds!great!value!to!the!student’s!development!and!having!a!student!professional!also!provides!benefits!to!the!host!organization.!!

•$ Students!complete!or!conduct!projects!the!organization!may!not!have!capacity!to!do!•$ Students!provide!an!inquisitive!approach!and!may!provide!creative!ideas!and!solutions!•$ Students!build!professional!capacity!and!may!be!recruited!to!become!part!of!organization’s!workforce!•$ Organizations!and!Preceptors!have!an!impact!on!the!field!of!public!health!by!participating!in!the!education!of!future!

professionals!!Practicum!and!Capstone!Combined!A!student!may!choose!to!link!their!Practicum!experience!with!his/her!Capstone.!!For!example,!during!the!Practicum!the!student!may!begin!an!extended!project!that!requires!more!than!the!minimum!120!hours!for!completion!and!culminates!into!a!product!that!meets!the!requirements!for!the!Capstone!project.!!This!possibility!should!be!explored!between!the!Preceptor!and!the!student!at!the!beginning!of!the!Practicum!experience,!although!in!some!cases!the!possibility!for!a!Capstone!project!may!be!identified!during!(rather!than!prior!to)!the!Practicum!experience.!!The!MPH!Capstone!Project!is!designed!to!benefit!the!community!or!a!particular!target!population!(e.g.!program!plan,!program!evaluation,!capacity!building!project,!policy!initiative,!grant!proposal,!publishable!research!paper).!The!project!will!most!often!be!connected!to!the!Practicum!experience!by!addressing!a!need!identified!by!the!host!site.!The!project!should!relate!to!a!student's!academic!goals!and!professional!interests,!and!demonstrate!the!student's!ability!to!work!independently!at!the!master's!level.!!The!final!product!will!be!a!15N20Npage!paper!that!demonstrates!the!student's!ability!to!bring!together!the!many!facets!of!his/her!learning!from!the!MPH!program!in!a!prescribed!format.!!The!student!will!also!present!his/her!experience!in!the!form!of!an!oral!and!poster!presentation!for!faculty!and!classmates.!!!Public!Health!Forum!!

•$ Each!semester,!Capstone!students!from!all!three!campuses!present!an!oral!and!poster!presentation!at!the!Public!Health!Forum!(Research!Day!at!UNC).!Preceptors!are!encouraged!to!attend!this!public!event.!Visit!the!ColoradoSPH!website!calendar!for!upcoming!dates.!

!Global!Travel!Requirements!!Complete!EHOH!6633!or!complete!a!waiver!that!describes!your!past!public!health!work!abroad.!Request!a!waiver!from!ColoradoSPH.Practicum@ucdenver.edu!!!Contact!the!Office!of!Global!Education!(OGE)!and!gain!approval!for!travel!before!registering!for!PUBH!6606.!Catherine!Bogle!is!the!Global!Education!Associate!for!CU!Anschutz.!([email protected])! !


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!!SAMPLE!Learning!Plan!!

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!Host!Site:!!

Preceptor:!!

Student!Name:!!! ! !!!! !!! ! ! Email!address:! ! ! !Practicum!Summary:!In!one!statement!describe!the!organization!you!will!be!working!with.!!Follow!this!with!a!brief!description!of!the!overall!purpose!of!working!with!this!organization!and!how!it!relates!to!public!health.!Practicum!Activity!#1!For!each!activity,!provide!a!fairly!detailed!description!of!what!you!will!be!doing.!!How!will!you!be!spending!your!time?!!Some!activity!examples!might!include!attending!collaboration!meetings,!drafting!documents,!collecting!data,!developing!a!survey,!researching!best!practices,!giving!presentations,!or!drafting!recommendations.!!You!need!to!have!at!least!3!activities,!but!you!may!have!more.!!Practicum!Activity!#2!!!!Practicum!Activity!#3!Proposed!Capstone!Project!(if!applicable):!!This!section!only!needs!to!be!filled!in!if!your!Capstone!project!will!be!with!the!same!organization!as!your!Practicum!organization!and!you!already!have!a!sense!of!what!you!will!be!doing!for!your!Capstone!project.!Leave!this!section!blank!if!you!have!not!decided!whether!to!connect!your!Capstone!to!your!Practicum!project.!!

!I.!Practicum!Activity! II.!Objectives!for!Each!Activity! III.!!Competencies!! IV.!Monitoring!of!Project/!Attainment!Criteria!(Describe!all!activities!in!full!text.!!This!may!be!copied!and!pasted!from!the!sections!above.!!You!may!have!more!than!3!activities.!!This!word!document!will!expand!as!you!fill!in!the!information.!There!is!no!page!limit!to!your!Learning!Plan.)!

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(For!each!activity!you!must!have!at!least!one!objective.!!The!objective!is!the!learning!objective,!not!necessarily!the!outcome.!!How!will!you!benefit!from!this!activity?!!What!will!you!gain!from!it?)!

(Select!competencies!from!the!tables!at!the!end!of!the!Practicum!packet.!!You!may!choose!general!public!health!competencies,!but!you!also!must!select!from!those!specific!to!your!area!of!study.!!You!MUST!include!the!whole!text!of!the!competency,!and!not!just!the!code.)!

(Describe!how!your!progress!in!achieving!your!activities!will!be!monitored.!!Will!you!have!a!regular!meeting!with!your!Preceptor?!Will!you!report!on!group!meetings?!!If!you!produce!documents,!will!you!receive!feedback?!Describe!how!“success”!of!the!associated!activity!will!be!defined.!!Will!it!be!shared!with!stakeholders,!clients!or!on!a!website?!!Will!it!create!new!practices!in!the!organization?!!Who!is!the!final!approver!to!say!that!you!have!completed!the!activity?)!


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!MPH!Practicum!Placement!Agreement!

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Student!Name:!!! !

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Student!Address:!

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Student!Telephone:!

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Student!Email:!

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MPH!Concentration:! !

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Faculty!Advisor:!

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Emergency!Contact:!

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Preceptor!Site:! !

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Preceptor!Name!&!Title:!

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Preceptor!Site!Address:!!! !

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Preceptor!Telephone:! !

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Preceptor!Email:! !

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Project!Description!(Provide!a!brief!summary!to!match!the!learning!plan.)!

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Describe!the!student’s!role!in!the!project!

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How!will!the!student!be!oriented!to!the!organization!and!the!project?!

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What!is!the!plan!for!regular!meetings!between!the!student!and!Preceptor!to!review!progress!on!projects!and!

provide!feedback!on!the!student’s!performance?!

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What!is!the!dress!code!that!the!student!should!adhere!to?!

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What!should!the!student!know!about!the!culture!of!the!organization?!

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Period!of!Practicum!experience:!

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•$ Beginning!date:!! ! !!! Completion!date:!!

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Schedule!of!work:!

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•$ Number!of!hours!per!week:!! ! !!!!!!!!!!Days!per!week:!!

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Number!of!total!hours!anticipated!to!complete!project!(120!minimum):!!______________!

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Describe!resources!to!be!made!available!to!the!student!to!support!work!on!project:!

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•$ Work!space!!

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•$ Access!to!equipment! !!!

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•$ Administrative!support!!!

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•$ Access!to!data,!if!appropriate!

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•$ Other!(ID!Badge,!Orientation,!Special!Training)!

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Compensation!(if!any):!!!! _____!Paid!Employee!

! ! ! ! !

! ! ! ! _____Experience!only,!no!pay!

! ! ! ! !

_____!Other!(please!describe)!____________________!

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!COLORADO!SCHOOL!OF!PUBLIC!HEALTH!

Practicum!Midpoint!Review!!The!midpoint!review!should!occur!after!approximately!60!hours!of!the!Practicum!experience!has!been!completed.!!This!is!an!

opportunity!to!reflect!on!the!work!to!date,!garner!feedback!and!review!the!learning!plan!to!ensure!the!activities!are!on!track.!!

The!midpoint!review!should!be!scheduled!with!your!Preceptor!to!review!your!work,!the!learning!plan!and!discuss!the!

experience!to!date.!!Please!attach!a!typed!response!to!the!questions!below!and!use!this!page!as!a!cover!sheet!for!the!

assignment.!

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The!purpose!of!this!review!is:!

1)$ To!provide!the!student!with!an!awareness!of!his/her!strengths!and!weaknesses!as!related!to!the!pursuit!of!a!career!

in!public!health.!

2)$ To!provide!the!student!with!evaluative!feedback!concerning!performance!of!his/her!responsibilities!in!this!

Practicum.!

3)$ To!provide!suggestions!for!improving!performance!and!correcting!deficiencies.!

4)$ To!assess!progress!toward!Practicum!completion!and!alignment!with!the!learning!plan.!

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DIRECTIONS!

•$ Schedule!a!meeting!with!the!Preceptor!to!review!the!learning!plan!and!discuss!the!Practicum!experience!to!date!

including!the!topics!listed!below.!!

•$ Provide!Preceptor!with!midpoint!performance!review!table.!!Preceptor!should!complete!the!assessment!and!discuss!

with!student!at!meeting.!

•$ Discussion!should!be!documented.!

•$ Revise!the!learning!plan!(if!applicable)!to!address!any!concerns!uncovered!in!the!review!meeting.!

•$ Provide!the!Practicum!administrator(s)!with!this!review!cover!page,!including!documented!discussion!and!

performance!review!table,!and!an!updated!learning!plan!if!applicable,!within!one!week!of!holding!midpoint!review!

meeting.!

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DISCUSSION!POINTS!

1)$ Discuss!the!overall!Practicum!and!how!it!has!unfolded!to!date.!(Provide!a!brief!summary!of!discussion)!

2)$ List!accomplishments!to!date.!

3)$ Discuss!progress!on!the!learning!plan.!

4)$ Discuss!any!challenges!or!barriers!that!may!have!affected!the!work!to!date.!!Describe!what!is!being!done!to!alleviate!

these!obstacles.!

5)$ Describe!exciting!and!unexpected!opportunities!that!have!unfolded!thus!far!in!the!Practicum.!

6)$ Discuss!student!performance!to!date!and!highlight!strengths!and!weaknesses.!

7)$ Based!upon!the!time!left!on!this!Practicum,!will!you!be!able!to!complete!the!proposed!Practicum!activities?!

8)$ Are!there!any!changes!that!need!to!be!made!to!the!learning!plan?!

9)$ Describe!any!other!issues!or!concerns!that!need!to!be!addressed.!

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Would!the!Preceptor!like!to!have!a!meeting!with!the!MPH!program!administration?!!!!!!!!!!

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Yes!_______! ! No_______!

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SIGNATURES!

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Preceptor:______________________________________!!Date__________!

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Student:________________________________________!!Date__________!


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Preceptor!Midpoint!Evaluation!of!Practicum!Student!!

Colorado!School!of!Public!Health!!!!

This%form%was%developed%to%evaluate%MPH%student%performance%at%the%mid8point%of%the%Practicum%experience.!!!!

Instructions:!!•!The%Preceptor%must%complete%this%evaluation%form%prior%to%meeting%with%the%student.%%%!•!Preceptors%are%asked%to%review%the%evaluation%results%with%the%student%before%submitting%the%completed%evaluation.%Both%Preceptor%and%Student%are%asked%to%sign%page%1%of%this%evaluation.%!!

Preceptor:!!!

Agency/Organization:!!!!

Student:!!!!!!!!!

Start/End!Date!of!Practicum:!!

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Below,!please!evaluate!the!performance!of!the!MPH!student!at!the!midKpoint!of!the!Practicum!experience!by!placing!an!“X”!in!the!appropriate!box.!!

!Exceeded!

Expectations!Met!

Expectations!Partially!Met!Expectations!

Did!Not!Meet!Expectations!

Not!Applicable!

Attendance/Punctuality! ! ! ! ! !

Cooperation/Teamwork! ! ! ! ! !

Problem!Solving! ! ! ! ! !

Dependability! ! ! ! ! !

Professionalism! ! ! ! ! !

Initiative! ! ! ! ! !

Adaptability/Flexibility! ! ! ! ! !

Ability!to!Accept!

Feedback!

! ! ! ! !

Communication! ! ! ! ! !

Cultural!Competency! ! ! ! ! !

Basic!Public!Health!Skills! ! ! ! ! !

Policy!Development! ! ! ! ! !

Program!Planning! ! ! ! ! !

Leadership! ! ! ! ! !

!Are!there!other!skills!on!which!you!would!like!to!comment?!

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COLORADO!SCHOOL!OF!PUBLIC!HEALTH!Preceptor!Final!Evaluation!of!Practicum!Student!

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The!final!review!should!occur!when!the!Practicum!experience!has!been!completed.!!This!is!an!opportunity!to!

reflect!on!the!work!completed,!garner!feedback!and!review!the!learning!plan.!!The!final!review!should!be!

scheduled!with!your!Preceptor!to!review!your!work,!the!learning!plan!and!discuss!the!overall!experience.!!!

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This%evaluation%will%be%sent%through%our%online%ColoradoSPHConnect.com%system%to%be%completed%online%and%shared%with%the%student.%

Instructions:!!•!The%Preceptor%must%complete%this%evaluation%form%prior%to%meeting%with%the%student.%%%!•!Preceptors%are%asked%to%review%the%evaluation%results%with%the%student%before%submitting%the%completed%evaluation.%%!!

Preceptor:!!Agency/Organization:!!Student:!!!!!!!!Start/End!Date!of!Practicum:!!

!!

!Exceeded!

Expectations!Met!

Expectations!Partially!Met!Expectations!

Did!Not!Meet!Expectations!

Not!Applicable!

Attendance/Punctuality! ! ! ! ! !

Cooperation/Teamwork! ! ! ! ! !

Problem!Solving! ! ! ! ! !

Dependability! ! ! ! ! !

Professionalism! ! ! ! ! !

Initiative! ! ! ! ! !

Adaptability/Flexibility! ! ! ! ! !

Ability!to!Accept!

Feedback!

! ! ! ! !

Communication! ! ! ! ! !

Cultural!Competency! ! ! ! ! !

Basic!Public!Health!Skills! ! ! ! ! !

Policy!Development! ! ! ! ! !

Program!Planning! ! ! ! ! !

Leadership! ! ! ! ! !

!Are!there!other!skills!on!which!you!would!like!to!comment?!

!!!Did!the!student!successfully!complete!the!Scope!of!Work!as!outlined!in!the!Learning!Plan?!!!!

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What!strengths!will!the!student!bring!to!the!public!health!profession?!

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What!recommendations!for!professional!development!do!you!have!for!the!student?!!

Documents

Master!of!Public!Health! MPH!Practicum!Guidelines! …the!student!will!not!be!covered!by!the!university!liability/worker’s!compensation!insurance.!! Goals!of!the!Practicum!Experience!!