Practicum is a supervised field experience, part of a master’s degree program. Maximize this experience and lessons learned, whether you’ve already completed it or it’s in your future. This is your journey, and you should own this experience as a part of it. In this episode, I share a bit about my practicum experience with the Office of Minority Health conducting a diabetes prevention program. I also share just a few examples of how I benefited from my own practicum experience, but there are many more ways to benefit beyond what I mention. If you are required to complete a practicum as a part of your degree, then I encourage you to listen to this episode and enroll in the workshop that is designed to help you understand and prepare. See the link below for registration information.
How I benefited from my practicum:
Developed skills
Communication
Organization
Project management
Professional networking benefits
Director for Office of Minority Health
Assistant Director
Program Coordinator for Faith-based Community Partners
Deputy Director, Health Services
Public Health Nutritionist
Learned something about myself
I enjoy interaction directly with the community
Speaking and presenting
Educating and providing encouragement
Program evaluation experience – administered pre assessment & post assessment questionnaires
Practicum experience needs to be a well-documented experience that you can discuss with future employers. If you don’t fully understand the process, then you won’t be able to make the most of that experience.
Workshop “Understanding and preparing for the practicum experience” is led by Dr. Jones. She has over 10 years of public health experience, including 8 years in academia. And she does an amazing job of explaining exactly what the practicum is, and what it is NOT. She provides tips on how to find an organization and a preceptor. The training includes a checklist that you’re able to keep as well as a guide to locating an organization and preceptor.
If a practicum is required for your degree program, then I highly recommend enrolling in that workshop to help you plan and make the most of your practicum experience.
Workshop: Understanding and Preparing for the Practicum Experience
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