Professional Practice-L

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Subject Quota: 15

120 hours

A quota of 15 will apply. All Professional Practice applicants will be required to submit a 1 page Expression of Interest. Successful applicants will be selected primarily on the basis of academic merit and the availability of appropriate supervisors and placements.

Placements in particular fields of public health may require fulfilment of specific prerequisite / corequisite subjects, and will be determined in consultation with the subject coordinator and supervisor.

POPH90227 Public Health in Practice may be taken concurrently

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website.

This subject is an elective subject within the Master of Public Health. It is designed to be taken by students who want to consolidate their public health training via an advanced professional work placement. Entry to the subject will be competitive and a quota will apply.

Students will undertake a supervised professional work placement with an appropriate organisation. Each practicum experience will be individually tailored and negotiated by the student, the supervisor and the host organisation. Students will learn to apply their academic knowledge to real-world public health challenges, developing their specialist and professional skill set by contributing to the needs of an agency, institution or community organisation concerned with population health. The practicum experience will enable students to bridge the gap between the classroom and public health practice, whilst developing contacts with experts in their chosen field.

Students will have the opportunity to attend an optional monthly 1.5 hour Professional Practice informal discussion group.

Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Apply, integrate and synthesise knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course to tackle real-world public health challenges,
• Analyse, evaluate and propose practical solutions to problems identified within the bounds of the project,
• Solve practical problems whilst working with potentially unstructured and incomplete information,
• Develop professional networks within a given public health context,
• Demonstrate and critically reflect upon key professional attributes sought by employers (such as communication and interpersonal skills, project management skills, team work and initiative) ,
• Clearly communicate findings and results in a professional public health context.

A 1,000 word outline of the proposed project, including project background, aims, methodology and timeline, due by the end of the first quarter of the student’s placement (10%)
A 15 minute oral presentation due in week 11 of the second semester of enrolment (15%)
A critical reflective piece of 1,000 words detailing the challenges faced and reflections the development of key professional attributes throughout the work placement due during the examination period of the second semester of enrolment (15%)
A project report of 5,000 words or equivalent due during the examination period of the second semester of enrolment (60%)
Workplace supervisor assessment of the student’s completion of the project set (hurdle requirement).

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Upon completion of this subject, students will have developed skills in:

• Initiative, autonomy and organization,
• Problem-solving,
• Oral communication,
• Finding, evaluating and using relevant information,
• Written communication,
• Working with others and in teams.