Fieldwork Information Session

1. Fieldwork Information Session October 8, 2014 Silberman, Room 201

2. Fieldwork info session learning objectives At the end of this session, you should be able to…. • Articulate what fieldwork is and why it’s important • Describe the relationship between fieldwork and capstone and identify implications for planning • Develop a fieldwork site search strategy unique to your goals and situation • List the deliverables for fieldwork • Articulate the roles and responsibilities of key players

3. Why fieldwork? • The MPH (and MS) are designed to prepare you for the public health workforce. In fieldwork, you… • Demonstrate the application of basic public health concepts through a practice experience • Deal with real-world public health settings, tackle real-world problems, work with real-world people and real-world constraints • Fieldwork offers the rare opportunity to do and to reflect in an integrated and supervised manner • Great way to explore job possibilities and build contacts

4. What is fieldwork? • 180 hours of supervised, professional-developmentally appropriate work in public health setting negotiated by student and fieldwork supervisor and approved by instructor • Paid or unpaid • Substantive experience/not clerical • Required class meetings (‘didactic’ sessions) • Class meetings for Spring 2015: 7 Wednesdays, 8-10 pm • Class meeting for Summer 2015: 2 full-day sessions (early and late June) • Didactic sessions have assignments as well

5. What is capstone? • The capstone paper is not a conventional ‘term’ paper • It requires original analysis based on evidence collected during the field experience, or • Original work developed for the field and based on the best evidence • Comprehensive knowledge of a content area is the starting, not the ending point • You develop this through extensive secondary research and through experience, both of which occur during your fieldwork • In addition to the paper, students choose • An oral capstone presentation OR • A poster exhibit/presentation • Capstone students also meet as a class and receive structured support and progressive assignments to help them progress to the paper

6. What is a master’s essay? • Pretty much the same thing • Capstone and master’s essay differ in process • Master’s essay students work more independently with a faculty advisor on an original research project • To do a master’s essay, you need: • A sponsoring faculty • A 3.8 GPA • You may secure a second reader as well. • Master’s essays substitute for capstone but not fieldwork (exceptions apply so discuss this option early with the fieldwork faculty)

7. What is the relationship between fieldwork and capstone? • The capstone paper/master’s essay is expected to be on a project related to your fieldwork • Ergo…..you have to think ahead and negotiate a fieldwork project that will provide you with data to analyze; material to work with • Generally more flexibility on relationship to fieldwork with master’s essay • Fieldwork is a prerequisite for capstone • You may register for capstone course when • you have completed your fieldwork • the capstone instructor has approved you as “capstone-ready”

8. When am I ready for fieldwork? • When you have met pre-reqs • 18 credits toward the master's degree, including • Biostatistics • Epidemiology • at least 2 courses in your specialization • …and… • You have at least a tentative agreement with an appropriate field site • You have some idea of the project you will undertake • The fieldwork instructor has approved you as field-ready

9. When am I ready for capstone? When you have completed your fieldwork When you have a capstone proposal When you have received permission from your program’s capstone instructor

10. Who are the major players? • You, the student • Preceptor (aka fieldwork supervisor) • Academic advisor • Fieldwork faculty member (Spring 2015) • COMHE –K. Faber • EOHS – B. Pavlonis • EPI/BIOS – H. Jones • HPM – J. Chisholm • NUTR – A. Spark

11. How do I find fieldwork? • Many of you already know what type of organization you want • Think about the types of jobs/ settings / skills that interest you, post MPH • For MCRSH, see list in appendix • Consider formal training opportunities with the DOHMH (HRTP) or CDC • Scour list serves, websites, etc. • http://www.cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/listserv.html • http://www.idealist.org/ • http://www.east-harlem.com/index.php/Organizations/olisting • Talk, talk, talk • Advisor, faculty, students, colleagues, professional meetings, informational interviews

12. Where have others done fieldwork? • Physicians for Reproductive Health • International Federation of Planned Parenthood • Family Health Institute • Mount Sinai Hospital • Edible School Yard • CUNY EHS Office • MTA • Blacksmith Foundation • NYComm for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) • NYCDOHMH • CUNY SPH (working with faculty) • New York State Psychiatric Institute • School of Medicine, University of Cuenca (Ecuador) • Sakhi for South Asian Women • City Harvest • Camp Zeke • Offices of elected officials • North of 96th Street Public Health Coalition • Healthy Start Brooklyn • Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM)

13. What types of projects do they do? Evaluation of a program or intervention Capacity building Development of a health promotion program Develop or implement pilot/evaluation Audit or quality improvement Develop a curriculum Community assessment Communications assessment Development or analysis of a social media health promotion strategy Evaluability assessment Development of best practices

14. What if I work full-time? • Here’s what others in your shoes have done • Negotiate flextime, use vacation time • Find off-hour (evening, weekend) work • Negotiate a special public health project in your workplace • Something that enhances institution’s goals but would not be done otherwise • Outside the scope of your regular responsibilities • A preceptor who is not your direct supervisor • Seek out faculty with interesting projects and devise an academic-based fieldwork project which can be done in non-traditional time

15. How should I evaluate a potential site? • Will it provide appropriate public health experience, relevant to your interests or area of concentration? • Will it provide support and (safe) space for your project or responsibilities? • Is there a qualified, “willing and able” preceptor to…? • Work with you to determine specific, mutually-agreeable fieldwork objectives and deliverables, which are written up in your contract • Provide orientation of the organization’s mission, programs, policies and protocols • Provide appropriate direction, as well as create time for instructional interaction and dialogue • Prepare, share with you, and submit to faculty instructor an evaluation of your performance at the end of the field experience • Preceptor must have at least a masters’ degree and preferably an MPH

16. What are the field deliverables? • You negotiate your field deliverables with your preceptor • Roles, responsibilities, tangible deliverables • Don’t promise your capstone paper as a field deliverable • PH 737 (fieldwork) deliverables are non-negotiable and must be delivered to your fieldwork faculty in order to proceed to PH 738 (capstone), • a contract (within a week of start of semester) • a rapid literature review • a project plan (Gantt chart) • an IRB research determination form (or full IRB if necessary) • a short essay summarizing reflections on your fieldwork experience • a formal (narrative) literature review • a capstone paper proposal with a clearly articulated research question

17. Back up, did you say an IRB???? Yes, at minimum, you file a Research Determination Form; at maximum, you need a full IRB review • Many projects are exempt • Non-identifiable data (Data that have never been labeled with individual identifiers or from which identifiers have been permanently removed) • Analysis of de-identified, public use or administrative data (e.g. analysis of CDC BRFSS data) • Analysis of de-identified secondary data that was already IRB approved (e.g. analysis of a de-identified dataset maintained by a faculty researcher) • Collection/analyses of information used to improve program quality only (e.g. not intended to be published for generalizable knowledge) • If your project qualifies as “research with human subjects,” you will need a full IRB review even if your field site has IRB approval • All projects must be submitted. Determination may be exempt, approved or not research.

18. How should I think about the timeline? • Steps are needed at each of the following junctures: • The semester before your planned PH737 fieldwork experience • Just before and during the fieldwork semester • End of the fieldwork semester

19. Get ready!The semester before Notify your program advisor of your intention to register for PH 737 Discuss eligibility and possible fieldwork options you are considering Make an appointment with your track fieldwork faculty who must approve your registration Have a good sense of what your intended project or organization is by the time you register for the next semester’s PH737 course

20. On your mark!Plus/minus two weeks to the semester • Finalize details of project site, preceptor and project • Develop a written work plan, including the “fieldwork contract” • Must have discrete deliverables and acknowledge the use of the work for the capstone class • Get signature of both fieldwork faculty member and preceptor

21. Get set!Throughout the semester • Do your fieldwork • Attend classes • Communicate regularly with your preceptor • Know what is expected • Know what you can do independently • Know what you need guidance and direction on • Update fieldwork faculty member • Keep a daily log of activitiesand submit fieldwork status surveys throughout the fieldwork assignment • Stay on top of didactic assignments

22. GO! End of semester Submit final materials for fieldwork • Your fieldwork evaluation • Preceptor’s evaluation of your performance • sent directly to fieldwork faculty, however please make sure that it is sent! • Reflections essay • Brief literature review • IRB approval (if applicable) • Capstone paper proposal • Working bibliography • Any other outstanding deliverables

23. What is the role of fieldwork faculty? • Aside from teaching the classes, you should expect • Suggestions of where to look for fieldwork • Ideas for defining a project that could lead to a capstone paper • Timely review of all materials submitted • Counseling on people situations, access, questionnaire review, etc. • More visible trouble shooting, if needed • Gentle nudging, occasional stomping, help keeping on track • High expectations of your work • Ultimately, you are accountable • Faculty play a supporting role

24. Is there anything else I should be thinking about? Every MPH- and MS-degree student is required to prepare and maintain a professional portfolio, describing relevant public health experiences and achievements during the course of your studies. The portfolio documents your academic, professional and service accomplishments and may include major course papers, projects, reports, presentations, publications and other samples of work you completed.

25. What is the course number for fieldwork and capstone? PH 737 Fieldwork PH 738 Capstone

26. How do I get more information? Fieldwork handbook, available at: http://www.cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/fieldwork.html Capstone handbook, available at: http://www.cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/capstone.html Fordefining research with human subjects: https://ors.duke.edu/researcher/defining-research-with-human-subjects http://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/hs/faqs_aps_definitions.htm http://www.irbnet.org Forbuilding my portfolio: http://www.cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/PortfolioInstructions.html

27. Questions?

28. Appendix

29. Type of field sites • Federal agencies, such as the USDHHS, VA, CDC, USDA, OSHA • State, county or city health departments or social service agencies • Managed care organizations • Neighborhood health centers and community clinics • Hospitals (public, nonprofit, for profit) • Extended care facilities or community mental health centers • Environmental health consulting companies • Industrial settings • Multi-specialty medical practices • Head Start, public schools, private schools, nursery schools • Academic or other non-governmental research institute • Be sure to look at the listserv for opportunities

30. MCRSH fieldwork leads

31. MCRSH fieldwork leads

32. MCRSH fieldwork leads

33. MCRSH fieldwork leads