Fieldwork Information Session

1. Fieldwork Information Session October 9, 2012

2. Fieldwork Information Session Overview Faculty Major players What is fieldwork Time line and tasks Possible fieldwork strategies IRB needs Forms and Handbook Questions

3. PH 737 Faculty Fall 2012, Spring 2013 COMHE –C. Platkin EOHS – F. Mirer EPI/BIOS – L. Thorpe HPM – L. McDowell NUTR – C. Platkin

4. Major Players & Responsibilities Student Preceptor (aka fieldwork supervisor) Academic advisor Fieldwork faculty member

5. Why Fieldwork  The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) requires that all MPH students in its accredited programs demonstrate the application of basic public health concepts through a practice experience that is relevant to the students’ areas of specialization. In the SPH, fieldwork experience provides MPH and MS students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to use the knowledge gained during their graduate coursework.

6. Fieldwork and Capstone“The Relationship” • Fieldwork is a prerequisite for Capstone. Students may start Capstone course only when they have completed their fieldwork. • During the fieldwork semester, students compose a short essay summarizing reflections on their fieldwork experience, which will be incorporated in the student final portfolio submitted during Capstone. • The Capstone paper may or may not be developed based on the fieldwork experience. • Practice papers must be based on fieldwork. • Research papers may or may not be based on fieldwork. • Master’s essays and theses may or may not be based on fieldwork

7. Possible Fieldwork Strategies • For those with 9-5 jobs with limited flexibility: • Explore feasibility of a public health project in your workplace that enhances institutions goals but would not be done otherwise • Identify field data collection opportunities that can occur nights and weekends • Seek out faculty with interests in your area and devise an academic-based fieldwork project on non-traditional time • For those who are completely undecided on what to do: • Fill out ‘prospective fieldwork student’ form (see website) and discuss with your academic advisor • Consider formal training opportunities with the NYC Health Dept (HRTP) • Look for fieldwork opportunities in East Harlem to help the school contribute to neighborhood health

8. Prerequisite for Fieldwork • Completion of 18 credits toward the master's degree. • Including: • at least 3 required core courses (biostatistics, epidemiology, and the course most relevant to your specialization) • and at least 2 courses in students' specialization.

9. Fieldwork Site Selection • Provide appropriate public health experience as it relates to the student’s career goals and area of concentration. • Provide support and space for the student, appropriate for the experience. • Ensure an available preceptor who is qualified and able to spend time to guide the student. • Have an understanding of the educational needs of public health students, and increase responsibility and independence gradually. • If fieldwork is to be performed in a student’s own current job setting, the student must engage in substantially different assignment outside the scope of his or her usual activities. Activity must be approved by capstone faculty.

10. Fieldwork Preceptor Educational requirements of preceptor Assist the fieldwork student in determining specific, mutually- agreeable, written fieldwork objectives & deliverables to the agency. Orient the student to the field organization’s mission, programs, policies, protocols. Commit time for instructional interaction & dialogue w/ student. Provide supervision of the student’s activities. If indicated, resolve conflicts w/ agency or organization policy. Prepare an evaluation of the student, and discuss it with the student prior to sending it to the fieldwork faculty member.

11. Fieldwork Site Examples 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 or other industrial settings Head Start, public schools, private schools, nursery schools Academic or other non-governmental research institute Analyzing data provided by faculty, if the product of the analysis has potential public health impact.

12. Fieldwork Expectations and Deliverables Expectations • Strong Experience / Not Just Clerical • Keep Fieldwork Faculty Member Updated Throughout Deliverables • Fieldwork Contract • IRB Determination Form • Evaluations • Student’s Evaluation of Fieldwork • Preceptor’s Evaluation • Literature Review • Reflections on Fieldwork • Field Log (NOT all specializations require this) • Online Forms (http://cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/fieldwork.html)

13. Fieldwork 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

14. The Semester Before PH 737(Pre-Fieldwork) Notify your program advisor of your intention to register for PH 737. Discuss eligibility and possible fieldwork options you are considering. Have a good sense of what your intended project or organization is by the time you register for the next semester’s PH737 course.

15. Just Before & During the First 2 Weeks of PH 737 Fieldwork Finalize details of project site, preceptor and project. Develop a written work plan, including the “fieldwork contract.” Secure approval of fieldwork faculty member and preceptor.

16. On-going Through the Semester Undertake fieldwork Meet w/ fieldwork faculty member & preceptor as arranged Keep a daily log of activities, as required

17. End of Semester At a minimum, submit these written materials to your fieldwork faculty member: • Your fieldwork evaluation • Preceptor’s evaluation of your performance (sent directly to Fieldwork Advisor, however please make sure that it is sent) • Reflections for your portfolio • Brief literature review (for your capstone paper)

18. When Do I Submit My Fieldwork/Capstone Paperwork to CUNY/Hunter IRB? Fieldwork Capstone/Master’s Essay

19. Only a Few Capstone/Essays will Require a Full IRB Submission How do I know what IRB level my project will require? When do I submit IRB-related forms? How long does this process take?

20. (1) How Do I Know What IRB Level My Project Will Require? • ALL students must submit a simple “IRBResearch Determination Form” as soon as they have a reasonably clear idea of what they’d like to do for their Capstone or Master’s essay • The CUNY/Hunter IRB Office will review this form and either approve it as: • IRB Exempt • Requiring a full IRB protocol submission

21. CUNY/Hunter CollegeInstitutional Review Board • http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/irb/ for general information • www.IRBNet.com for locating forms and submitting all IRB documentation • Research Determination Form is short and easy! • It’s less than one page of writing • It is advantageous to submit it as early as possible • It is very importantto not falsify or skirt over details

22. IRBNet Website – Under “Forms”

23. Content of IRB Research Determination Form Submission • Present the following: • Description of project in clear “lay” terms (roughly 5-10 sentences) • Objective, study population or community involved, collaborators, etc. • Duration of project • Description of potential human subjects involvement • If data (quantitative or qualitative) are actively being collected for your project, describe recruitment plan, human subject risks, etc • If data are already collected, describe how you will be granted access • Will need to include your CITI Human Subjects Certificate

24. What is Typically IRB Exempt? Review and 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) Literature review

25. How Long Does This Process Take? • Research Determination Form is relatively quick (≤ 1 month) • Full IRB protocol submission should be timed to meet IRB office deadline for that month’s meeting (CALL office or review website). • 1-3 months, depending on questions that arise (more questions, more back and forth…..) • A well-written IRB Protocol will generate fewer questions and be much more likely to pass the first time around without questions • Have someone familiar with IRB review your draft proposal before submitting

26. (3) When Do I Submit Research Determination Forms? • It depends……on how you are designing your fieldwork and Capstone project • Students take a number of different paths, all legitimate. • Fieldwork and Capstone/Essay are distinct and unrelated projects (i.e. fieldwork does not provide the content for Capstone/Essay) • Fieldwork is specifically designed to produce a known Capstone/Essay project • Fieldwork and Capstone/Essay are related, but specific Capstone/Essay project is not clearly defined until middle or end of fieldwork • Submit when you have a reasonably clear idea of capstone or essay topic and procedures

27. Fieldwork Forms and Handbook Preceptor’s Evaluation of Fieldwork Student Student’s Evaluation of Fieldwork Experience Fieldwork Log (if applicable) Fieldwork Handbook available at: http://www.cuny.edu/site/sph/hunter-college/campus-resources/fieldwork.html

28. Do You Have Questions?