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The Public Health Capstone. A Texas Survival Guide Craig Blakely PhD MPH Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Research Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health. The Culminating Experience Concept. Culminating Experience
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The Public Health Capstone A Texas Survival Guide Craig Blakely PhD MPH Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Research Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health
The Culminating Experience Concept • Culminating Experience • All professional degree programs identified in the instructional matrix shall assure that each student demonstrates skills and integration of knowledge through a culminating experience. Schools of Public Health Accreditation Criteria - Amended June 2005
The Culminating Experience (Capstone)Guidelines • Requires a student to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice. • Must be used as a means by which faculty judge whether the student has mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in the required competencies. • Many different models are possible, including written or oral comprehensive examinations, supervised practice placements, a major written paper such as a thesis or an applied research project, development of case studies, capstone seminars, and others. • Each professional degree program must require a culminating experience. Schools of Public Health Accreditation Criteria - Amended June 2005
Texas A&M Capstone Evolution • Phase 1: • Integrated Case Study Written Exam • MHA Capstone Course • Phase 2: • non-case study structured exam • Phase 3: • decentralized to departments • multiple choice core/case study questions for concentration • capstone introduced in one department Schools of Public Health Accreditation Criteria - Amended June 2005
Texas A&M Capstone Evolution • Future considerations: • Multiple choice exam that serves as practice certification exam • Allow departments to supplement as they wish • Concern about: • Consistent quality across departments if decentralized • consistent balance of demand across departments if decentralized
Texas A&M Capstone Evolution • SRPH has been successful in the implementation • lots of opinions from faculty • lots of opinions from students • no consensus • soup du jour • standardization at issue • To test or not to test (Capstone course, Paper, etc) • Continually assessing
Thoughts for the Future • Role of certification exam in fixing future directions • Need to integrate core competencies and crosscutting dimensions • Role of affiliated Associations (e.g., CAHME, NCHL) • Link to practicum/internship • The weighting of academic/scholarly vs. practice/applied perspectives • New dimensions like intellectual property
Conclusion • Never test the depth of the water with both feet • Both the Practicum and Culminating Experience are dynamic entities- always changing