Course description
A fieldwork placement of 10 hours/week in a health policy setting which provides an opportunity to participate in the application of population health risk assessment or management principles.
Provides hands-on experience in the risk policy and evaluation field. A written report of the placement is to be submitted by the student.
The proposed practicum, including the host organization, supervisor and course objectives require approval by the practicum coordinator.
Graded: S (satisfactory)/NS (not satisfactory)
Prerequisites: PHR 5181, and permission of practicum coordinator.
Overall Objectives of a Practicum Placement
The purpose of the practicum is to provide students with an opportunity to put their education in risk assessment and management into practice by working on a practical problem in population health risk assessment under the supervision of an individual with experience in this area.
It is not intended for academic study of theoretical material. The student is not expected to function as a Research Assistant.
Identifying a practicum placement
A list of practicum placement opportunities will be provided by the diploma program. Students are responsible for selecting an approved placement and for making contact with the identified supervisor to develop appropriate objectives.
Approval for the practicum placement must be obtained from the practicum coordinator prior to registering for the course.
Placements are commonly with government agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations.
Approval of Practicum course
The proposed placement and workload require approval by the practicum coordinator before enrolling for PHR 6910.
Students can register for a practicum placement in either of two terms: Winter and Spring/Summer.
The deadlines to submit the proposal are:
- November 15 for winter enrolment;
- March 14 for Spring/Summer enrolment.
A detailed proposal for the practicum must be submitted via a Service Request under the Study Plan category.
The submission must include:
- A signed copy of the Practicum Agreement form (PDF);
- A one-page description of the objectives of the practicum and the main tasks to be performed;
- A one-page explanation of how the objectives relate to the goals of the diploma and practicum course.
Time commitment
Students are expected to spend 120 hours on their practicum. This will normally involve 10 hours per week for a period of 12 weeks at the host institution. Depending on the requirements of the practicum, the hours may be distributed differently. All work on the practicum is to be completed in time for submission of the final evaluation report.
Evaluation
Evaluation material must be submitted in PDF file format via a Service Request under the Study Plan category.
Mid-term report (due February 21 for the winter term or June 20 for the spring/summer term)
The mid-term report should be a maximum two pages in length, and include:
- The objectives of the practicum;
- A summary of what has been accomplished to date;
- The planned activities for the remainder of the practicum.
Following receipt of the mid-term report, the practicum coordinator will contact the placement supervisor to confirm if the work conducted to date in the practicum has been satisfactory or not satisfactory.
Final report (due April 11 for the winter term or August 08 for the spring/ summer term)
The final report should be a maximum of four pages (excluding appendices). It should include:
- A description of the work completed during the practicum;
- A report on how each objective was addressed.
- Appendices can be attached to the report to provide additional information such as:
- Copies of papers or major reports that the student prepared or helped to prepare during the practicum.
- URL and short description of web page(s) created
Grading
The course is evaluated on a ‘satisfactory/not satisfactory’ basis. The practicum supervisor will be required to submit an assessment of the student’s performance during the practicum.
The final grade will be assigned by the practicum coordinator after reviewing the final report.
Insurance, security clearance, etc.
Some placements may require completion of additional obligations such as immunizations and security clearance. These requirements will be noted in the information provided by the program.
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they comply with these requirements before beginning the practicum
For additional information about safety, students can contact the Office of Risk Management for the University of Ottawa, located at 840-1 Nicholas St., [email protected], 613-562-5892.
