Journal article
Investing in the Next Generation of Maternal and Child Health Leaders: The APHA Maternal and Child Health Section Student Fellows Program
MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH JOURNAL
14 May 2022
PMID: 35567702
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Purpose Practical experience in maternal and child health (MCH) settings is critical for professional development and learning. In 2002, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Section of the American Public Health Association (APHA) formalized its inclusion of students in section activities through the establishment of the Student Fellows Program. The Program provides graduate-level students opportunities to learn about MCH and APHA, build professional networks, and develop leadership skills. Description Since its inception, 18 cohorts of Fellows have benefited. This paper presents findings describing the Program from both written records about Fellow projects and activities recorded in past MCH Section communications as well as an online survey that was distributed to former and current Fellows to assess their perceptions and the benefits of the Student Fellows Program. Assessment Eighteen cohorts of Fellows have engaged with Section committees and working groups in diverse ways, including MCH-related research, policy, advocacy, and education. An online survey distributed to 151 participants was answered by 79 to document their perceptions of the Student Fellows Program. Of them, 56 (71%) indicated that the Program was important for their career development, 44 (55%) reported being current members of the APHA MCH Section, and 21 (27%) reported serving in a leadership position in the Section. The Fellows highlighted that networking, mentorship and leadership development were key benefits of the Student Fellows Program. Conclusion After several years of involving students in its programs, the APHA MCH Section established the Student Fellows Program in 2002. The Fellows Program has been important for developing the next generation of MCH leaders. The findings suggest that this Program supports long-term interest and commitment to the field of MCH and contributed to the formation of leadership skills and behaviors of Fellows.
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Details
- Title
- Investing in the Next Generation of Maternal and Child Health Leaders: The APHA Maternal and Child Health Section Student Fellows Program
- Publication Details
- MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH JOURNAL
- Publisher
- SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS; NEW YORK
- Grant note
- From 2013 to 2019, the program received funding through an APHA-CDC Cooperative Agreement entitled Building Capacity of the Public Health System to Improve Population Health through National, Nonprofit Organizations. These funds were used to provide stipends to enable the Student Fellows to attend the APHA Annual Meeting. A current fundraising drive to mark the 100th anniversary of the MCH Section is, in part, targeting funding for the MCH Section Student Fellows Program. We thank the former and current Fellows that responded to the evaluation survey for their participation. We also thank Maternal and Child Health Section leaders Deborah Klein Walker, Debra Jackson, Whitney Witt, and Nancy Cheak-Zamora for their review.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000795599300001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85130102410
- Other Identifier
- 991021861297104721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health