Public health matters: Innovative approaches for engaging medical students

Abstract

Background: Public health faces the paradox of being increasingly emphasized by the key health and social care regulators and stakeholders, while remaining a largely under-represented discipline in the context of medical curricula. Enhancing medical student engagement in public health teaching is one way to address this concern.

Methods: We discuss four key solutions to the challenges faced by public health educators in medical schools, and present five case studies which demonstrate innovative approaches to engaging medical students in our discipline.

Results: Four different approaches have been piloted by members of the Public Health Educators in Medical Schools (PHEMS) network: (i) ensuring social accountability, (ii) demonstrating clinical relevance, (iii) mapping the core curriculum, and (iv) using technology enhanced learning. Preliminary student feedback suggests that these approaches can be used to position public health as an enabler of modern medical practice, and promote a more holistic understanding of medicine by linking patient-centred care to the population level.

Conclusions: The zeitgeist in both academia and the healthcare system supports the teaching of public health within the medical curriculum; there is also consensus at the political and pedagogical level. The challenge of ensuring engagement now needs to be met at the student–teacher interface.

Glossary

Student Engagement

Student engagement is defined as 'the interaction between the time, effort and other relevant resources invested by both students and their institutions intended to optimize the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students and the performance, and reputation of the institution’.

Trowler V. 2010. Student engagement literature review. York: Higher Education Academy; Accessed 31 Jan 2017; Available at: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/trowler/StudentEngagementLiteratureReview.pdf).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Notes on contributors

Aditya Vyas, MBBS MPH PGCertClinEd, FHEA is a Lecturer in Public Health at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK.

Veena C Rodrigues, MBBS, MD, MPhil, FFPH, MClinEd, FAcadMEd, SFHEA, is a Professor of Public Health & Medical Education at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK.

Richard Ayres, MD, MMed, MRCP, MRCGP, FHEA, is a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Lead for Population Health at Plymouth Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.

Puja Myles, BDS, MPH, PGCHE, PhD, FFPH, SFHEA, is an Associate Professor of Health Protection and Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, UK and teaches public health to undergraduate medical students.

Eleanor Hothersall, BSc, MBChB, MPH, MD, FRAI, FFPH, is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer and Systems in Practice Convenor at Dundee Medical School and Consultant in Public Health, NHS Tayside, Dundee, UK.

Hugh Thomas, MBChB, MFPH, MSc, DRCOG, Dip Pall Med, is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Primary Care at St George's, University of London, UK.