Field Training Information for Site Supervisors
Dean's Welcome Message to Site Supervisors
On behalf of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, I would like to thank you for supporting our Master of Public Health program by supervising our students in their field training experience. Site supervisors play a key role in assisting, advising, training and evaluating students throughout their field experiences. We know from our students that they view such experiences as a crucial element of their education. We also know that supervising a student is a commitment in time and effort, and we appreciate your willingness to share your expertise and knowledge to help train our students as future public health professionals. This opportunity is transformative for so many of our students. We’ve heard from many supervisors of our MPH students that they make significant contributions to the work of their agency, as well. We anticipate that you will find value in having our MPH students contribute to achieving your organization’s goals.
We aim to make this experience a valuable one for you, your organization and our students, and look forward to strengthening our partnership during and following the field training experience.
Again, thank you. With your support as a supervisor, our Master of Public Health students will gain invaluable knowledge, skills and experience in public health practice that they can take with them in their future careers.
Sincerely,
Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD
Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor
School of Public Health and Health Professions
University at Buffalo
Field Training Overview
Field training is a cornerstone of the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program, providing students with diverse public health experiences vital to their professional growth. Students gain valuable hands-on learning opportunities unavailable in a classroom setting. The purpose of field training is for students to demonstrate public health competencies, through knowledge and skills acquired during the academic portion of their program, in a practical setting under an agency’s supervision and guidance.
Field Training Hours
Students must complete 120 hours of field training in a semester, but may choose to complete up to 240 hours of field training over one or two semesters. There is no prescribed field training schedule as long as the required hours are completed. It may be useful to schedule students regularly, such as 10 or 20 hours per week. There is no expectation of student compensation for their field training experience.
Interested in an MPH student intern?
Send us your project description and we'll contact you!
Site Supervisor Responsibilities
Field training provides an opportunity for students to practice public health with supervision from a public health practitioner and develop public health products that are meaningful to the site, allowing students to demonstrate public health competencies.
Responsibilities of site supervisors:
- Mentor students during the experience, providing guidance and supervision to strengthen their public health practice knowledge and skills.
- Provide students with opportunities to develop two public health products that are useful to the site and allow students to demonstrate public health competencies described below.
- Evaluate students' performance at the end of the experience.
Students manage the product and competency requirements for their field training experience. We ask site supervisors to provide opportunities for students to meet the requirements, and mentor and encourage them during the experience.
Students should have opportunities to develop at least two public health products during their experience that are useful to the site. Products allow students to demonstrate competencies they are learning in their program and are important field training components.
Products can take many forms including, but are not limited to:
- Part of a program proposal / plan, or evaluation proposal / plan
- Portion of a report of any kind
- Questions for surveys, focus groups, interviews, town halls, listening sessions, etc.
- Research or data management tables, guidelines or procedures
- Tables, graphs, charts, or other visual display of findings from data collected
- Messages or content for health education or promotion purposes
- Content for brochures, flyers, social media posts, webinars, slides, websites, etc.
- Content or materials (including agendas) for trainings, workshops, conferences, or meetings
- Project goals, objectives, metrics, guidelines, or procedures
- Content for needs assessments, gap analyses, or health assessments
- Part of a work plan, budget, staff plan, logic model, SWOT analysis, or other program management tool
- Evidence that supports research, interventions, programs, or policies
- Other products might be:
- Section of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- Consent forms for research
- Videos with public messaging
- Communication plan
- Root cause analysis
Products may change any time based on needs of the site or project. Sites may have other product ideas that would also allow students to demonstrate competencies below. Contact us to learn more about student product requirements.
Students demonstrate five (5) public health competencies through the products they develop at the site.
During their experience, students select five (5) competencies
to demonstrate from either foundational competencies or competencies specific to their MPH concentration.
- Students select competencies with guidance from MPH field training staff who provide many resources to students, including one-on-one advising sessions, throughout the student's experience.
- The competencies that students select may change during the experience based on changes to the products they develop for the site.
We ask site supervisors to mentor students as they develop products; we do not ask supervisors to identify competencies or describe how products demonstrate competencies for the student.
Contact us to learn more about student competency requirements.
- Provide an overview of the public health program/setting of the field training site (could include, for example, an organizational chart; program goals, objectives, and activities; methods of surveillance; target population; copies of routine reports; and copies of ongoing research studies).
- Explain work rules and procedures, make resources available, assist in establishing access to the various data systems that might be used by the student.
- Identify specific projects and/or activities for the student to complete.
- Provide confidentiality training to the student as required by the site.
- Regularly meet with the student to for constructive feedback and other guidance.
- Introduce the student to agency leadership, staff, and partners when possible.
- Provide the student with opportunities to collaborate with other health-related professionals.
- Include the student in internal and external meetings as appropriate.
Site Supervisor Benefits
While students benefit from your supervision and mentorship, there are many benefits to you and your organization, as well.
- Gain assistance to help meet your agency's goals and complete priority projects from students with specialized training
- Supervisors tell us that students they mentor contribute significantly to meeting their organization's goals and objectives
- Stay current with newest knowledge and skills in the field
- Give back to your profession and impart your knowledge and skills to the next generation of public health leaders
- Expand your agency's network for potential future employees, colleagues and partners
- Network with University at Buffalo faculty and the UB community
- Access the School's vast webinars, lectures, and continuing education programs for your professional development
Site Supervisor Qualifications
A site supervisor should have at least one year of relevant public health or health-related work experience or adequate formal training as determined by MPH program staff.
Required Documentation
- Supervisors are asked to complete a brief Internship Project Description Form describing the project, goals and objectives, and student activities to establish a field training experience.
- At the beginning of field training, supervisors are asked to approve a Site Assignment Form detailing the project and student activities to finalize the placement.
- At the end of field training, supervisors are asked to rate students' performance on a Supervisor Evaluation of Student Form.
Forms are sent to supervisors at each step, and field training staff are available to guide supervisors throughout the process.
Preventing and Responding to Discrimination and Harassment During Field Training
In the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP), our learning community is enriched by differences in perspectives and background. We seek to foster learning environments with a climate of collegiality, mutual respect for differences, and awareness of the dynamics of privilege and oppression. These expectations extend to field training and clinical experiences where students are expected to engage with others with cultural humility and, in turn, are expected to be treated fairly, respectfully, and without bias, as are the patients, colleagues and others at the site.
All field training/clinical sites are requested to review and provide a copy of their organization’s non-discrimination policy with field training students during their orientation. We understand that some small organizations may not have these policies. In that case we ask that the clinical site review any existing practices for promoting inclusion with the student. We acknowledge that unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment and micro-aggressions based on students’, patients’, colleagues’ or others’ identities can take place, and urge students to immediately report any incidents to UB’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and also discuss any incidents with their field training director (contact information is provided below) without fear of retaliation or retribution. This includes incidents perpetrated toward themselves or others.
Although students should report incidents, either anonymously or by name, to the UB Office of EDI here, students are encouraged to also contact their field training director so that they are made aware of the issue and can intervene. Involved parties will be provided due process. As an alternative, students may report incidents through EthicsPoint, which is UB’s anonymous reporting system. It is important to note that due process considerations may limit the university’s ability to respond to anonymous reports. The field training director or EDI representative will speak with the reporting student to obtain a full understanding of the situation and how the student would like to proceed.
Steps in the process may include the following:
- The field training director will consult with EDI and the SPHHP unit diversity officer.
- The field training director will report the incident to a senior representative at the field training site with authority to address the matter, and work with the site to ensure that the student is protected against further incidents of discrimination or harassment.
- In cases where the field training site cannot or will not make changes to ensure an appropriate learning environment, the field training director will make alternative arrangements to ensure that the student can meet clinical training requirements in an appropriate environment.
While the field training director and EDI will ascertain how the student would like to proceed and will honor their wishes to the extent possible, there may be situations where UB is required to take action in order to avoid future harm to the student or others. If this is the case, the student will be notified of each step UB will be taking. The student will be protected from recrimination, discrimination or harassment in the future. SPHHP complies with all non-discrimination policies of UB.
SPHHP is committed to providing equitable access to practicum learning environments. To request accommodations for a field training or clinical experience or if would like additional information, contact Accessibility Resources. Students may be required to provide appropriate professional documentation to support their request.