Program Review-Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

AP Full Official: Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

Campus: National Campus

Completed by: Paul Dacanay

AP Review Submission Date:March 2014

AR Review Cycle: 2011- 2013

1. Program Mission

   PHTP endeavors to provide students of varied educational background the opportunity to pursue comprehensive and high-quality training in public health, and to provide the Federated States of Micronesia and surrounding Pacific Island nations with a workforce of capable public health professionals.

2. Program Goals

   1. Recognize, describe and discuss and research about the basic principles and practices of the specialty.
   2. List, discuss and demonstrate the essential public health functions or the specialty and its interrelationships with the other specialties and health disciplines at community and national levels.
   3. Describe, discuss and research adult, children and family health issues at community level.
   4. Discuss and demonstrate an understanding and practice of the specialty public health competencies.
   5. Demonstrate proper public health skills for its practice in the community as a national specialty practitioner.
   6. Discuss and demonstrate community and cultural sensitivity in the health care environment.
   7. Describe, discuss and research the health determinants and problems of adults, children and families.
   8. Demonstrate proper cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid techniques and other healing and patient care abilities.
   9. Demonstrate the ability and discuss how to conduct a community diagnosis and need assessment of the health determinants of the specialty in a community.
   10. Identify and demonstrate good practice in the specialty.
   11. Have had management, planning experience and leadership role at a public health specialty at community and national levels.

3. Program History

   The Public Health Training program constitutes an academic response to the public health situation in Micronesia and has taken account the current academic realities of the region. There has been a recognized chronic shortage of health workers coupled by the marked under-training of those workers, who have, in large part, learnt through "on-the-job" training, frequently from predecessors also trained "on-the-job".

   The college added the Public Health Training Program to its program offerings in Fall of 2009.

4. Program Descriptions

   Public Health Training program is a multi-entry, multi-exit educational opportunity for high school graduates who wish to enter studies in the health domain, as well as Health Workers who wish to enhance the effectiveness of their work and improve their working conditions.

   The immediate aim of the program is to enhance the knowledge, skills and capabilities of the current public health workforce in the health administration of FSM and a medium to long aim of the program is to attract young candidates, whose interest would gravitate towards health and, possibly, towards public health, being the “replacement” workforce of the future, and equip them with more substantial academic foundation for a more effective work performance, both in the public as well as in the private sectors.

5. Program Admission Requirements

   Third-year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

   Entry criteria:
   Associate of Science Degree in Public Health or a similar
   Associate of Arts or Science Degree
   
   OR
   
   Degree in Public Health or equivalent
   
   AND
   
   Significant Public Health Work Experience of at least 8 years
   
   OR
   
   Satisfactory completion of a health-related research study
   
   AND
   
   Significant public health work experience of at least 8 years
   
   AND
   
   Favorable interview with program faculty
   
   All non-ASDPH holding candidates to sit C.O.M.E.T.
   
   AND
   
   Attain current admitting scores

6. Program Certificate/Degree Requirements

   Six (6) courses or eighteen (18) credits among the 300-level courses
   
   PH 312: Research Methods for Health Services Management (3)
   PH 314: Public Health Surveillance and Management of Health Information Systems (3)
   PH 321: Food Handling, Microbiology and Hygiene (3)
   PH 334: Community Medicine (3)
   PH 343: Settings Approach in Health Promotion
   PH 351: Health Care Management and Systems in the Pacific (3)
   
   
   Two (2) courses awarding six (6) credits for a cumulative 12 credits
   
   PH 316: Research Project in Applied Epidemiology and Health Researchbr
   PH 365: Placement in a Public Health Practicing Facility

7. Program Courses and Enrollment

   A total of 120 students enrolled in the 7 major courses offered in Fall2011. The number dropped o 100 in Spring 2012 although 8 courses were offered. There was a drastic decrease of enrollment in Spring 2013 but the number more than doubled in Fall 2013 due to the enrollment of new students.

   Courses	Number of section/s	Course Enrollment	Section fill-rates
   PH 312: Research Methods for Health Services Management	4	38	38.0%
   PH 314: Public Health Surveillance and Management of Health Information Systems	3	29	38.0%
   PH 316A: Research Project in Applied Epidemiology and Health Research	4	40	100.0%
   PH 316B: Research Project in Applied Epidemiology and Health Research	2	23	100.0%
   PH 321: Food Handling, Microbiology and Hygiene	2	19	38.0%
   PH 334: Community Medicine	4	56	56.0%
   PH 343: Settings Approach in Health Promotion	2	19	38.0%
   PH 351: Health Care Management and Systems in the Pacific	4	41	41.0%
   PH 365A: Placement in a Public Health Practicing Facility	5	37	74.0%
   PH 365B: Placement in a Public Health Practicing Facility	4	27	67.0%

8. Program Faculty

   Instructor	Position	Degrees Held	Status
   Paul Dacanay	Division Chair Assistant Professor	Doctor of Medicine Bachelor of Science Degree Major in Biology	Full time Faculty
   Ikoli Ilongo	Instructor	Doctor of Education Masters in Public Health	Full time Faculty
   Rally Jim	Instructor	Bachelors of Medicine Bachelors of Surgery(MBBS)	Part-time Instructor
   Robert Spegal	Instructor	Masters in Public Health	Part-time Instructor
   Sage Nagai	Instructor	Masters in Public Health	Part-time Instructor

9. Program Indicators

   1. Assessment of course student learning outcomes of program courses

   Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

   Target outcome: Third year certificate-level students understood advanced concepts of public health Data source: Research presentation Analysis: Successful completion of this objective will be indicated by more than 85% of students receiving a C grade or higher.

   
   
   

   2. Assessment of program student learning outcomes

   Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health

   What we looked at:
   

   The Public Health Training Program (3rd year) Certificate assessment focused on all PSLOs 1, 2, and 7.

   Students who are taking courses related to PSLO1 presents a report at the end of the term and these are graded based on a rubric. Successful completion of this objective will be indicated by more than 80% of students receiving a C grade or higher.

   PSLO 2 was assessed by research papers and graded according to a specified rubric. Successful completion of this objective will be indicated by more than 80% of students receiving a C grade or higher.

   PSLO 7 was assessed by a final skills test.

   
   
   

   What we found:
   
   
   

   PSLO #1:
   

   Students who were taking courses related to this PLO presented their reports among their peers and mentor and received a passing mark based on a rubric.

   PH 334
   Total number of students 11
   No. of students with a grade of "C" or higher 9
   Number of students who failed 1
   

   PH 343
   Total number of students 11
   No. of students with a grade of "C" or higher 8
   Number of students who failed 2
   

   PH 314
   Total number of students 12
   No. of students with a grade of "C" or higher 12
   Number of students who failed 0
   

   PSLO#2

   Students who took these courses submitted their research report and graded based on a rubric

   PH 312
   Total number of students 8
   No. of students with a grade of "C" or higher 8

   PSLO#8

   All students majoring in Public Health has successfully pass certification for CPR and first aid after attending a training seminar

   Number of students who did the BLS/CPR training    15

   Number of students who earned their BLS/CPR certificate    15

   3. Program enrollment

   The Third Year Certificate program have shown a constant trend in enrollment in the two-year period. Spring 2013 have shown a drastic decrease in enrollment followed by increased number in the Fall 2013 most likely due to the enrollment of freshmen.

   Average class size for the Third Year Certificate Program, the average class size for the two year period is 10.5 students.

   Program	Term	Sections	Maximum Enrollment	Enrollment	Enrollment Ratio	Enrollment Average
   Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health	Fall 2011	6	105	40	38.9%	6.6
   	Spring 2012	5	110	39	35.4%	7.8
   	Fall 2012	6	105	75	71.4%	12.5
   	Spring 2013	6	105	71	67.6	11.8
   	Fall 2013	6	105	49	46.6%	8.1

   4.Course Completion Rate

   Course completion rate were based on passing a course with a grade of ABC or D.

   For courses in the Third Year Certificate of Achievement, the average completion rate in Fall 2011 was 93.0%, which was slightly higher than the completion rates in the college. There was a decline in the next semester. This trend of high completion rates in the Fall and decline in the Spring was seen in the next cycle. This was mainly because of the high withdrawal rate during that spring semester.

   Program	Term	Course	Number of Students	Passing Rate	Withdrawals
   Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health	Fall 2011	PH 316A	10	90.0%	0.0%
   		PH 334	8	87.5%	0.0%
   		PH 365A	4	100%	0.0%
   		PH 365B	4	100%	0.0%
   	Spring 2012	PH 312	11	100%	0.0%
   		PH 314	6	100%	0.0%
   		PH 316B	7	57.1%	0.0%
   		PH 343	7	71.4%	14.3%
   	Fall 2012	PH 312	12	91.7%	0.0%
   		PH 316A	18	100%	0.0%
   		PH 334	14	92.9%	0.0%
   		PH 351	13	100%	0.0%
   		PH 365A	12	100%	0.0%
   		PH 365B	6	100%	0.0%
   	Spring 2013	PH 314	12	75.%	0.0%
   		PH 316B	16	37.5%	31.3%
   		PH 321	11	72.7%	9.1%
   		PH 343	12	75.0%	8.3%
   		PH 365A	9	88.9%	0.0%
   		PH 365B	11	63.6%	9.1%
   	Fall 2013	PH 312	9	77.8%	11.1%
   		PH 316A	12	91.7%	8.3%
   		PH 334	11	100%	0.0%
   		PH 351	7	100%	0.0%
   		PH 365A	4	100%	0.0%
   		PH 365B	6	50%	0.0%

   5. Success rates on licensing or certification exams

   There is no current licensing or certification examination for Public health at FSM.

   6. Graduation Rate

   The first group of students to graduate are the Third Year Certificate of Achievement students in Spring 2011. There where 5 students.

   Program	Term	Number of Graduates
   Third Year Certificate of Achievement in Public Health	Fall 2011	0
   	Spring 2012	3
   	Fall 2012	0
   	Spring 2013	6
   	Fall 2013	0

   7. Cost of duplicate or redundant courses, programs or services

   There are no duplicated or redundant courses for Public Health

   8. Students' satisfaction rate

   Students’ satisfaction rate

   9. Alumni data

   No present data available

   10. Employment data and employer feedback

   No data is currently available

   11.Program added or cancelled at nearby regional institutions (PCC, GCC, Hawaii schools, UOG, CMI, NMC)

   No data is currently available

   16. Transfer Rate

   No data is currently available

10. Analysis and Recommendation

    Low enrollment rate

    The Public Health Training Program is on their 4th year and there is a slow increase in the number of students declaring their major as Third-year certificate program or transfer of students from other majors. There was a noted plateau in the number of students during the third and fourth year of the program.

    Recommendation:

    Undertake a more aggressive recruitment and information drive activities. This should be done in all FSM States once every academic year

    High number of withdrawal rate

    The high number of withdrawal was due to enrollment in Public Health courses by non-PH majors. Most courses in Public Health are focused in specialized field of PH practice (Epidemiology, Health Nutrition, etc) that most students that enroll in these courses find it more difficult and they would then withdraw.

    This trend affect the over all completion rate of the program. Although high withdrawal rate can be pointed to this scenario, there are also Public Health Majors who are finding it difficult to be in PH classes. This is mainly due to lack of math and science background (Statistics, Human Nutrition, anatomy and Physiology).

    Recommendation:

    A more diligent screening of applicants regarding the required prerequisites that the student should have prior to acceptance to the program. This includes Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology, General Chemistry, Human Nutrition courses.

    Change in the admissions requirement for the Third Year Certificate program. The present requirement is the acceptance of any students who have an AA or AS degrees. The program should only accept those who are graduates of Health Careers Opportunities Program (HCOP) with the required elective math and sciences. Those students with other degrees should be accepted as soon as they could take the needed math and science courses.

    Good academic advisement prior to enrolling in PH courses should also be considered. An early warning program should be established to capture those who are at risk of dropping from the program.

    Development of instruction methods that improve student knowledge and engagement, analytical skills and promote participatory learning and a more flexible methods of teaching such as: lectures, videos, group activities, simulations, in-class assignments, homework, quizzes, impromptu tests etc. should be established

    Improvement of Program and course assessment

    In addition to the present program and course assessment strategy, a comprehensive assessment/exam to evaluate the overall knowledge/skills the students gained should be done. Starting SY 2014, a comprehensive exam will be given to students every after the semester and contents will be based on their level.