How can we improve postgraduate training in community health?
The Diploma Course in Community Health was developed by the Department of Community Medicine of the University of Papua New Guinea in 1982. This is a one-year course for about 10-12 middle-level managers of the health system. This brief communication reports the first attempt to assess the course. Although most of the content of the diploma course is relevant to the respondents' activities, the emphasis on research methods and community diagnosis seems to leave little time for solving the researched management topics, according to the perceived needs expressed by our small number of respondents. The question that remains unanswered seems to be how much of each of the topics that comprise the multidisciplinary field of community health is necessary to prepare mid-level health managers for their work and to assist them in making informed decisions. The methodology used failed to assess the course due to a low response rate, but some of the issues brought up by the respondents indicate that it may not be fully meeting the participants' needs. The report concludes that the improvement of the Diploma Course in Community Health will rely on the regular use of effective assessment methodology and the joint efforts of the Department of Health and the University.
Beracochea
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Department of Community Medicine, University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby.
D000328:Adult; D003154:Community Medicine / Q000193:education*; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010219:Papua New Guinea