title: Our practice is our passion: development and delivery of a 21st-century doctor of public health program.
abstract: Twenty-first century advances have significantly altered the functions of public health professionals, resulting in a need for advanced level training in community health leadership and practice-oriented research without interruption of professional careers. We present an example of an innovative Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program developed at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. This program incorporates 21st century public health competencies within a competency-based curricular model, delivered in a hybrid format (fall or spring online delivery and a 1-week face-to-face summer institute) in collaboration between academic and practice-based public health professionals at local and national levels. This revised competency-based program is an example of how to meet the needs of the 21st century public health practitioners while maintaining their connections to the practice world.
authors.affiliation: Rita D. DeBate and Deanna Wathington are with the Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida (USF), Tampa. Donna J. Petersen and Kate Wolfe-Quintero are with the Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida.
authors.forename: Rita D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: DeBate
authors.forename: Donna J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wathington
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolfe-Quintero
mesh_terms: D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D040381:Education, Public Health Professional / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005431:Florida; D006801:Humans; D008611:Mentors; D016730:Program Development; D012581:Schools, Public Health / Q000458:organization & administration