MPH Practicum Program

Overview
PQA offers supervised applied practice experience opportunities to Master of Public Health (MPH) students seeking to fulfill their school's MPH graduating requirements. Working from a national platform in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, or remotely, practicum students are immersed in the healthcare quality landscape with a focus on appropriate medication use, health equity, and patient experience.

The program aims to foster the development of skills in one or more of the following areas to support PQA's mission to advance the quality of medication use:

• Quality Measurement
• Health Services Research and Policy Evaluation
• Communications
• Stakeholder Engagement

Each practicum offering is tailored to meet the goals and objectives of the student’s graduate program while aligning with PQA’s current initiatives, and will also include the following:

• Earning PQA's Medication Use Quality Certificate
• Engaging in professional development activities
• Delivering a final presentation to the PQA team

The PQA Summer MPH Practicum Program is a paid applied practice experience opportunity. Transportation, housing, and all other living costs are the responsibility of the graduate participant.

Students will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing activities that support PQA's mission, such as:

• Conducting literature reviews
• Facilitating information interviews
• Interpreting results of data analysis
• Developing dissemination and communication strategies and products
• Addressing health disparities through integration of pharmacy and public health perspectives

“As a dual degree student completing my PharmD and MPH, I wanted an MPH practicum that intersected both my degrees and focused on medication use safety at a population-based level. I created various dissemination packets related to PQA’s frameworks and the SDOH Resource Guide. It was a fantastic experience to see a new side of pharmacy incorporating public health initiatives that impact the quality of care and optimize patient-centered outcomes.”

-Katie Quigley, MPH Candidate 2024

“During my time at PQA, I focused on laying the groundwork for future research on pharmacy deserts. This involved conducting a needs assessment and literature review to understand existing definitions of pharmacy deserts... I also created one-page summary reports for quality measure development meetings. Currently, I am working at Health Services Advisory Group, where I am concentrating on health equity initiatives."

-Lee Augenblick, MPH Candidate 2024

Application Information
Students actively enrolled in a Master of Public Health (MPH) program and seeking a practicum placement for credit to fulfil their school’s practicum requirement, are encouraged to apply. Candidates are required to submit the following materials through an online application platform accessible via the PQA website:

1. One-page cover letter describing:
1. Interest in performing practicum at PQA
2. Career goals and how the PQA practicum will facilitate achieving those goals
3. Potential start date 
4. Desired practicum duration 
5. Anticipated weekly commitment
2. Curriculum vitae

This practicum opportunity is a paid opportunity. Transportation, housing, and all other costs-of-living are the responsibility of the graduate participant. Candidates on international student visa (i.e., F-1) are eligible to apply for this program but will need to obtain the F-1 Curricular Practical Training (CPT) from respective graduate schools if selected.