MPH Applied Practice Experience
The Applied Practice Experience (APEX) lets you put your knowledge to work in a community-based public health setting. This 240-hour work experience, which is six course credits, allows you to develop skills and professional readiness under the guidance of a public health mentor and a community mentor (known as a “preceptor”). It’s also a wonderful opportunity to give back to community members and be part of a professional team.
Madison is our state’s capitol city and offers many opportunities within the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Many large non-profits are located here, too. Whether your experience unfolds within a government agency, a community non-profit, a public or private school, or a rural or urban location outside of Madison, it will be designed to benefit both you and the community partner.
Put Your Knowledge To Work
The MPH program has built many strong relationships with community partners. The opportunities are as varied as your interests. As your first year gets underway, advisors will help you navigate the placement process.
Integrated Learning Experience
You will draw on your Applied Practice Experience to complete a practice-based requirement known as the Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). The ILE demonstrates that you have attained all MPH program competencies through the course of the MPH degree, and represents the culmination of your degree.
The ILE consists of three components:
- High-quality written product based on the APEX
- Poster representing the work done through the APEX, along with presenting that poster at the MPH program’s annual poster session in May
- Portfolio that provides evidence (mostly through MPH coursework and APEX) that you have demonstrated mastery of the MPH program competencies
ILE review: The finished portfolio and high-quality written product is presented to the public health mentors during a required ILE review presentation. This student facilitated presentation is an opportunity to summarize time spent in the program and demonstrate mastery of the public health competencies. The portfolio review is completed during the final semester in the program for MPH-exclusive students, and typically in the final MPH semester for dual degree students.
Vanessa Dingman, MPH student, APEX at Special Olympics Wisconsin
Public Health Mentors Provide Expert Guidance
Public health mentors add great value to your APEX. You will receive insight, guidance and encouragement from your mentor as you navigate your work experience. You may also have the chance to learn about a particular area of public health from a top expert in the field.
Community Partners Share Real-World Knowledge
Within the community organization, you will work with another mentor known as a “preceptor,” who is affiliated with the organization. The preceptor guides you through the day-to-day experience, serves as a resource for questions and offers invaluable insight about the functioning of a professional team in a public health organization.
Featured APEX Projects
Promoting nutrition and physical activity in Wisconsin
Bikram Poudel
MPH Student
Preceptor: Lexi Davis (Healthy Communities Coordinator)
APEX Site: Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Chronic Disease Prevention Program (CDPP)
Bikram worked with the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (SPAN) at DHS, a five year national program implemented under CDC guidelines to address health disparities related to poor nutrition, physical activity and obesity.
Work Summary
Bikram conducted a comprehensive landscape assessment of physical activity and nutrition opportunities in Wisconsin. He collaborated with the DHS, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources, and Regional Planning Commissions to evaluate transportation policies and their impact on physical activity. Through his work, he examined existing community designs across Wisconsin, identifying significant gaps in infrastructure that need to be addressed in communities lacking these supports.
Outcomes and Impact
Bikram’s work provides a strong foundation for understanding the current landscape of activity-friendly routes and destination plans and policies in Wisconsin. His finding will inform future policy, system and environmental changes aimed at promoting physical activity throughout the state.
“As I approach the end of my APEX project, I feel a sense of accomplishment and growth… My APEX placement gave me first-hand experience with the chronic disease prevention program and the U.S. and Wisconsin public health system. Through this experience, I’ve formed meaningful connections and built a professional network for future opportunities in public health.”
– Bikram Poudel
Advancing diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening fungal infection
Nithya Attipetty
MPH Student
Preceptor: Alana Sterkel, PhD, Associate Director, Communicable Disease Division
APEX Site: Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene
Nithya’s work focused on blastomycosis, a life-threatening fungal infection endemic to northern Wisconsin. Due to limited culture methods and antifungal susceptibility testing, there is a pressing need to improve diagnostic and treatment approaches.
Work Summary
During the summer, Nithya performed antifungal susceptibility testing (AST), assisted in grant writing, collaborated with researchers and the Marshfield Clinic, and attended meetings with the DHS focused on current disease outbreaks and surveillance. She also created a poster and presented the research findings at Pathology Research Day. Her enthusiasm for the research has led her to continue as a graduate research assistant, with the ultimate goal of developing a statewide antibiogram.
Outcomes and Impact
Nithya’s assistance in Dr. Sterkel’s lab has furthered research and knowledge of blastomycosis, including building upon the foundation for developing clinical testing methods for this disease and informing future direction in refining current AST protocols and developing more specialized diagnostic methods.
“The work we did this summer felt purposeful and impactful, especially in addressing the needs of underserved rural populations. My preceptor has been a wonderful mentor, encouraging me to think more creatively as a scientist and to approach challenges with curiosity. The APEX project provided me opportunities to connect with public health professionals and see how public health laboratories function on state and national levels. I developed more confidence in my laboratory skills, and I’m excited to keep growing and contributing to this important research.”
– Nithya Attipetty
Improving the lives of children with complex health care needs
Makenzie Morgen
MD-MPH Dual Degree Student
Preceptor: Ryan Coller, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
APEX Site: UW—Madison Pediatric Complex Care Department
Makenzie’s APEX focused on research and policy advancements with the goal of improving the health and health care system for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Her APEX was conducted in partnership with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) under the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration.
Work Summary
During her project, Makenzie worked on identifying different groups of CYSHCN and how certain policies impact these groups. She also helped with early data analysis for a study called “Meds@HOME,” which is testing a mobile app designed to help families manage medications for children with complex medical conditions. A trial of the app was completed over the summer and her work focused on analyzing the initial data from that trial.
Outcomes and Impact
The research and data collected during her APEX will help improve the lives of children with complex health care needs, laying the groundwork for further research and policy decisions related to CYSHCN. She presented her findings at two national conferences over the summer, beginning the process of sharing this important work with the broader public health community.
“I have found the experience to be very rewarding and one that has significantly helped to mold me into the professional that I hope to be long term. My initial goal was to improve the lives of children through public health work, and I do feel as though the project will have that influence. Although this is just one step in the process to improving the system of care for children with special health care needs, it is a big leap in reframing how we think about these children and how we can be more efficient in our interventions.”
– Makenzie Morgen
Survivor support and preventing sexual and relationship violence
Claire Volkert
MPH Student
Preceptor: Sam Bowen, Assistant Director of Violence Prevention
APEX Site: University Health Services (UHS), UW–Madison
Claire Volkert worked with the Violence Prevention Department at UHS at UW–Madison which builds the capacity of the UW–Madison campus community to prevent sexual and relationship violence, support survivors and shift campus culture.
Work Summary
One of Claire’s main projects was evaluating and improving the UHS Violence Prevention online educational programs. She assisted on data evaluation efforts with the goal of summarizing valuable qualitative and quantitative data into useful departmental resources. She also worked on improving the Violence Prevention webpage to include more up-to-date and relevant language and information.
Outcomes and Impact
Claire’s findings were used to inform and develop future adjustments to program content, specifically looking at increasing program accessibility. Her data synthesis efforts are regularly utilized by Violence Prevention staff to evaluate student progress and program effectiveness.
“Throughout the APEX, I gained confidence in bringing ideas to the table… I felt that I had the tools and foundation I needed to be independent and self-direct my work products. Being supported both as a student and as a professional by my preceptor has opened the doors to so many opportunities and has helped me to better imagine my place in public health in the future.”
– Claire Volkert
Focusing on children’s health
MPH student Lauren Sheahan (‘21) completed an Applied Practice Experience focusing on the “default beverage policy” for kids’ meals at restaurants.
Check out our YouTube channel for more APEX videos.
The UW School of Medicine and Public Health Master of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).