Most epidemiology students graduate having mastered the art of the 10-page research paper, but what happens when many of these students enter the workforce and suddenly have to write funding proposals, public health advisories, and even social media posts?
Ella August, clinical assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and James Trostle, professor of anthropology at Trinity College and professor of public health at the University of Chile, explore this question in the latest issue of the Journal of Public Health.
“Public health writing assignments can and should be more focused on student problem solving, flexible and critical thinking, and intercultural awareness,” August and Trostle argue in the article. “To construct better writing assignments, teachers of public health would benefit from knowing the types and content of writing that practicing professionals produce outside of graduate schools.”
Their article includes an Epidemiology Workplace Writing Repository, an open-source resource August created that epidemiology educators can use to support them in teaching writing and critical thinking skills. The teaching guide and materials within the repository are meant to support writing assignments that take best practices from the liberal arts and bring them into public health curriculum.
“I’ve thought a lot about the importance of having students write in authentic formats,” says August. “I sought out writing resources for my epidemiology classes and wasn’t able to find anything. So, I thought, I’m going to create them.”
