Description

Academic public health is an essential part of the public

health function, educating practitioners and providing new

research information. The recent White Paper – “Saving Lives:

Our Healthier Nation”- identified the need to improve academic

public health, yet little is known about current content and

standards of academic training. We sent a questionnaire to

all lecturers in public health medicine in the United Kingdom

on 01/06/98.

Fifty-nine lecturers were in post on the census date, of

whom 88% responded. Most trainees enjoyed their jobs, particularly

the freedom to develop their interests, and felt they were

getting good research experience. But supervision and training

were often perceived as inadequate and poorly structured with

no clear goals.

Many reported problems with the service component of their

work including difficulty fulfilling the requirements of academic

and service training simultaneously fuelled by poor links

between service and academic departments. This must be addressed

if the public health function is to be strengthened in the

way the White Paper envisages.