Abstract
To understand the potential and establish a framework for mentoring as a method to develop professional competencies of state-level applied chronic disease epidemiologists, model mentorship programs were reviewed, specific competencies were identified, and competencies were then matched to essential public health services. Although few existing mentorship programs in public health were identified, common themes in other professional mentorship programs support the potential of mentoring as an effective means to develop capacity for applied chronic disease epidemiology. Proposed competencies for chronic disease epidemiologists in a mentorship program include planning, analysis, communication, basic public health, informatics and computer knowledge, and cultural diversity. Mentoring may constitute a viable strategy to build chronic disease epidemiology capacity, especially in public health agencies where resource and personnel system constraints limit opportunities to recruit and hire new staff.
A trained and capable workforce is necessary for a strong public health infrastructure1,2 and is targeted for development with Healthy People 2010 Objectives 23-10 and 23-14.3 This principle was reinforced at a recent public health training broadcast, at which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared that their fi rst priority is to build the capacity of the public health workforce.4
State-level capacity for applied chronic disease epidemiology is an important, but frequently under-developed, component of the public health workforce. To facilitate the development of this capacity, the CDC began assignment of federal chronic disease epidemiologists to state health agencies in 1991. This effort has since developed into the State-Based Epidemiology for Public Health Program Support (STEPPS) program. STEPPS provides financial and administrative support for the four-year placement of epidemiologists in state health agencies. Although this program has been available to assist states develop chronic disease epidemiol ogy, 14 (28%) of the 50 states report they do not have a state chronic disease epidemiologist.5
Mentoring, a deliberate process that pairs senior with junior colleagues to develop the professional competency of the junior colleague, may be a method to further develop the specific competencies of chronic disease epidemiologists. In fact, the presence of a supportive mentor was found to be one of the major reasons for career success among senior epidemiologists.6 Mentoring is used frequently for professional development in business, education, and youth settings but can also be found in science7,8 and medicine.9-11
Like other professionals, chronic disease epidemiologists rely on competencies in specific areas to perform their work well. Parry12 defines a competency as a cluster of related knowledge, attitudes, and skills that affects a major part of one's job, correlates with performance on the job, can be measured against well-accepted standards, and can be improved by means of training and development. The development of specific competencies for chronic disease epidemiologists may be accomplished through mentorship.
The purpose of this article was to understand the potential and establish a framework for mentoring as a method to further develop professional competencies of applied chronic disease epidemiologists employed by state health agencies. To accomplish this purpose, we established three objectives. First, we sought to identify and review existing professional mentorship programs for their potential to serve as models for mentorship in applied chronic disease epidemiology. Second, we sought to determine specific competencies of applied chronic disease epidemiologists. Finally, we sought to link these competencies with the 10 essential public health services that are central to public health practice.