Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health, a Collaboration Between Makerere University and Karolinska Institutet, Kampala, Uganda.
BMJ Glob Health. 2022 Feb;7(2). doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007996.
The public health context is becoming increasingly more complex requiring highly trained professionals equipped with knowledge, competencies and tools to address or transform current and future challenges. Doctoral degree training offers an opportunity to build the capacity to detect and respond to such dynamic health challenges. In this paper, we discuss how Africa's public health doctoral students can be better positioned for the different career pathways to provide leadership on complex health and development challenges. Public health PhD graduates can take up careers in academia, civil service, private sector and civil society, among others. To thrive in these pathways, PhD training should equip them with knowledge, skills and competencies in leadership, creativity and social competence among others. To produce career-ready PhD graduates, there is need to rethink training curricula to build critical skills for diverse career pathways, introduce students to entrepreneurship, and enhance linkages between universities and industry. Experiential learning, exposure to networks and partnerships, postdoctoral programmes and mentorship and exchange programmes can further equip PhD students with key knowledge, skills and competencies. For students to position themselves for the different careers, they ought to plan their careers early, albeit with flexibility. Students should build their soft skills and embrace technology among other transferable competencies. By identifying potential career pathways and being positioned for these early, Africa can produce transformative PhD students on a path for success not just for themselves but for society at large, including in new environments such as that created by COVID-19.
公共卫生环境日益复杂，需要高度训练有素的专业人员，他们具备知识、能力和工具，以应对或改变当前和未来的挑战。博士学位培训提供了一个机会，可以培养发现和应对这些动态健康挑战的能力。在本文中，我们讨论了如何使非洲的公共卫生博士生能够更好地适应不同的职业道路，为复杂的健康和发展挑战提供领导力。公共卫生博士毕业生可以从事学术、公务员、私营部门和民间社会等领域的职业。为了在这些道路上取得成功，博士培训应该使他们具备领导力、创造力和社会能力等方面的知识、技能和能力。为了培养有准备的职业博士毕业生，有必要重新思考培训课程，为多样化的职业道路培养关键技能，向学生介绍创业精神，并加强大学与工业界之间的联系。体验式学习、接触网络和伙伴关系、博士后项目以及指导和交流项目可以进一步使博士生具备关键知识、技能和能力。为了使学生能够适应不同的职业，他们应该尽早规划自己的职业，尽管要有一定的灵活性。学生应该培养自己的软技能，并掌握技术等可转移能力。通过确定潜在的职业道路并尽早定位，非洲可以培养出具有变革性的博士生，他们不仅为自己，而且为整个社会，包括在 COVID-19 等新环境中取得成功。
