Positioning Africa’s public health doctoral students to lead societal transformation and development
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21880251 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Rawlance Ndejjo (0000-0001-9263-557X, Karolinska Institutet), Charles Ssemugabo (0000-0001-6857-0091, Makerere University), Jimmy Osuret (0000-0002-3382-620X, Makerere University), Esther Bayiga Zziwa (0000-0003-1746-1391, Makerere University), Sharon Fonn (0000-0001-6115-8707, University of the Witwatersrand), Tobias Alfvén (0000-0002-2328-3512, Karolinska Institutet), David Mukanga (0000-0001-5554-7466, Gates Foundation), Meleckidzedeck Khayesi (0000-0002-2335-4077, World Health Organization - Pakistan), Rhoda K Wanyenze (0000-0001-5864-3314, Karolinska Institutet) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | e007996 |
| Publication date | 2022-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMJ Global Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2059-7908 • E-ISSN: 2059-7908 |
| Publisher | BMJ (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007996 |
| PMID | 35168932 |
| OpenAlex | W4213308000 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 36 |
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
Career development · Career Pathways · Curriculum · Health care · Medical education · Mentorship · Pedagogy · Political science · Public health · Public relations · Transformative learning · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Global Health and Surgery · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
In Search of Transformative Learning for Sustainable Development
South African audiologists need business skills to survive
A study on the academic innovation ability and influencing factors of public health graduate students based on nomograms
Responsive public health doctoral education
A scoping review of transformational leadership development in health-related PhD programs
Public health capacity development in Africa
Harnessing the potential of African youth for transforming health research in Africa
Strengthening health research capacity for postgraduate trainees
Too Many PhD Graduates or Too Few Academic Job Openings
The 2020 report of The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change
Applications of digital technology in Covid-19 pandemic planning and response
Digital technology and Covid-19
Increasing collaborative research output between early-career health researchers in Africa
Closing the barrier between disease and health outcomes in Africa through research and capacity development
Building capacity for public and population health research in Africa
Civil Society, Democratic Space, and Social Work
Employment Trends Among Public Health Doctoral Recipients, 2003–2015
Building the capacity to solve complex health challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
Research degrees as professional education
From PhD to initial employment
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |