Elective placements for medical students in a regional Public Health Department in Ireland

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Abstract Exposure to different specialties during medical school influences the subsequent career choice of students. We describe the development of elective student placements in Public Health in a regional Public Health Department (PHD) in Ireland which serves a population of just over one million. In September 2023, a collaboration to oversee the electives was established between our PHD (HSE Dublin and Midlands) and an academic institution (Trinity College Dublin (TCD)). An Elective Working Group (WG) was formed which developed learning objectives and an elective plan. The electives were scheduled for October and November 2023. The key learning objectives were for students to: • Develop an understanding of the role of Public Health across all domains, in our regional PHD and in Ireland; • Develop an understanding of the career pathway in Public Health Medicine in Ireland; • Contribute to a public health project within the PHD. The elective plan included approximately 15 1:1 tutorials across the public health domains, attendance at PHD meetings and a literature review-based project. Between October and November 2023, two students (one per month) were attached to the PHD. At the end of each elective, students presented project findings to the WG for discussion. Debrief sessions gathered feedback from the students, the WG and the TCD partner. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Feedback suggested taking pairs of students at the same time may increase efficiency and capacity for future electives in our PHD. A collaborative approach to planning and coordinating the electives was crucial to its success. We are building on this experience to expand the electives with an increased number of students being facilitated by our PHD in 2024, providing students with greater opportunity to gain exposure to Public Health Medicine during medical training. Application and evaluation materials were refined which can be shared. Key messages • The success of the Public Health electives in our regional Public Health Department was underpinned by a collaborative academic partnership and a structured, coordinated approach. • Availability of Public Health electives during medical school training can support students to gain exposure to this specialty in a time when they are considering future career choices.