Training European public health professionals-the role of young professional networks.

Abstract

In this ‘brave new world’,1 public health professionals must constantly be ready to face emerging challenges. Public health is no longer limited to its traditional disciplines such as epidemiology, statistics or sociology, and its professionals must have a broad range of skills that go beyond what is usually taught in either pre- or postgraduate programmes in public health. There have been several efforts to introduce competency-based education in public health training to facilitate the transition from the educational level to the professional world. These include the Public Health Core Competencies Programme, produced by the Association of the Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER)2 and the LEPHIE programme (Leadership for Public Health in Europe) led by Maastricht University in collaboration with ASPHER, which is currently holding its first course on European public health leadership ‘that incorporates real problems based on public health priorities in the European region’,3 and the UK Public Health Skills and Career Framework.4 However, much remains to …