Students who work with public health practitioners are also likely to be better prepared to address the health needs of their communities upon their entry into the workforce.
With exposure to real world applications of public health, students may become more aware of public health career choices and the educational opportunities available, as well as the social connections and professional networks that will help them enter the workforce. In addition, their firsthand observation of the commitments and social values held by working public health professionals provides them the opportunity to experience that which Turnock refers to as ‘‘Unique Images of Public Health, namely its basis in social justice, its inherent political nature, its dynamic, ever-expanding agenda, its link with government, its grounding in the sciences, its use of prevention as a prime strategy, and its uncommon culture and bond’’ [4]. The description of these images and values can be read in an academic textbook but we propose that they require being observed and experienced in the workplace and in the practitioner for them to hold meaning and appreciation.