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.