Lifelong learning: Public health training resources online

Learning occurs in a variety of settings, both formal and informal, throughout our lives. For busy public health professionals, the biggest challenge is finding the time to take advantage of learning opportunities. Fortunately, these learning opportunities come in all shapes, sizes and formats. For those of you with Internet access, there are free and fee-based online courses, podcasts, journal clubs, presentations, webcasts and reading lists on an amazing number of topics.

The Centers for Public Health Preparedness Resource Center is a free online repository of terrorism and emergency response training and educational resources developed by the Centers for Public Health Preparedness.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Open Courseware Project provides access to the content of the School's most popular courses. Each course lists a syllabus, lecture notes, readings, and related resources. Learners are not required to register and participation is completely self-directed.

Medscape’s Public Health and Prevention CME Center website requires registration, but is a free and well organize resource that allows users to track continuing education courses taken online.

The Northwest Center for Public Health Practice located here in Seattle , “develops public health training courses and activities for practice-based continuing education” in both distance learning and onsite formats.

Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce’s Education and Training webpage provides annotated links to information on graduate education, continuing education and training opportunities, and resources related to education and training.

SmartPH, a learning management system (LMS) developed for Washington ’s public health workforce, is currently being implemented here at Public Health Seattle & King County. The system will allow staff to take courses and manage their training records, all from their desktop.

TrainingFinder is the Public Health Foundation’s database of nationwide learning opportunities for public health professionals. Website registration is recommended, but is free, and allows users to access a database of on-site or distance learning courses all over the country. Course Search allows potential trainees to browse by subject, format, or competency, and limit results to free courses.

Where can you find the time to do an online course? You may want to register for “Techniques for Better Time Management” (SkillSoft PD0152) at SmartPH... Good luck!