摘要：The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Core Competency Model aspires to rigorously train future leaders of public health practice to direct and advance societal efforts that address socially rooted causes of health and illness. Although there is no proven formula for success, 3 principles derived from practice may guide the way forward: (1) institutionalize mutual learning and reciprocity between schools of public health and public health agencies and organizations, (2) capitalize on the full resources of the larger university to enrich the educational experiences of DrPH candidates and public health leaders, and (3) globalize the search for model DrPH programs that may be adapted for US schools. Schools of public health must ensure that DrPH programs gain the status and resources needed to fulfill their societal mandate. The DrPH core competency model is the first national set of recommended competencies for the DrPH degree which highlights the transformative leadership role DrPH graduates play in public health research and practice, as well as in advancing the field. 1 (p2) The development of the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) core competency model is a seminal achievement. 2 The consensus is that the DrPH represents the advanced, terminal degree for public health practice. 2 Now is a particularly auspicious time for its debut. A US national debate over health services delivery and public health reform dominated the policy landscape over the past 2 years. On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 3 While the act substantially broadens federal power and oversight, it also vests considerable new powers and responsibilities in the states. 4 As laudable as these reforms may be, US society needs to do much better than it has in the past to make health insurance reforms work as well as they ought to for all population groups, regardless of the place, time, and level of employment that has historically shaped coverage. 4 There is an important parallel for the DrPH competency development initiative. It begins with the recognition that schools of public health (SPH) need to do much better than they have in the past to develop educational programs for doctoral-level generalists who are qualified to provide community health leadership at local, state, and national levels, regardless of the emphasis on scientific discovery that has historically shaped their missions. 5–7 Otherwise, this defining moment to bolster the public health infrastructure and redirect agencies to tackle the structural determinants of health will be squandered. 8–10
