Continuing professional development in public health medicine

BACKGROUND: A survey of public health doctors was undertaken in the South Thames region to support coordination of continuing professional development (CPD) and to guide appropriate provision of educational activities for those working in the specialty. METHODS: A postal survey of 130 public health doctors in service, academic and military posts in the South Thames region of the UK. RESULTS: The response rate was 79% with good representation of grades and geographical areas. Public health doctors preferred personal and small group learning particularly focused on problem solving. Epidemiology as a basic discipline was rated highly by respondents, but senior doctors also showed preferences for topics beyond the textbooks. Respondents demonstrated that they had acquired such knowledge and skills, which could be shared in CPD sessions with colleagues. There was support for learning with and from non-medical colleagues. In the service posts structural change was ongoing, expectations of performance by management were high, and appropriate CPD was an expressed need, although time was seriously limited for this activity. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate CPD could support the effectiveness of public health physicians in challenging circumstances. However, a critical evaluation of the relevance of CPD programmes to public health practice is essential if CPD is to support doctors in delivering the public health agenda in the changing structures within which they work