The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program at the University of Toronto: Early observations from Canada's first professional public health doctorate.

Abstract

Setting: The Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH) at the University of Toronto.

Intervention: The DLSPH entered its inaugural cohort of Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students in 2021. Development and launch of the program stemmed from the school's strategic plan to offer advanced public health training and was the first such university offering the DrPH in Canada. This paper reflects on the overarching launch experience of the program and its innovation in practice.

Outcomes: Early interest in the program is strong and the entry requirement for at least 5 years of real-world experience drives the program's distinction in Canada. The inaugural cohort was instrumental in constructive criticism and harvestable suggestions via evaluations, reflections, and appreciative inquiry-a likely result of the lived professional experiences of students who enrolled in this program. A key feature is the hybrid nature of the program consisting of a series of in-person on-campus forums ("burst weeks") over the first half of the degree requirements. In addition to allowing in-person components of the core course, agenda components continually evolve to meet students' stated needs and competencies.

Implications: The deliberate focus on the foundational competencies of leadership was fostered through classes on leadership of self as well as leadership and governance of organizations. Special lectures are curated to ensure that new and emerging concepts challenging society and today's public health leaders are addressed in an ongoing leadership series. The focus is not on developing new leaders but on catalyzing the leaders who constitute this professional cohort to higher levels of responsibility.