A call for developing China's practice-based doctor of public health (DrPH) degree program

Facing the epidemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is necessary to find the solution to improve and strengthen the prevention and control system of the outbreak. As educators, we should also think about talents cultivation, especially the training of high-level applied talents as man of action in the field of public health, who possesses solid theoretical knowledge of preventive medicine, capacity of solving practical public health problems and emergency response, strong organizational leadership and broad international perspectives. Therefore, it is imperative to accelerate the establishment of the degree of the doctor of public health (DrPH) and merge the program into higher education curriculum of public health. This article mainly discusses the necessity and feasibility of establishing the degree of DrPH, and puts forward suggestions on its training objective and training program, so as to promote the cultivation of high-level applied public health talents in China. Key words: Postgraduate education; Doctor of public health; High-level applied talents of public health