Professional Development and Experiential Learning (PDEL)
Program Information
Program Objectives:
The Professional Development and Experiential Learning program is designed to create opportunities for graduate thesis-based students to develop professional competencies through experiential learning opportunities across diverse sectors.
Through work-based learning, students may develop and enhance professional competencies (e.g., communication, leadership, teamwork, responsibility, trustworthiness, ethics, self-awareness, situational awareness, problem-solving, decision-making), as well as identify strengths and areas for improvement, and apply these insights to advance their careers.
Course Syllabus: Fall 2023 | Winter 2024
Power of Peer Mentorship Badge (Micro-credential course - optional)
How to Apply:
Are you interested in developing professional skills and completing a meaningful internship during your graduate program?
• PDEL is a full-year program focused on addressing the gap in professional development and experiential learning opportunities for thesis-based graduate students in MDCH and includes two courses (Fall and Winter terms) and an internship (Winter term).
• Students enrolled in the PDEL program will take part in a minimum 12-week internship with a relevant organization during the Winter term. Students must successfully complete the Fall course before they can enroll in the winter internship program.
• These courses are part of a pilot program to introduce a professional experiential component to thesis-based graduate programs. To participate in this pilot program, students will need to:
1) Obtain approval from their academic supervisor;
2) Complete both the Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 courses;
3) Complete a 20-minute survey on their PDEL Program experience; and
4) Consent to have their internship evaluation and assessments included as data for the study.
• Your participation in this program and research study is completely voluntary, and you may choose to withdraw from the study at any time, up until one week after the last date of data collection for that term. You may also choose to withdraw from the courses as per the University of Calgary add/drop regulations. If you decide to participate, please be assured that your data and information will be kept confidential.
• This study has been reviewed by and received ethics approval from the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB20-0461).
If you think this program is right for you, please contact: Dr. Elizabeth Oddone Paolucci (PDEL@ucalgary.ca) with a short statement of interest (<500 words) by August 1, 2023.
Community partner organizations play a vital role in providing valuable experiential learning opportunities to graduate students. These organizations serve as collaborators and hosts, offering real-world environments where students can apply their knowledge and skills in practical settings. By engaging with community partner organizations, graduate students gain hands-on experience, expand their professional networks, and enhance their understanding of the field they are studying. These experiential learning opportunities contribute to the students' personal and academic growth, preparing them for successful careers in their chosen fields. As the Professional Development and Experiential Learning (PDEL) Program grows, we appreciate the multiple community relationships that have been formed to provide a diverse range of experiential learning experiences. These opportunities are available to students in the MDCH program and other graduate programs (with consent from the PDEL Director).
Our current partnerships include:
Alberta Health Services (AHS) Strategic Clinical Network (SCN) Partners - Primary Health Care Integration (provincial program); Bone & Joint Health; Maternal Newborn Child & Youth; Diabetes, Obesity & Nutrition; and Emergency Strategic Clinical Network.
Healthy Children and Families – AHS
eSIM Provincial Simulation Program - AHS
Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA)
Institute of Health Economics (IHE)
Interior Health British Columbia
Medlior Health Outcomes Research Ltd.
Brenda Stafford Centre on Aging – O’Brien Institute for Public Health
PolicyWise for Children and Families
Interested in becoming a partner? Please click here for more info!
As more community partnerships and opportunities are secured for the upcoming term, "job postings" will be listed here - by organization - and links to each available posting will be provided.
Testimonials have been provided by program graduates from our inaugural year and we hope to gather more testimonials and feedback as this program takes off again in the Fall of 2023!
To view the testimonials, click here.