CRC MSTRG PUBL HLTH PDF

PREFACE

This is the type of book that we wish had existed when we were revising for the membership examination of the Faculty of Public Health.

It began life as a mass of revision notes based on dozens of books and lectures. Over the ensuing 18 months it has developed, thanks to the contributions of a wide range of people including our colleagues and our international editors, into this text. It is a revision guide that we hope will be of use to candidates of postgraduate public health examinations across many countries. However, it will also be of use for medical students and for people who are about to embark on a course of study such as an MPH or MSc in public health, for continual professional development and as a quick, practical reference text for practitioners of the specialty.

For better or worse, we decided that the book should follow strictly the structure of the UK Faculty's Part A examination syllabus (which is also used by the Australian Faculty of Public Health). This consists of five areas of public health knowledge plus a sixth section relating to public health skills. In order to avoid excessive duplication, we have at times cross-referenced the reader to other parts of the book where the syllabus covers the same material. Occasionally (as in Section 6 − public health skills), the overlapping content has been kept in order to reflect different emphases drawn out by different parts of the syllabus.

Our aim throughout the book has been to strike a balance somewhere between brief lecture notes and a full-prose textbook. We hope that this compromise will be suited both to revision and to quick reference needs. Being a postgraduate revision book, we have assumed a certain degree of prior knowledge, and have prioritised breadth of content over depth. The appendices offer the candidate of the Part A examination some revision strategies, essay frameworks and lists of key public health names and concepts that are specifically designed to support exam preparation. Text given in italics under headings indicate the exact syllabus item.

We acknowledge the assistance and guidance of our international editors, who generously offered their time and expertise to provide us with international perspectives and comments on our draft chapters. We have included the examples that they provided (indicated by national symbols) but recognise that the book remains Anglo-centric. For this reason we would be delighted to receive further international details from readers for any future edition of the book. Particular thanks go to Drs David Pencheon and Paul Crook for their thoughtful comments.

We and the publishers have attempted to seek permission from, and to acknowledge, all those whose work we used in compiling this revision guide. If, however, if we have unwittingly omitted any acknowledgements then do please contact the RSM Press.