drama and public health
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Oral Presentation and Poster No. 45 - Drama and Public Health Dr Simon Braybrook BACKGROUND Inspired by his experience in using drama to communicate health messages to rural, non-literate communities in India, GP academic fellow Gurudat Naik developed the module to teach year 2 medical students the principles of public health through the use of drama in primary schoolsOBJECTIVES To develop a 5 day student selected component which teaches students the principles of public health, develops students ability to communicate with each other and with children, and their ability to creatively communicate a health message using both Theatre-In-Education (TIE) and Drame in Education (DIE) principles. METHODS The module was initially taught by GP academic fellows with an interest in public health. Examples of successful public health campaigns, both in the developed and developing world, were used to illustrate the importance of targeting both the medium and the message to the target audience. Although initial runs of the module focussed on the creation of a public health play to use in a Cardiff based primary school assembly, the module was developed to incorporate training from professional actors from Going Public Theatre Company, to develop “Drama in Education” workshops building upon health messages communicated through the theatre. With the support of the Cwm Taf LHB, the inclusion of Rhondda schools have allowed students to explore health issues specific to valleys communities RESULTS Feedback from both students and participating schools has been very high. Students have self-reported improvements in their knowledge about public health and their team-working and communication skills. A longer 3rd year SSC has been piloted and accepted for 2014.CONCLUSIONS The use of drama is a novel approach to teaching public health principles, communication and team-working skills. Collaboration with schools, local health boards, and third sector organisations has allowed us to create a unique learning experience for students.