• Gain Practical Experience in Community Health Outreach
    • One of my primary goals through this internship will be to gain hands-on experience in community health outreach and education. I believe that real-world practice is essential to fully understand how to effectively engage with diverse populations like I’ve learned about over my time at ODU. I hope to be able to participate in planning and executing health fairs, vaccination clinics, and public health campaigns organized by the Pulaski County Health Center. By observing my Procter and collaborating with other various health department heads, I aim to learn what strategies they find most effective in communicating health information and increasing public participation. Ideally through this I will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and success involved in promoting public health in a rural area at the county level.
  • Develop Skills in Data Collection and Health Surveillance
    • Another professional goal I have is to improve my skills in data collection, analysis, and health surveillance. In my opinion accurate data is crucial in identifying health trends, risk factors, and needs within a community. I plan to help assist in gathering and inputting data relating to communicable disease, immunization, and other public health indicators. I hope to shadow other department directors to learn how they interpret data and use it to inform public health decisions and strategies. By the end of the internship, I would like to feel confident in my ability to help contribute to public health initiatives with the data I’ve collected and to apply what I’ve learned about statistical reasoning to real-world public health problems.
  • Improve Professional Communication and Networking Skills
    • My final goal is to enhance my professional communication and networking abilities within the public health setting in my new home county. I believe being able to effectively communicate is vital to building relationships with peers, stakeholders, and the public. When interacting with both clients and health professionals, over the phone or in writing, I aim to practice clear and professional communication. Additionally, I want to start building a network of mentors and public health professionals who can provide guidance and possibly open doors for future opportunities. By attending meetings, participating in team projects, and asking for feedback I hope to be able to grow more confident in my professional presence and to be able to better understand how the collaborative nature of public health works.