public health internship

public health internship

The Importance of Public Health Internships

1. Introduction

This quotation articulates a concept that has become more relevant in recent years, as the number of graduates continues to exceed the number of employment opportunities. The UKCRC has expressed concerns that there may be too few PH researchers in the UK in the near future. This is largely due to the fact that fewer researchers are taking up public health careers and the majority of individuals being recent graduates. One reason for this could be that the amount of theoretical learning now outweighs the amount of practical experience that students obtain through their degrees. The most logical explanation for this is that the academic institutions do not have the capacity to provide the same quantity of practical experience to theoretical learning. This has a knock-on effect for the student as they are often left disheartened when unable to gain the type of employment they desire without having relevant experience. It causes a shortage of new researchers in public health as previous graduates move on to other careers and having less experience itself undermines the role of public health, as the individual will often have to undertake work that is for a higher cause but has fewer personal benefits. An internship is a perfect chance for students who wish to pursue a career in public health as a result of the opportunity to gain mass quantities of relevant experience. Public health itself is often conducted by researching a certain field and implementing changes in order to improve the health of individuals or populations. This can be anything from an SSM (stages of change model) to an epidemiological study on the disease. The nature of research can vary, and the student intern may be assigned to anything from data entry to literature searches. The task does not overly matter, but the experience of being involved in an actual public health project is a key way to determine whether one would like to carry out a public health career. The experience will also show the student how the skills they have learned through their degree are used in public health, and the end result being an effective and gratifying way to cement the career intentions of the student.

The essence of public health is to provide the best possible health to the people. This means promoting health as a human right, a quality of life, and a function of life. This quote from the Acheson Report (1988) reiterates the stable foundations that public health is built on. Using this as a starting point, the following pages aim to provide an understanding of the importance of work-based learning, specifically through a public health internship, in the growing stages of a student’s academic and vocational life. Through critical analysis of resources, the essay will explore how internships provide more than just practical experience and how the benefits often cross over into areas that organizations or even the intern may not have expected. Using a cost-benefit analysis, this essay will also address whether the individual gains more from the internship than the organization itself. A long-term objective in higher education overall is to attain the best possible employment for a career fulfilling in that field. This essay will also recommend areas of improvement for internship programs in order to ensure that both the intern and organization gain the maximum possible benefit. Having a close affiliation to public health itself, the Sheffield University SPHR (School for Public Health Research) internship programs and feedback have been used to provide examples and evidence of points made throughout the essay. This will illustrate the importance of the work done by SPHR and how improvements to the internship programs could be vital. Finally, it will highlight key transferable skills to employment that the intern can gain through an internship, using these essential elements to demonstrate that overall, an internship can be a key factor in determining one’s career in public health.

2. Benefits of Public Health Internships

An internship can help you make a more focused and educated decision about your career path. With internships spanning a few weeks to a full year, you can devote as much time to it as you feel necessary. As you learn more about what area of public health you are most interested in, you can seek more specialized intern opportunities. Even if you are set on what area of public health you wish to pursue, an internship can strengthen your resolve by exposing you to the work that you could be doing. On the other hand, you may discover that your current path is not what you would like to be doing long-term, which is also beneficial to realize sooner rather than later. Finally, you can network with professionals in the public health sector, potentially finding a mentor who can provide you with valuable advice about your career.

The benefits of a public health internship can be very significant, both in terms of what you learn while in the internship and how it may affect your job prospects later down the road. Graduates with internship experience will clearly stand out to employers. Coursework is important, but employers want to hire someone who already has some experience in the workplace. Internships are a perfect way to show employers that you are prepared for the workplace and that you have a good understanding of what your future career entails. Often, your performance in an internship will lead to job offers, either from the intern organization or elsewhere. In fact, it’s quite probable that you will work with the same agency or organization later in your career, as internship connections frequently lead to future collaborations. This can also help make your job search after graduation more focused and less stressful. If you were satisfied with your internship experience and feel that you are a good fit in your intern field, you may very well want to return to that field when you are finished with school.

3. Skills and Knowledge Gained

There are a multitude of skills that are gained from undertaking an internship. The department in which it was undertaken determines the kind of skills that are acquired. These skills can vary from administration and management to more specific skills such as laboratory techniques and field work. Sambunaris states that communication, teamwork, initiative, organization, planning and problem solving are the most common skill sets that are learnt on the job. These are all transferable skills and are seen as highly important to possess in any future job roles. This is reinforced by VHA employee, Sandy Eades, who says that when hiring, relevant work experience is the most heavily weighted criteria for students and graduates applying for jobs in the public health sector. In terms of the theoretical knowledge gained, this is typically directly related to the field of study of the student. This knowledge is gained from the evaluation and discussion of specific public health programs and policies that are currently underway. The practicality of this is that it enhances the student’s understanding of their field, perhaps helping them find a niche in a specific area of public health. Furthermore, it provides insight into the uses of casual and more permanent staff who conceivably implement these programs and the role of the government in funding them.

4. Impact on Career Development

Students gain from their internships in the field of public health will impact their career in a positive manner. Students who gain more knowledge from their internships about public health will have a better understanding of the field and will have a better chance of securing a job in the same field. An experience such as conducting research and collecting data will allow an intern to understand the field better and decide if it is something they would like to pursue a career in. If it is something they are interested in, they will have a better chance of doing the same type of work in the future when the intern is actually a career.

Accepting an internship is a big part of making up one’s mind in the field of public health. They give students a real-life experience and exposure to the world of public health. There are numerous things an intern can gain from an internship. These experiences can range from better knowledge to building a better character for oneself. This topic is quite significant from my point of view because without the knowledge of how internships can improve oneself, it may deter students from applying and accepting internships, which can later affect the amount of manpower in the public health field.

5. Conclusion

One of my good friends was able to get an internship with the county of Los Angeles in the environmental health department. The internship was a paid internship and involved a wide range of tasks. Some of his day was spent doing field work, collecting data for water tests and well tests for small communities that do not have access to public water systems. Other days his task was to do research on different public health issues affecting LA county to better implement programs to combat the issues. The experience was great for him and he might have landed a full-time position once he graduates. He was also able to network with other departments within the county, so he now has contacts within the health department for possible employment opportunities in the future. The experience and connections he made are priceless and he will definitely be making a career in public health now.

Therefore, those who are seeking a career in healthcare should strongly consider public health internships. Not only do they provide practical experience that will benefit you in future employment, they contribute to the overall well-being of the community. At the current moment, our healthcare is going through some tough times and can use all the help it can get. There are so many public health issues that need all the manpower they can get.