Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Epidemiology Workforce Branch, Atlanta, GA
This summer I had the opportunity to work at the Epidemiology Workforce Branch (EWB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This was my first experience working in the U.S. government and also my first time working with an organization that focuses on public health. As a biology major and public health concentrator at Williams, public health is my passion, and I hope to work in the field after I graduate. While I knew this going into my internship, this experience solidified that desire and vision for my future. This internship was an amazing opportunity to see the government side of public health, and to be surrounded by people who are passionate about the work that they do and what their organization stands for. I learned so much from my incredible supervisors and mentors at the CDC and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a group of driven, compassionate, and intelligent individuals. I learned not only from the experiences that I had, the projects I worked on, but also from the people that I worked with.
The EWB runs the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) program, which is a two-year position for epidemiologists, physicians, veterinarians, and other qualified specialists to work in state and local health departments as EIS officers. These EIS officers are also on call for public health emergencies, when the CDC sends epidemiologic assistance in the form of Epi-Aids to domestic or international locations facing public health emergencies. These EIS officers participate in a three-week Summer Course designed and run by the EWB at the start of their two-year term, as an orientation and introduction to their new positions. While working with the EWB, I helped to prepare for the Summer Course by coordinating for case studies, lectures, other activities, and assisting with logistics. Working with the EWB to plan and implement the summer training allowed me to get more insight into the EIS program, how professional training is run, and the entire process that goes into that. It was very interesting to see health education as a new area of public health that I had never thought very much about. I am very glad to have had the opportunity to experience the role of education in the field, and after this internship I would certainly be interested in working in health education in the future. Health education is a new area for me, and I loved that it blended my interests in communication and education with public health content.
I also worked with the evaluative side of the EWB by analyzing the results of surveys that the EWB sent out after a scientific conference that they hosted in the spring. Through the process of sorting through large datasets, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and creating a formal report and recommendation, I learned many hard skills and increased my comfort with statistical analyses and formal writing. I really enjoyed the process of going through the data and creating this report. Working with statistics in this context reinterests me in taking more statistics at Williams, to continue to grow those abilities and apply them in a real-world scenario. Working on this project reminded me of the enjoyment I get from working on analytics and working with data, which is an area of public health I want to continue to explore. I also created reports, infographics, and presentations to share my findings with a broader audience. This experience required me to consider the audience and to find the appropriate form and tone to present my conclusions. I learned so much from the process of writing reports because my supervisors were incredibly patient and thoughtful in providing me feedback and guidance. I am very appreciative for how much time they spent working with me to help me create the best product I could by the end of my internship. It was this sort of mentorship that I truly loved about my time at the CDC and made me so grateful to have been there.
This internship has fully reinforced my desire to work in public health in the future. It was so rewarding to work with people who were passionate and invested in the health of America and of the world, and who were so positive about the opportunities they had to make a difference. It was refreshing to be in an organization that focuses on solutions rather than problems and is making a tangible impact. I realized that it is really important for me to feel that my work has a purpose and to work for an organization that aims to make a positive difference. While the CDC is not the only organization for which this is true, this internship has helped me realize the qualities of an organization that would be most important to me. It has also encouraged me to consider the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, government work, NGO work, or some other form of public service as part of my career after I graduate.
Entering my final year at Williams, I hope to bring this passion and dedication to my studies this year. I am ready to be engaged in my classes and academic pursuits, especially those related to public health. I am also excited to continue refining my analytic and statistical skills and am hoping to take more statistics courses. This internship also solidified my plans to pursue a Master of Public Health once I graduate, and possibly a Ph.D.
I am so incredibly grateful to the EWB and the CDC for hosting me for this internship and providing incredible mentors and opportunities. I also want to thank ’68 Center for Career Exploration and the generosity of Dr. James D. Marver ’72 for making this internship possible. This experience has shaped my academic and career trajectory, and I am very grateful to have learned so much from this experience. I am eager to enter my final year at Williams passionate, reinvigorated, and with clear goals and hopes for myself and my future in public health.
Megamenu Social