HBHE students presented their internship experiences at the Annual SPH Poster Session on October 17, 2008. This summer, students worked locally, travelled to other states and to other countries. Their internships gave them many opportunities to gain experience in a variety of public health settings.

Three students experiences are highlighted here.

KELLIE FURMAN
Office of Public Health Practice and Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Tianjin Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (TJCDC) was first established in 1953. However, the current structure of the Chinese public health system exists due to the government's response to the SARS outbreak in 2003. With new investments in infrastructure and training, the reorganized system includes the National CDC in Beijing, municipal and provincial centers, and district and county level offices. TJCDC is a municipal center that operates clinics, laboratories, research and intervention projects among its myriad of public health activities. It offers technical assistance, supervision, and managment to the 18 districts and county CDCs in the Tianjin municipal city of approximately 11 million people.

Kellie's internship was part of a mutual scholar exchange program established between the Office of Public Health Practice and the TJCDC. Kellie spent 3 months at the TJCDC and rotated through five departments: Institute of Health Education, Institute of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Institute of TB Control, Institute of Non-Communicable Diseases and the Institute of Communicable Diseases.

WAJEEHA SHUTTARI
Coalition for Infant Mortality Reduction
Washtenaw County Public Health Department

The Coalition for Infant Mortality Reduction is made up of individuals and groups who are concerned about reducing infant mortality rates in the county and is facilitated through the Washtenaw County Public Health Department. The Coalition's goal is to reduce racial disparities in infant mortality and in low birth weight/premature delivery.

Wajeeha felt that her internship strengthened her understanding of the diverse approach and skills needed to confront the complex issue of infant mortality, and allowed her to participate in the various efforts and stages of program planning and coordination.

MINAL PATEL
University of California San Francisco
Division of General Pediatrics

The University of California San Francisco is among the top ten universities in health sciences in the nation. The Division of General Pediatrics is dedicated to providing excellent clinical care, training the next generation of pediatricians, advancing knowledge of how to improve the health of children, and improving the health of the surrounding community.

Under the supervision of Dr. Michael Cabana, Minal worked on secondary data analysis of behavioral interventions related to general pediatrics and pediatric asthma care. For her first project, she analyzed patient satisfaction survey data collected at four pediatric clinics and wrote and submitted a manuscript looking at medical student involvement and patient satisfaction in pediatric ambulatory clinics. She also developed her own research question from cross-sectional survey data that queried physicians about their prescribing patterns with respect to daily controller medication among their pediatric asthma patients. From her research plan, which included refining her question, constructing a conceptual model, conducting an extensive literature review, and statistical study, she wrote a manuscript that looked at the communication of cost-sharing information between physicians and patients when prescribing new asthma medication. Both projects will be submitted for presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in 2009.