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Field Placements and Internships
Each student enrolled in the MPH or MS program is required to complete an internship for credit towards his or her degree. Because of the close relationship between the School of Public Health and the health department, many students are able to intern at the New York State Department of Health. Each semester, internship positions made available specifically to the School’s student body are posted online. However, students have also found other great opportunities through the School’s relationship with other local organizations, their own searches or by using the Career Development Center – a service available to all matriculated students at http://www.albany.edu/cdc/. Through the Career Development Center, you can:
- Receive e-mail notification of upcoming career workshops, programs, events and job fairs.
- Search internship and job listings through MonsterTRAK.
- Complete first step in becoming eligible to participate in On-Campus Recruiting.
The possibilities are endless, but have included positions with the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, community health departments, and international agencies. Below are brief descriptions of some other highlighted internships students have had in recent years. For current internships being offered, follow the Current Students tab from the School’s homepage to Information.
Related Links
MPH Internship Handbook
MPH Internship Forms
Making the Connection: Government, Civil Society &
Health in Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Center for International Development, a branch of
the SUNY system, sponsored a student intern during the
summer of 2004. The student traveled to Tanzania to assist
in strengthening the Parliament's ability to develop comprehensive
health policies, particularly those related to HIV and
AIDS. The student organized the Civil Society Organization
Exhibition, a meeting between private and public health
agencies across the country. The intern managed the event,
which culminated in a roundtable discussion of HIV/AIDS.
To assess the effectiveness of the exhibition follow-up
interviews with various groups in attendance were conducted.
To read more about
this student's experience click here to read the articled
featured in the Albany Times Union.
Pharmacy - Based Label Reminder Campaign
While the success of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines
is well documented, both vaccines remain underutilized
by at risk populations. To increase awareness of the benefits
to these vaccinations, the New York State Department of
Health collaborated with the Pharmacists Society for the
State of New York. The intern was hired to develop and
distribute labels to be placed on prescription pill bottles
that advocated asking about and receiving the vaccines
from physicians. The student was also able to assist in
the development and implementation of educational courses
designed to increase rates of vaccinations across New
York State.
Workplace Support for Breastfeeding
Bureau of Women's Health, New York State Department
of Health
Healthy People 2010 outlines goals for percentage of
women still breastfeeding at one month, six months,
and twelve months after giving birth. New York State
is very close to attaining the goal for one month, but
falls short for both six and twelve months. The large
drop in breastfeeding mothers after one month can largely
be attributed to the end of maternity leave and the
return to the workplace. The Bureau of Women's Health
began investigating what potential changes could be
made to workplaces to promote breastfeeding within the
office. The objectives of the intern were to develop
a survey that would assess baseline practices in office
and to further investigate sites that were promoting
breastfeeding among female employees. To date approximately
1500 surveys have been sent out and analysis is currently
underway.
AIDS Institute
New York State Department of Health
The prevalence of smoking among adults in the United
States is currently around 25%. The prevalence of smoking
among adults living with HIV, however, is nearly 70%.
While the advent of antiretroviral drugs increased the
life span of infected persons tremendously, premature
deaths due to tobacco use have antagonized such results.
The AIDS Institute hired a summer intern to develop
educational sessions addressing smoking attitudes and
prevalence of smoking among those living with HIV. The
intern then conducted literature reviews of current
smoking cessation programs. The intern was then able
to develop a comprehensive curriculum that would encourage
current smokers to quit or develop a plan for quitting.
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