Interns Channel Their Critical Thinking Skills in New Forensics Skill

This year, the Medical & Public Health Internship welcomed an exciting new skill to the Skills Day rotation: Forensics. Operating under the theme of “Who Killed Marshall Bailly?,” interns were tasked to figure out what happened to their beloved CEO as he walked the halls of his high school.

The Team Lead that facilitated the skill set the stage with an introduction of the crime scene, talking about the day and moments leading up to Marshall’s death. According to the file, Marshall was discovered unresponsive on the floor of the science hallway, with an open backpack, a consumed energy drink, and blood around his mouth and nose. The mysterious, sudden nature of the incident led the school to open a full forensic investigation. As experts, the interns had to use the clues across four stations to devise an explanation and make sense of this tragedy.

As the Team Lead explained this, interns listened intently and began brainstorming questions surrounding the suspects associated with Marshall prior to his death, which included Program Director Marc Zavarro, Director of the Medical & Public Health Program Lauren Hensel, and Medical & Public Health Assistant Directors Medha Gottumukkala and Trisha Sakamuri.

Following this, the interns were split into four groups to investigate at the separate stations. At Fiber & Hair Analysis, interns were given hair samples found at the scene and compared them to acquired samples from the suspects and animals (including Trisha’s cat!). The Fingerprint Analysis station required interns to study the science of fingerprinting, as they took their own fingerprints to observe before comparing the suspects’ fingerprints to those found on the drinks Marshall consumed the day of. At the blood typing station, they tested samples to see how the blood profiles matched up against the suspects. Lastly, at the Blood Splatter station, they analyzed the stains to figure out the angles and physical logistics of the scene.

After completing this, they came together to discuss their findings. An interesting discussion followed, with sounds of exclamation, laughter, and intense suspicion as they arrived at a conclusion. Overall, the Forensics skill shows a lot of promise as a new member of the skills rotation. We look forward to seeing how interns in Weeks 2-5 enjoy this!