Patient Interviews, Epidemiology, and Public Health in the Real World

This afternoon, the interns stepped deeper into the clinical side of healthcare by learning how to conduct a patient interview and navigate a patient’s history. Dr. Aisha led them through an engaging lecture on building rapport, asking the right questions, and making patients feel heard and supported. A couple of brave volunteers even hopped on stage to put their new skills to the test in front of their peers - and they did an amazing job!

Then they spent time with Gillie Haynes working on one of the most important skills they’ll carry forward: public speaking! They practiced standing up in front of their peers, sharing ideas clearly and confidently, and learning how to engage an audience. There were a few nerves, but plenty of laughs and supportive snaps as everyone took their turn.

To close out the day, Dena Hassan and Sarah Little, who works in Global Development, spoke about Public Health in the Real World. They both discussed the recent changes to the structure of Public Health offices and explored how we examine communities and truly listen to people’s realities in order to make informed, impactful decisions. Sarah led the interns through an example focus group for a PEA, challenging them to think critically about who might be hiding information and why. The discussion that followed sparked a lot of thoughtful conversation about trust, corruption, and how even small acts of dishonesty can ripple out to harm community health.