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

This afternoon, the Med interns spent time working closely with their teams to prepare for their upcoming public health workshop presentations. They started by practicing their diagnostic skills with one another; walking through symptoms, asking follow-up questions, and reviewing the diseases they've studied throughout the week. It was a great way to reinforce key concepts and build confidence ahead of Friday’s patient case work.

After that, the interns met Dr. Kimberly Nguyen, a captain in the United States Commissioned Corps as a specialist in Public Health. She gave them a crash course in Epidemiology 101, opening their eyes to the study of disease patterns and how this field shapes public health decisions. Many of the interns shared that they hadn’t really considered public health or joining the forces in this capacity before, but left the session feeling newly excited about the various possibilities available to them.

Kat, the program director, gave a short lecture on the fundamentals of public health campaign design. She covered how to identify a target audience, set clear goals, and choose the right strategies to create lasting impact. The interns then put those ideas straight into action.

The rest of the afternoon was devoted to refining their workshops. They developed their educational activities, organized materials, and made sure their presentations are both informative and engaging. With each team approaching their topic from a unique angle, we’re excited to see how their ideas take shape in the final presentations.