HOSA Internship in the Offices of the Surgeon General: Day V

Today marked the final day of the HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General. The interns had a fantastic time, and are very excited to share their experiences back at home with their HOSA chapters and State Associations. This day was filled with a little work, excitement, learning opportunities, and final remarks.  

At the beginning of the week, each of the interns were assigned a project to work on for the rest of the week. All topics were connected to the Medical Reserve Corps and each of the interns put an abundance of hard worker and effort into their assignments! The day began with preparation for their final projects that they would be presenting, however before giving their presentations to the Public Health Service officers, the interns took a ride down to the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS)!

The HOSA students had the opportunity to tour the campus, and it was absolutely breath taking! The USUHS is a graduate university for those pursuing a career in the medical field. Once you earn your bachelor's degree, you have the opportunity to apply and potentially attend USUHS for absolutely free! Once you complete your education, you are required to pay back the university by serving in one of the following uniformed services for several years: Army, Navy, Airforce or the Public Health Service. This is a great opportunity for HOSA members! If you would like more information, visit www.usuhs.mil

After returning back to the office, the interns then gave their presentations that they had been prepping for all week! They all did a fantastic job and left the PHS officers with positive impressions. At the conclusion of the day, the interns where then presented with awards and special MRC Coins from the officers. 

The HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General has been a great opportunity for all three HOSA members! It has definitely been the ultimate experience of a life time! All HOSA members should look out for the OSG Internship application and apply to be interns for the summer of 2012!

HOSA internship in the Office of the Surgeon General: Day IV

Today was the 4th day of the HOSA member's Internship. The students stepped outside the office once again, and had the ultimate exerieince of the USA Department of Health and Human Services. They had the opportunity to meet with LT McBryde, Debbie, Katrina, and Deb, who all work in the office that is soon to be one of the new locations for the Office of the Surgeon General and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). 

We all are aware of the transition from the "My Pyramid" dietary guide, to the "My Plate". In this office, publications regarding these changes by the USDA were found. It has been proven that there is a low health literacy in our nation, therefor, dietary and physical activity guides are written at a 6th-8th grade level in order to make the material more comprehensive. The interns were then given a power point presentation regarding "Healthy People 2020". This project is updated every 10 years in order to assist with the creation of healthier people, healthier communities, and a healthier nation. To collect all data for Healthy People 2020, 9 regional conference are held nationwide, in order to receive input from all geographical regions. This projects involves more aspects of health outside of medicine. For more information, visit www.healthypeople.gov 

The HOSA interns were then introduced to another website, www.healthfinder.gov . On this website, you can type in various information such as your age, ethnicity, gender, etc. You will then be able to discover information that you should have checked out by your doctor. This is a great tool to ensure that you are aware of the healthy requirements of your body at your age, whether you are a child, adolescent or adult. The HHS, holds that aspiration of making sure all Americans are well aware of health issues that pertain to them.

Following the various meetings, the interns then had the opportunity to tour the Public Health Service (PHS) offices withing the HHS towers. They were introduced to members of the Public Health Service who cam from wide varieties of the health care field.  They met with nurses, social workers, healthcare administrators, and even an engineer! In the Public Health Service, opportunities await almost anyone and everyone. 

After lunch, the interns then had the time to take the day off and relax, and prepare for their presentation that will be given on the final day of their internship. With only one more day left, the interns are sad that this amazing experience is coming to a close, but are very excited to showcase everything they have learned throughout the past week!

HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General: Day III

Day three of the HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General began with the interns getting on the Metro Train early this morning and heading to downtown Washington D.C.! Downtown, the interns discovered an abundance of information about the Human Health Services (HHS). The morning began with a tour of the Secretary Operations Center (SOC), where all National Emergencies are monitored. In this room you can find desks, computers, large monitors, and people keeping an eye out on American Emergencies 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. 

One of the interesting facts the interns learned this week, was that the Surgeon General has three offices, the office the interns visited today being her main office. Although, the interns did not have the opportunity to meet the Surgeon General due to the preparation for meetings that had already been scheduled, they did meet with the Dr. Benjamin's assistant LT Collins. She was very excited to share her story with the Public Health Service, and is a huge supporter of HOSA along with "America's Doctor" Dr. Benjamin. 

After spending time with LT Collins, the students had the opportunity to experience publications that are issued through the United States Public Health Service. These publications are work of the Surgeon General and the Acting Director of Science and Communication. The inters were able to review documents on tobacco use, breastfeeding, and underage drug and alcohol abuse. This experiences was very exciting for the interns, simply because it provided them with a side of healthcare that usually is not given much attention.

Their time in downtown concluded with a visit to Capitol Hill with HOSA's Political Lobbyist George Sifakis. The students meet in the office of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was not present, but her assistant was available. She was very excited to here about all the opportunities HOSA provides students, and assured the interns that she will keep her up to date with the latest HOSA news that the interns shared wit her. The interns then took the metro train back to their hotels, and met back up once more for dinner with the Public Health Service Officers they have been working wit daily. 

HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General: Day II

After receiving a warm welcome into the Office of the Surgeon General on day one, day two consisted of the interns getting into the office and working hard on the projects they had been assigned. At the end of the week, all three interns will have a presentation prepared to showcase everything they learned about their specific topic. Brittany Ebbing, will be focusing on Health Disparities; Oregon McDiarmid chose to focus on Emergency Preparedness; and Brittany Woods will study information on the opportunities for HOSA members as Jr. Medical Reserve Corps volunteers.

Throughout the duration of the day, the interns had time to take a break from all their hard work and sit in on two conference calls. The first call was regarding the Seasonal Influenza Vaccine that is distributed every year  during the fall just in time for flu season. The moderator of the call was Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Koh.  Members on the call reported out from their working groups. Topics ranged from pregnant women receiving flu vaccinations to ensuring that health professionals are vaccinated as well. LTJG Hager even discovered that there is a "Flu pledge" by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Along with this pledge is a catchy phrase that states, The Flu ends with "U"!

The second conference call of the day took place in Captain Tosatto's Office after the interns had lunch. This call was with a political lobbyist for HOSA who has an interest of informing HOSA members about the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and the Public Health Service (PHS). With the MRC and PHS as partners of HOSA, it is believed that this partnership can assist with strengthening America's pipeline of future health professionals. 

The day concluded with an interview with a graduate student of the University of Arizona. The student was participating in a project on youth engagement in the MRC. She found the interns as a helpful resource and chose to survey them for her project. Through this opportunity, the interns had the chance to make their voices heard, and possibly assist with getting more youth members involved as volunteers for the Medical Reserve Corps. Each intern had the choice of receiving their survey results as well as a 10$ target gift card for participating in the research project.

Even though majority of the day was filled with work for the interns, these three HOSA members still had a great experience and cannot wait to see what's in store for them tomorrow!

HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General: Day I

National HOSA Secondary Board Representative, Brittany Woods, and Arizona Natives, Brittany Ebbing and Oregon McDiarmid are very excited to have the opportunity to represent National HOSA in the Office of the Surgeon General. The morning began as the interns anxiously waited to meet with their escort LTJG Hager. Once they all joined forces, the interns had the opportunity to meet several staff members in the Office of the Surgeon General. Staff members in the office were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with HOSA members. They all greeted the interns with very warm welcomes and were delighted to answer any questions they had.

The Interns then had the opportunity to be provided with information by several members of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and United States Public Health Service (USPHS). Captain Tosatto shared with the interns the history of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Did you know that the MRC was founded in 2002 as a demonstration project? It now covers about 75% of our nation's Geographic Region with over 200,000 volunteers, and 952 MRC units. Also, keep in mind that the MRC does not only focus on Emergency Preparedness, but it provides communities across the nation with a dual focus in emergency preparedness and public health. Community outreach projects such as health screenings and health fairs may be hosted by an MRC Unit in your local community!

LCDR Davis assisted with the contribution of the Public Health portion that is vital to the work that is done in the Office of the Surgeon General. He asked each intern what did public health mean to them. Impressed by the answers given, LCDR Davis provided the interns with the understanding that public health is much more than hands on clinical work, but it is taking a step back and visioning the bigger picture of health care.

At the conclusion of the day, the interns were able to leave the office knowing that they weren't the only HOSA members who have the opportunity to become involved. You can get involved as well! Find out if there is a Jr. MRC Unit in your local community that is specifically targeted to youth who are interested in volunteerism and community service. Or you can see if your MRC Unit integrates all members ranging from youth to adults to become MRC volunteers. If you do not have a local MRC, talk with your HOSA advisor or health partners within your community and see how you can get involved by starting a potential MRC unit. For more information visit the MRC website: http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov/HomePage.

The first day of the HOSA Internship in the Office of the Surgeon General was an ultimate success! The interns are looking forward to the opportunities that await them throughout the duration of the week.