This reflection is part of SUM-400, used to connect back to Public Health MLO #2 (Understands approach and scope of public health subdisciplines). This learning outcome, along with the other SLOs and MLOs, can be found on this page
In June and July of 2018, I started my career in government by interning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Bevier intern. I had no idea what working in a “big girl job” would look like, as my only experience in the workplace was based on my high school job at my local Chick-fil-A. All I knew going in was that 1) I was expected to be there at 8:00am and 2) I would be going into a lab at some point in my 8 weeks there.
The experience turned into more than just a line on my resume or 4 credits to apply to my major. I learned the ebb and flow of my office’s schedule, how critical maintaining an accurate list of records is, and how to strike a balance between going with your gut vs. asking questions. My experience in the lab, both doing quality assurance and biosafety, served to affirm that I was in the right place for me at this point in my life.
This is an experience I can leverage in my transition to graduate school and acts as a wonderful first experience with the federal workplace. The hands-on learning is so critical and I always discuss it with both prospective students on tours and potential employers through my resume.
Featured image: “CDC at 7 AM” by Katie Curtin is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC Licence
