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H H S Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration

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Public Health Internship Program

Introduction

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is seeking applicants for the Public Health Internship Program. Public Health Interns will complete a one semester rotation within one of HRSA’s Bureaus or Offices. The public health internships at HRSA is an unfunded practicum experience for graduate and undergraduate students in good standing at schools of public health and public health programs in the United States.

The HRSA Public Health internship provides an unparalleled opportunity for professional growth and development as a public health practitioner and will prepare the intern to be an ambassador for the important work of HRSA in his/her professional discipline, work setting, or community. The intern will have frequent contact with HRSA’s public health experts in one of a wide-range of disciplines including (to name just a few): rural health policy, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, health systems, and program analysis and evaluation.

The intern will have an opportunity to participate in training and development activities at HRSA that may include:

  • Orientation to HRSA and government office work
  • Attendance at seminars/webinars available to all HRSA staff
  • Exposure to HRSA program analysis and evaluation methodologies
  • Shadowing HRSA staff across a wide range of public health disciplines

Program Objectives

The Public Health Internship Program at HRSA is designed to align with HRSA’s strategic plan as well as support the individual intern’s progress toward a career in public health. To this end the program will:

(1) Develop the public health workforce
(2) Strengthen HRSA’s partnership with schools of public health and the pipeline of public health professionals
(3) Orient the future public health workforce to HRSA’s mission, programs, and leadership

Description of Duties

Although specific projects of the Public Health Intern will depend on initiatives within the office of placement during the intern’s appointment, the following list provides an idea of the scope and breadth of the intern's work at HRSA.

  • Support the management of grants and programs at HRSA
  • Participate in HRSA’s public health seminar series and related staff development activities
  • Plan and coordinate meetings of public health experts/practitioners
  • Shadow and conduct informational interviews with key HRSA staff
  • Apply skills to goal-based projects in the range of competency areas specified by the student’s school’s curriculum

Application

Students who are interested in participating in a public health internship at HRSA may contact the HRSA Learning Institute at: HLI@hrsa.gov. The subject line of your message should read “public health internship.” Attach the following items to your message: resume, unofficial transcript, a brief personal statement addressing your goals for the internship (500 words or less). The personal statement should specify any programs within HRSA that align with your goals for the internship as well as any competencies you wish to develop. Documents in .pdf format are preferred.

How to Apply

Students who are interested in participating in a public health internship at HRSA may contact the HRSA Learning Institute at: HLI@hrsa.gov.

The subject line of your message should read “public health internship.”

Attach the following items to your message: resume, unofficial transcript, a brief personal statement addressing your goals for the internship (500 words or less). Documents in .pdf format are preferred.