title: Experience preferred: insights from our newest public health professionals on how internships/practicums promote career development.
abstract: Universities offering undergraduate degrees in health promotion or health education and/or graduate degrees in public health typically require an internship, practicum, or fieldwork experience. This type of mentored experience is an important aspect of career development for the next generation of public health professionals and benefits not only the students but also the profession and the communities in which they work. This article provides perspectives from four public health professionals who have recently graduated from designated minority-serving institutions and highlights the ways in which internship, practicum, or fieldwork experiences have contributed to their career development. From a career development perspective, internships provide unique opportunities to develop professional networks, practice competencies learned in the classroom, gain experience in different environments, and share lessons learned with others in our field. The diversification of the public health research and practice workforce is increasingly recognized as crucial in building health equity. Internship programs that focus specifically on the academic and professional development of students underrepresented in public health provide experiences that meet or supplement academic requirements, and provide students with real-world experience and an expanded network of mentors and role models.
authors.affiliation: 1University of Texas at El Paso, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bejarano
authors.forename: Francis J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chavez
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mata
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D040381:Education, Public Health Professional / Q000379:methods*; D006266:Health Education; D040441:Health Educators / Q000193:education*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007397:Internship, Nonmedical / Q000379:methods*; D012106:Research / Q000193:education; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: career development/professional preparation; health disparities; workforce development