I did my internship with Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital, where I worked with the

ShapeDown program and Health Exploration Center. Within my internship, I shadowed many

different individuals working for the hospital. I shadowed a social worker, health educator,

nutritionist, psychologist, exercise specialist, and many nurses. I also attended staff meetings,

marketing meetings, patients diabetes appointments, and helped with the health fair and the

classes within the ShapeDown program and Health Exploration educational programs. Some of

my goals and objectives within my internship were:

To understand various ways a hospital system may promote Public Health through

Education.
Learn aspects of Promotion and Marketing in various programs.
Learn and understand various aspects of ShapeDown program.
Observe programs, meet various staff/shadow them, learn and teach at least one Health

Exploration Station, grant writing an overview of grant writing and assist with objectives

leading to the grant.

Collaborate with Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital System Marketing Department staff and

assist with updating ShapeDown program workbook including community resources.

Edit and review materials prior printing. Help develop and promote program to the Latino

population. Participate with health fair opportunities.

Translate when needed both verbal and written in Spanish and Portuguese. Research

supportive documents to enhance parent/child education, shadow Dietician, Counselor

and exercise Specialist during individual family visit and class. Actively participate on

the instructor team during 2 hours class session each week for 8 weeks.

Throughout my internship, I met most of my goals and objectives within the 15 weeks I

was there. I understand the various ways a hospital promotes public health through education. I

helped the ShapeDown program edit the cook books, and updated their references for the
marketing team to print out. I assisted with the preparation for the ShapeDown classes, observed

various staff and learned about their roles within the health field, and also went to various

meetings and actively participated with the ShapeDown program with suggestion on ways to

improve their program. I also assisted the Health Exploration Center with their classes and

taught the Stuffie program to kindergarten children. I assisted them with research that they

needed to help improve their program. I did some research for other weight management in the

area and I made a list of all the programs available in the area. The only goals I didnt meet were

gaining experience with grant writing (they had already done their grant writing and had it

translated to Spanish).

Overall, my internship experience was very positive. Being an intern at Saint Joseph

Mercy hospital was a very rewarding experience to help me know where I want to be within the

Public Health field.