Master of Public Health | Page 2 | College of Applied Health Sciences

Student Spotlight: Anjali Patel forging her path

May 31, 2023 | Ethan Simmons

Like the millions of other high school seniors who applied for college during the COVID-19 pandemic, Anjali Patel made her choice of campus sight unseen.

Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., she hadn’t set foot near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when she was accepted to the College of Applied Health Sciences in spring 2020.

“I guess I got here by luck,” said Patel, now a rising senior in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. “I didn’t have a particular reason other than I just loved what this major was.”

Patel often credits good fortune for guiding her college experience, from deciding to go to Illinois to landing in the research lab of Kinesiology and Community Health Associate Professor Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo.

But chance alone can’t explain the continued academic rise of this first-generation AHS student, who’s heading for a prestigious research opportunity this summer.

As she progresses toward her goal of medical school, Patel is satisfied with her choice of major.

“You do learn the science as part of your prerequisites for whatever path you want to follow,” she said. “But then also you get to learn about health disparities and organizations of health care—there’s just so much more that you learn with this major that makes it different from all the others.”

Patel’s next stop is a 2023 Summer Undergraduate Psychology Experience in Research fellowship. Patel and a cohort of 24 other American and Canadian undergrads from underrepresented backgrounds were selected from a competitive field of applicants to spend nine weeks in laboratory settings for psychological science.

Patel will continue a critical study documenting the experiences of women living with postpartum pain and depression, work she began in Lara-Cinisomo’s Laboratory for Emotion and Stress Assessment.

The I-Health major found the lab in the second semester of her freshman year. “She hit the ground running,” Lara-Cinisomo said, adding that Patel helped grad students in the lab prepare materials for new studies.

“It was evident that Anjali was eager to learn more about research,” Lara-Cinisomo said.

Patel has already conducted participant interviews with intense research studies, such as a broad look at how COVID-19 affected Latina and Mexican American mothers in the U.S. With the subjects at hand, many interviews become emotionally difficult.

“There’s a learning curve in trying to understand how to respond to someone who’s sensitive to what they’re talking about while trying to complete your job,” Patel said.

But her role is also an exercise in empathy, discussing issues such as pregnancy and medical complications in an academic setting.

“It was just very eye-opening to listen to all those experiences, and even now with my current interviews, it’s interesting to learn so much about mothers’ experiences,” she said.

Lara-Cinisomo will continue to be Patel’s mentor through the summer fellowship.

“She takes every role seriously and is diligent,” Lara-Cinisomo said. “The summer research experience will build on Anjali’s passion for research. I am confident Anjali will excel.”

In addition to her studies on the pre-med track, Patel will serve as president of the student organization Mentors in Medicine next year, which pairs upperclassmen and underclassmen interested in healthcare careers.

“As a freshman, I didn’t know what I needed to do. Now, I feel like as a junior I have so much to tell people to help them,” Patel said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.

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Nutrition has many meanings for MPH student Drake Materre

June 01, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Drake Materre credits his mother for his introduction to (and interest in) nutrition

*Food is only one element of Drake Materre’s education platform*

Master of Public Health student Drake Materre is a man of many interests: education, politics, music, organizing, religion. But the one probably closest to his heart is nutrition.

Except when Materre thinks about nutrition, it means more than food. Materre’s mother, Lauren, created Natural Path Nutrition Inc. (NPN) in 2012 in Chicago with a mission to provide nutrition education to young, inner-city children and senior citizens. NPN has conducted nutrition education programs at elementary schools and assisted living centers while offering healthy food options.

“At first I would say, ‘We teach nutrition education. But as I got older, it’s difficult for me to just say, ‘Oh yeah, you need to eat these healthy foods,’” Materre said. “A lot of people may not have the time to cook and prepare the food or have access to food. I do teach nutrition education, but I always do it with a political edge, where I empower people to fight for better health.”

Materre credits his mother for his introduction to (and interest in) nutrition. He accompanied her to information sessions with senior citizens and children and before long, he created some nutrition education programs of his own. He also works with a food distribution center in Urbana in collaboration with an organization called Silver Hearts, which aids the underserved Silverwood neighborhood. Additionally, Materre is involved with pop-up pantries in Champaign and Urbana.

But food is only one element of Materre’s education platform.

“While taking community health courses, I started to understand that health can really be an area of focus that is necessary when it comes to talking about Black liberation,” he said, explaining that people of color, particularly black school-aged children, lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

“I like to educate people on why they may not have that access, why they may not have that capability. Giving them that political and social insight, in terms of, why members of the community may not be able to eat these type of foods.”

Materre explains that the lack of access to healthy food options lies not only in the food deserts of some areas of Champaign-Urbana, but in the infrastructure of the cities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), food deserts are “areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.”

“Being from Chicago, but really becoming a part of the (Champaign) community, there’s definitely some lack of infrastructure. Not even just in terms of food deserts, but in terms of sidewalks, and how that can be detrimental to the health of children.

“The north end of Champaign is like the Douglass Park area and Garden Hills,” he said. “These are communities that are experiencing lack of access to food. However, there is a great access to liquor stores and smoke shops. Unfortunately, Champaign has a lot of liquor stores. There are liquor stores next door to liquor stores.”

Materre said the lack of access to healthy food is exacerbated by a perceived lack of access, and that people in the community north of the university don’t feel comfortable shopping on campus.

“There is a big divide between the University and Champaign-Urbana, the city itself and the communities that are here. ‘Can I even go to Green Street and utilize a Target? Can I go to County Market and utilize County Market for my needs?’ We understand that there are people in the community that may not feel comfortable going on campus.”

Materre also works with children at Booker T. Washington, an elementary school in Champaign, to discuss identity and education.

“I’m there to help the young Black students, in terms of social emotional learning, how to deal with trauma, how to build their agency in responding to certain instances, and I believe again, that’s also part of health. Students may feel as if they don’t have the power. I tell them, if you want healthier foods, ‘If you want better foods at your lunch, you can make some noise and let that happen.’ My approach is try to organize people to increase their health, to better their health. And so nutrition is definitely a part of that. I can’t just say organize around stuff with no cause. You’ve got to be a rebel with a cause.”

For Materre, there is no easy answer to solving the problem of food insecurity, but he says the burden is not on parents, or even schools, to provide resources.

“I think the burden is on the system and structure itself that place people in these conditions that lead to negative health,” he said. “I will say, the burden is on the structure. But I believe that us as a community, we’re able to take on that accountability that responsibility and organize around our children.”

As for what comes next for him, this man of many interests has, as you might expect, many options.

“I’m a Muslim and I’m a spiritual man,” he said. “And wherever life takes me, I’m going be involved within the community in some way, shape, or form. I would love to go and get a doctorate, just so people can call me Dr. Materre, you know, that’d be cool. But really teaching, I’d just love to be a teacher. So wherever I go, if that’s a doctorate, that’s not a doctorate, I must be involved with the community and for the people.

“You know, as (late Congressman and civil rights activist) John Lewis would say, ‘Some good trouble.’ Some good trouble in order to get where we need to get to, right?”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Faith Washington talks about her contact tracing work

Dec. 10, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have been asked by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Dept. to apply the skills they are learning as contact tracers. Periodically, we will speak with them about how they are doing in these roles. Today, we speak with Faith Washington.

Q: Is the work you’re doing for CUPHD different than what you were trained for in the MPH program?

A: In the MPH program, I am studying health behavior and promotion, so there are a few parallels regarding convincing people to do what is in their own best interest and the public’s best interest. I think the main difference is the turnaround time. For the health behaviors I study and would like to ultimately work to promote, the effects may not be seen as quickly as the impact of my advice regarding COVID-19 would be. For example, encouraging people to get screened for prostate cancer would potentially decrease the disease’s mortality rates because more cases are caught in the early stages. Still, that data wouldn’t be evident for quite a while, whereas encouraging people to isolate and quarantine has an almost immediate impact on the spread and identification of COVID-19 cases in the community.

Q: What field/industry were you hoping to work in upon graduation?

A: I hope to work in either public health program research, implementation, and evaluation at a state or federal level or to work as a health journalist. I am very passionate about improving the general public’s health literacy so that people can better advocate for themselves and their needs in medical settings and ultimately lead healthier happier lives.

Q: What kinds of questions do you ask in the work you’re currently doing?

A: As a contact tracer, I ask COVID-positive people how they feel, what symptoms they are experiencing if they require any resources like masks or food, and with whom they have recently interacted. At CUPHD, there is an emphasis on ensuring that everyone has what they need to safely and adequately quarantine or isolate. Hence, all of these questions are really important. I have found that giving out CUPHD contact information also reassures people that if they have a need that they don’t disclose during the interview, that is OK. We will still be prepared to assist them.

Q: Do you find people are willing to respond truthfully?

A: For the most part, people are willing to answer truthfully. It becomes relatively easy to tell when people are being dishonest. The one question that seems to get the most pushback is, “Do you have any close contacts?” Generally, people do not want to give out the personal information of their friends and family. Still, once I explain that we protect and respect everyone’s privacy and confidentiality and that we are only asking so that we may reach out to their close contacts and provide them with proper guidance and assistance regarding quarantine, people become more willing to disclose that information.

Q: Any frustrations that people are not listening to the health guidelines?

A: I become very frustrated when I see people not adhering to health guidelines because I see the negative impacts this virus has had on so many people and their families. It is hard to have one conversation with someone severely ill and potentially dying and then call another person who has mild symptoms or is asymptomatic and refuses to isolate and could be spreading this virus to others, who may then be my next severely ill call.

Q: Do people you know ask you for COVID advice?

A: My family doesn’t ask me for COVID advice because I always offer it before they have a chance. I am always in contact with my parents and brother to ensure that they are not succumbing to quarantine fatigue and they are continuing to follow all health guidelines. Fortunately, my family has been taking this very seriously, and my parents and brother are all able to work and learn from home right now. My friends sometimes ask me for COVID advice or ask me general questions if they don’t understand the reasoning behind something that public health officials are asking everyone to do right now. However, for the most part, my friends are also all still staying home and not really physically interacting with the world right now.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: I think what I am most missing out on are the benefits of in-person classes. This is my first semester as an MPH grad student, but I studied communication with a concentration in health for my undergraduate degree here at UIUC, and there is such a stark difference between learning on Zoom and learning in a classroom. Mainly because there is so much collaboration necessary in public health courses. I am concerned that the connections I am making with my cohort are not as strong as they would have been had the semester been typical, but a lot of MPH students also work at CUPHD right now, so I do have more interaction with them through work, which I value a lot.

Q: What ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I generally count myself as lucky because, while COVID has affected me a lot, it could have been much worse. Like many other class of 2020 students, I didn’t get a formal graduation, which was upsetting. I also have not been able to see my friends from high school for a very long time. We usually all congregate when we are home in Chicago, but due to the pandemic, we haven’t been home, and we haven’t been willing to potentially risk the health of our families by being together. I also have not traveled, which is rare for me. I usually travel to see friends or just take a trip to some landmark or interesting spot in the country, but most things are closed, and I am also not willing to get on a plane right now. While all of these things have been less than ideal, I count myself as fortunate because I do not personally know anyone who has died from COVID, and I was the only member of my immediate family and friend group to ever catch the virus, which I recovered from.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Paris Smith talks about her Applied Practice Experience change

Aug. 01, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Paris Smith, who worked remotely for Erie Family Health Centers, which is located in Chicago.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Having to complete projects from home allowed me to express my creativity, however I was not able to collaborate with other staff in a hands-on setting as I would have being in the Erie facility, physically.

Q: Are you doing something for your APE than what you originally planned?

A: Some of my original projects were not able to happen, such as working with adolescent behavior health group visits, but I was still able to complete some other projects that will be implemented once Erie has more patients coming in person.

Q: Does your APE lead you to think about a different career path?

A: No, it has actually made me explore being in the health education field that focuses on promoting adolescents to being aware of their health.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I am still working with the organization that I interviewed with interviewed with in January

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: Yes.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: Having the same routine of logging in on for my intern experience and being in the same place has not been as exciting as it would have been interacting with staff and patients everyday.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: I am missing out on networking with people to be able to get more feedback on projects and potential job opportunities to have once I graduate.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted APEs?

A: Do not get discouraged because you can spend this time looking for other internship opportunities that you have been interested in, and even developing a new skill such as typing or making a flyers.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I have not been able to travel due to COVID-19. I usually spend time seeing family during the summer months and now I have to connect with them through video calls.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Shivani Shah talks about her Applied Practice Experience change

July 21, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Shivani Shah, who is working remotely as a research intern with the South Asian heart lifestyle intervention (SAHELI) and South Asians Active Together (SAATH) studies.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Pre-COVID, I expected my experience with the SAHELI and SAATH research teams to be primarily community facing—I was going to be recruiting research participants and doing educational outreach. Now, my experience has been more focused on designing modified study arm materials and brainstorming implementation logistics for when research recruitment can resume.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you originally planned?

A: While I am at my planned APE site, the work certainly shifted to be less hands-on and more planning and logistics, as I previously mentioned. This has exposed me to details including the protocols and extensive planning that goes into putting together a robust research study, alongside the challenges of modifying these components due to COVID. While unplanned, I am seeing a completely new side of organizational management, which is meaningful.

Q: Does your APE lead you to think about a different career path?

A: I was previously hesitant about working in a research setting as I worried it would be more distant from communities. However, this experience quickly shifted my understanding, as I see my team making important contributions to both the research world and on the lives of community participants. I’d love to continue exploring community based participatory research in my career.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I’m grateful that my APE site was able to keep me onboard in a remote capacity.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: For the most part, yes. Given the importance of group cohesion and a basic medical examination for the research study efficacy, I was recently able to participate in a few minimal risk in-person activities.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: My internship was primarily outreach and education-based, which was entirely people-facing. I was looking forward to connecting with community members and hearing their stories in addition to better understanding their needs and perceptions around health. I certainly wish I had this experience, especially because participants also generally really enjoy the in-person interactions.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted APEs?

A: The world is very unpredictable, and things may not go the way you initially anticipated. But ultimately, it’s part of the learning and growing process. Stay true to yourself and your goals—there are alternative pathways to learn and achieve your goals, and the MPH program faculty is an incredible resource in helping you get there.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: This pandemic is a mentally and emotionally taxing event on the globe as a whole. It is difficult to find a new normal—as someone who loves being outdoors and struggles with online communications, it is an adjustment. Thankfully, however, I have the privilege of being home in the suburbs in the company of my family.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Mateo Solis Rueda discusses his APE change

July 10, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Mateo Solis Rueda, who worked on the contact tracing team at the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: My initial expectation was to be on-site at the health organization throughout the week where we would work on contact tracing as a team. I pictured having a team leader who would guide us through the process of how to properly use the online system, and promptly address issues as they occurred. However, working remotely has presented with additional challenges. Although circumstances are less than ideal, we are powering through it all, and we are still able to maintain close contact through weekly meetings which are conducted virtually to address any problems and discuss future goals and obstacles we may encounter as we continue COVID-19 contract tracing.

Q: Are you doing something for your APE other than what you trained for?

A: I feel like my coursework provided me with adequate training for my APE. In my previous courses, we have discussed extensively about collecting data from community members. Additionally, we practiced hands on creating and administering surveys, as well as collecting, analyzing, and reporting our results. It is definitely interesting to see how this unravels in the real world, and how it differs from the classroom environment.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Fortunately, my APE work surrounds one of my top interests in public health, infectious diseases. I am treating this as a great opportunity to get a feel for this discipline of public health. If anything, my work so far has reinforced my interest in this career path.

Q: You’re doing contract tracing for Spanish-speaking populations, as well as English. Are there differences in how you approach the two populations?

A: Due to a high demand for contract tracing within the Spanish-speaking population, I have only spoken with individuals who speak Spanish thus far. I have been pleased with the generally kind and open demeanor of all the individuals I have spoken with, as well as their willingness in allowing me to interview them and answer all my questions. Although, I have yet to contact someone who speaks English, I have thought about similarities and differences in approaching these two populations. Overall, I would say the approach would be very similar due to having a script we must stick with, and attempting to extract the identical information.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: My original plan was to conduct my APE at the local public health district (CUPHD), however with some guidance and encouragement from my instructor, we decided to switch it to working on contact tracing at a different health organization. Fortunately, I am still working alongside the original public health district, though it is now my ILE.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: Thankfully there have not been any major frustrations. Instructors, as well as supervisors and team members at the health organizations are all aware and understanding of the current unique circumstances. It has been interesting to watch everyone within the public health field come together and continue to help in any way they can.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: I am missing out on the potential connections that could have been made within the community. Having to phone people at various hours of the day and asking for personal information makes it challenging to establish a connection at first, as many people are initially hesitant to answer questions. To overcome this, I try my best to start off with a bit of conversation to let them know I am only checking to ensure they are doing fine, while encourage them to stay safe. This seems to work well, as everyone I have spoken with has been gracious. A second thing I am missing out on is meeting and working alongside health professionals at the health organization. I have only met them through online video meetings, which is not the same as it would be in person. This makes communicating back and forth a bit slower and less personable.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: My advice is that if you ever find yourself frustrated or stuck, take it as a sign to pause, take a step back, and occupy yourself with something you enjoy. Go out for a run, a walk, a bike ride, read, take a nap, etc. After some time has passed, come back with a fresh mind and continue where you left off. I find that when I do this, I come up with new ideas, perhaps it might work for others. I also want to mention that the instructors are around to lend help whenever needed, so do not hesitate to reach out.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: Due to COVID-19, I was pushed to move back to Chicago sooner than I previously anticipated. Stay-at-home orders, and shelter-in-place regulations added additional challenges and stresses to this move. Fortunately, I have been able to stay in contact with family and friends through social media, and virtual meetups. More recently, I was able to visit family while continuing to follow health guideline and remaining safe.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Kelly Licata talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 15, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Off the bat, I did not expect to be doing my internship remotely. I was expecting the immersive experience of working in the office, full-time, sitting in on meetings and programs that I get to learn from. But seeing as Aging Care Connections works with a much higher-risk population, everything is moved to online resources and I’m interacting with clients via Zoom.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you trained for?

A: No, the MPH program at U of I really prepares us for anything and my APE has moved a lot of its resources online, which has allowed my APE to move forward just with some flexibility of how we are providing education, information and data analysis to put our focus on whatever older adults need the most.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: I’ve loved completing my APE at Aging Care Connections; it’s been a really great experience and despite working remotely, it’s been hands-on. I wouldn’t say it’s changed my career path, I’m still interested in policy and healthcare resources regarding older adults.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: I was really lucky that my APE was not cancelled or altered too significantly, that this placement and project is pretty much the original without data collection being administered in face-to-face surveys and teaching all programs through Zoom format and not on-site.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: I am working remotely. It’s definitely different than what I anticipated since now I can just roll out of bed and start working, but there’s still plenty to do and I am definitely learning a lot as we go!

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: The most frustrating part about the changes with my APE project are really just the lack of face-to-face interaction with my preceptor, team members and clients. I was really looking forward to the hands-on experience of leading class programs face to face and getting to know our clients on a deeper level, and that can be tough on Zoom. Also, our clients are older adults and Zoom can be challenging for any new user. They’ve gotten the hang of Zoom with impressive speed but there still can be technological issues that sometimes arise in our classes and it can be difficult to troubleshoot for them.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: It’s been really interesting to say the least of starting a position when you haven’t met 95 percent of your co-workers. To hop in on conference calls where you’ve never interacted with anyone face to face is a different experience. There’s always a split second when I join Zoom meetings or conference calls that everyone thinks that they’ve got a Zoom crasher joining.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: I guess just be flexible and open to any new program or project you may come across. There’s still ways to complete APEs if you’re open to new ideas and different solutions.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Tags: COVID-19, Kelly Licata, MPH

MPH student Nicole Alberto talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 06, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today with speak with Nicole Alberto, who is working this summer as a Graduate Research Assistant of the MOVE MS program.

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: As a full-time intern this summer, I was expecting that I would be at the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and doing field work at nearby counties. But since my supposed summer internship was cancelled due to COVID-19, I had to find an alternative placement, go back home and do my APE completely remotely.

Q: Are you doing something for your APE than what you trained for?

A: Yes! My work with Dr. Brynn Adamson as a Graduate Research Assistant of the MOVE MS program requires me to write and/or edit documents to be submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Because a lot of our courses focused on the development and promotion of health behavior programs, the logistics concerning IRB of these community/research programs were not discussed that much.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Not really. In fact, my APE work solidified my passion to conduct my own research in the future. My four-year experience (undergraduate and graduate) with research gave me the knowledge, experience, confidence and drive to continue pursuing research in my future career as a Public Health Professional and a Physical Therapist.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: My original APE with the Carle Foundation was cancelled due to COVID-19. I had been working with my Carle preceptor since Fall 2019 and all APE paperwork had been completed. Unfortunately, Carle Foundation cancelled all summer internships last minute.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: Yes, back at home in Chicago.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: I think the most frustrating part was when my original APE was cancelled last minute. I was one of the first to secure an APE site at the beginning of the year so it never occurred to me to find an alternative site. I had to cram to find one during the last weeks of school. Fortunately, my advisors were there to help me.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: My internship with Carle required me to be at the office and do a lot of field work. I attended many events, met amazing people in the community and developed relationships with my supervisors. All of these were cut short by the stay-at-home order. I really miss the bonding and social interaction in the office and out in the field.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: Trust the process and your advisors! You are not alone in this dilemma. Your advisors will be there to assist you (or even rescue you) when you start to worry about delayed graduation due to your disrupted APE. Be flexible, work with them, and be open to new experiences. Your new site may be out of your comfort zone, but it may also be a new avenue for a better and bigger career path.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: I think COVID-19 has affected me the same way as everybody else. My APE was cancelled, my two jobs ended, I had to go back home, I had to cancel all my summer travel plans and I had to adjust my lifestyle and schedule in many ways. I have a bit of hard feelings but surprisingly, staying at home this summer still got me very busy!

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Stacia Simmons talks about her Applied Practice Experience

July 01, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. Today, we speak with Stacia Simmons, who is working on the contact tracing team at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago.

Q: Are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Yes. with everything being shut down due to COVID-19, I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as my experience. I originally expected to be doing work with the Narcan and Prep program at CUPHD, however that shifted once Illinois was ordered to shut down. Shortly after, I was notified that everything would be done remotely and that my role at CUPHD would have to change. Fortunately, the Champaign Public Health Department offered me a position to work onsite as a contact tracing intern. In addition, Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago also offered me a remote contact tracing intern position, and I gladly accepted both positions. My experience so far has been amazing in that the work that I am doing directly aligns with my career interest which is infectious disease prevention/treatment. Therefore, being able to gain firsthand public health experience and to also be able to do my part in helping stop the spread of covid19 has been wonderful. It is also great in that working for two different health departments allows me to serve two different populations and it’s also very interesting to see the differences in approach in regard to the roles of contact tracers between both health departments. Both have exceeded beyond my expectations. Overall, it’s a blessing to be interning at both departments.

Q: You have worked in two facilities doing contract tracing. What differences have you noticed between them?

A: There is a big difference between the population that we serve through CUPHD than at HBHC. Chicago is a much bigger city with a lot more cases, therefore the roles of a contact tracer are slightly different also how things are structured. At CUPHD, the contact tracing unit is split into teams. They have a group of staff who conduct interviews, a group of staff that complete contact tracing and another group of staff that handle data entry and logistics. Contact tracers at CUPHD are in charge of completing daily wellness check calls to isolation and quarantine cases, while interviewers conduct interviews with confirmed cases to identify close contacts. At HBHC, there is one big team of contact tracers whose role is to conduct interviews and identify close contacts however, they do not follow up with cases as CUPHD does. With so many confirmed cases and a need for more contact tracers within the Chicago area, much of our time spent as contact tracers are obtaining information about close contacts.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: No, in fact it reassures me that I am in the right career path for me.

Q: What happened to your original APE?

A: Originally, it was planned for me to take part in a different role at CUPHD, however things shifted to working remotely. Fortunately, they have still allowed me to work onsite as a contact tracer instead.

Q: Are you working remotely?

A: For HBHC, yes, I am but, for CUPHD, I work onsite.

Q: Has anything been frustrating about your change in APE status?

A: In the beginning I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect, however things have turned out very well for me. I am fortunate to have not experience anything frustrating about the change.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: In working remotely with HBHC it doesn’t allow for me to have the onsite experience as I have with CUPHD, however I am still able to interact and network with other contact tracers as we all have a weekly meeting where we all get to touch base. Overall, it works out that I am able to work remotely from home for HBHC, seeing that I reside in the Champaign area.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: Make the best out of every experience. Yes, it can be very frustrating to have your internship disrupted, however there are other opportunities out there for you to take advantage of. Public health is a broad field filled with plenty of opportunities and it is vital that you put yourself out there and connect and network with others in which will open more opportunities for you later. Be open and flexible to change because it could be a blessing in disguise.

Q: What other ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: COVID-19 has definitely made it interesting in my household as I balance internship duties, and being creative in keeping life interesting and fun for my wonderful seven-year-old son. I haven’t traveled much as I am very busy with both internships and also working part-time as a preschool teacher. I am what you call a “towny”—Champaign is where I was born and raised, and luckily all of my family still resides here in town as well so I am able to see them.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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MPH student Edson Flores talks about his Applied Practice Experience

June 15, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Public Health program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have had to adjust their internships—known as Applied Practice Experiences—because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Periodically, we will speak with them about how those changes have affected their summer plans and potentially career paths. First up is Edson Flores, who is working as a research assistant for the Recreation, Sport & Tourism department of AHS.

Q: What are you doing this summer?

A: Partnering with a current PhD student, we are conducting bilingual cognitive interviews to increase the strength and reliability of a questionnaire targeting Mexican immigrants in the Midwest. Previous coursework from the MPH program has taught me the influence intersectionality has on patterns and choices people make especially when it comes to the foods they consume. I am fortunate to have received a well-rounded education from our MPH faculty. I am actively applying my Public Health knowledge throughout this summer internship!

Q: How are your experiences different from what you expected?

A: Originally, I expected to go to my summer APE for 7-8 hours every weekday working in a facility. However, my APE is remote which means there is a lot more independence when completing the work. Most of the work is done virtually, even the check-ins, which is something I was not anticipating.

Q: Are you doing something different for your APE than what you trained for?

A: No. My APE is research-based and that is something I am very interested in. I am part of a research lab on campus working with one of our MPH faculty so I am fortunate to have found a summer internship where I can use the skills I learned.

Q: Does your APE work lead you to think about a different career path?

A: Like mentioned earlier, my APE placement involves data collection and data analysis. My career path involves practicing and publishing my own research, therefore, my APE work is providing me with additional experience before I enter my PhD program.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: One noticeable factor that is affected due to the pandemic is the inability to work face-to-face with participants. My APE involves administering questionnaires which were traditionally meant to be done in person. However, due to the current circumstances, we are using phone or video calls instead. Ideally, I would have liked to have met with the participants so they could have had a familiar face throughout the process.

Q: What advice do you have for future students who might have disrupted internships or APEs?

A: My advice to future students who may find themselves with disrupted APEs is to be creative. One thing that this pandemic has taught me was that there are alternative ways to produce the same work. My original plan was to administer questionnaires in person, but we had to think creatively and figure out new ways to achieve the same results. Our faculty are very resourceful so if you ever find yourself in that position, do not hesitate to use your resources!

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

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Tags: COVID-19, Edson Flores

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