Kassie was an Enterics Investigator for the Department of Health & Human Services during Summer 2025.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
I made calls to people who tested positive for an enteric disease that is reportable to the department of health (salmonella, cryptosporidium, campylobacter, etc.) and asked them questions to discover exposures where they may have gotten sick, whether it was something ingested, an animal, or a water/outdoor exposure. Through this internship, I was able to better understand the world of public health and epidemiology from a government organization perspective. I also had the opportunity to interview for specific investigations like raw milk outbreaks and a restaurant outbreak which helped us to understand the source of the outbreak.
What did you learn on your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
I learned that Utah’s system is decentralized, meaning that the local health departments took on the majority of the load and the state department acted as a support. I also learned that people really care about their health and were more often willing to chat about their experience than they were not.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
I didn’t think I would be interested in working in government health but it helped me feel more comfortable with it and capable of working in that capacity.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
My experience led to personal inspiration because it helped me realize how much I love my field and that there are others out there who love it just as much. I felt more confident that my career path I planned on was achievable.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Yes! It is a great way to get hands on experience in investigating health outbreaks, specifically with enteric diseases, so it is especially recommended for those who are interested in epidemiology.
