HOSA OSG Internship Day 1 - July 11, 2011

The three HOSA interns with LTJG Hager, CAPT Tosatto, and Lt. Payne in the Office of the Surgeon General

Today marked the first day of the weeklong internship in the Office of the Surgeon General for Mrs. Angel Clark, Samiha Azam, and Aakash Patel. The three HOSA-OSG interns were excited for the first day and were greeted by LTJG Katie Hager who was kind enough to serve as our host for the week. The morning consisted of a basic introduction, led by Lt. Payne and Capt. Tosatto, about the infrastructure of the United States Public Health Service. They talked about the many goals and duties of the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and United States Public Health Commissioned Corps and how they play a key role in protecting, promoting, and advancing the public health and safety of the nation. The MRC is a dynamic group of local volunteers, some of whom have a medical background, that serve the healthcare needs of their local community. The Commissioned Corps is another asset of the public health service which consists of uniformed officers who primarily respond to emergencies across the country. Later, the three interns were able to sit through an MRC staff meeting conference call, led by Capt. Nair where they talked about their plans and goals for the week ahead. Shortly thereafter, the three HOSA-OSG interns met with three other interns in the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment and got to know them over lunch. In the afternoon, Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash met with other leaders in the Office of the Surgeon General including Capt. Beck and Commander Davis who discussed the many challenges of public health, especially the issue of legal protection for medical volunteers. They also provided insight on how public health is carried out on Native American reservations through the Indian Health Services. The most interesting aspect the three interns were able to take away was the diversity of the members in the United States Public Health Service. Some members were physicians and nurses while others were engineers and dentists. They helped us understand that it is possible to connect your own passion with the public health service and that when you serve in public health, you indirectly alter the lives of numerous individuals. The three interns were able to end the day with a greater understanding of the United States Public Health Service after being provided with a wealth of information over the course of the day. Mrs. Clark, Samiha, and Aakash are excited about and look forward to the second day of the internship!