This is our second of two stories talking spotlighting the work of our MPH students. Elsie Naruszewicz talked with us about her Practicum experience working remotely with international populations.
Tell us about your Practicum experience. What made you choose this internship?
For my practicum, I worked with the Meros Center which is a research network created by the partnership between Kingdom Workers and Wisconsin Lutheran College. The Meros Center does a variety of research throughout the world. My practicum project was to conduct a literature review examining substance use rates and factors in university students in Uganda and throughout Africa. I was also able to assist in developing the IRB proposal and a questionnaire to help recruit participants. Since I am interested in public policy, my practicum supervisor, Alicia Cortright, allowed me to do research on the substance use policies in Africa and the university. With that, I suggested changes and programs to increase awareness. I chose this internship after speaking with another student who did their practicum with The Meros Center and my old professor, Dr. Jason Paltzer. With Dr. Paltzer, he discussed projects that he was working on that would be relevant to my field of interest (substance use), and we landed on the project with Uganda Christian University.
What was it like completing a practicum experience that focused on international populations?
Completing a practicum that was focused on international populations was incredibly fun. I have always loved global health and being able to research it from a professional setting rather than academic was insightful. The team I was working with was so helpful in allowing me to make the project my own, guide my work for them, and opening me up to a different culture. Working with international populations granted me skills that will benefit me in future professional settings.
What differences did you see working with these international populations versus work you may have done locally in Waco or elsewhere in the United States?
Since I completed my practicum remotely, I would say the largest difference I noticed between working with international populations and domestic would be the culture difference and the time difference. Scheduling meeting times across three different time zones were often difficult but manageable. I have learned more about the cultural differences while working on my capstone project with the same team but through meetings and suggested edits on the questionaries by my practicum supervisor I noticed there were topics or other “normality’s” in the United States that were not as freely discussed. I also noticed differences in cultural norms surrounding substance acceptability and availability in the United States versus Africa, which without being addressed, could cause additional challenges or concerns when implementing our study.
How did this internship contribute to your professional development?
This internship was incredibly helpful to my professional development. I was able to apply all the things that I have learned in an academic setting to a professional one while still having guidance. I was also able to increase my communication skills and learn how to best work with stakeholders, which is imperative in public health.
You completed your internship remotely. How did this impact your experience? Did it create any unique challenges and how did you face them?
Completing my internship remotely opened many connections that I otherwise would not have been able to experience. The team I worked with was stationed throughout the United States, Canada, and Uganda. With the use of Zoom and Teams, I didn’t have many problems. I wouldn’t say that it created any challenges, however, due to low bandwith in Uganda, all our meetings were conducted without cameras. This was only challenging because I was unable to use nonverbal communication. I didn’t realize how much that impacted my ability to communicate until it was gone. However, once I got used to it, it was no longer an issue.
How do you plan to apply the knowledge and skills you learned to your future career?
I plan to apply the knowledge and skills I have learned in so many ways. My long-term career goal is to work in substance use policy so getting to learn more about this in a global setting was so fun. I can use what I have learned about policy during this project to help guide me in my future career. I also plan to apply my skills with stakeholders, communication, and cultural norms to really dive deep into each population that I will be working with. There is so much knowledge to gain by simply speaking with people and learning about their lives. I am so glad that I was able to participate such a learning experience. I will use this to provide the best insight and compassion to create as strong of an impact as I can.
What advice would you give future students about choosing their practicum experience?
My advice for future students choosing their practicum is to start early, rely on connections, and search within your interests. I think finding a practicum that you are passionate about will create a stronger learning experience and you will enjoy it more.
“Thank you to Alicia Cortright, Dr. Jason Paltzer, and Dr. Edward Mukooza for allowing me to work with you and pouring your time and effort into me. My experience working with you and on this project is something I will always carry with me and I hope to use my new knowledge as best I can.” – Elsie Naruszewicz