Internship report Jocelyn Hospital May 2011

Jocelyn Hopsital Public Health Research Intern HSS/Research Promotion and Development May 26, 2010 – August 4, 2010 TOR: Include but not limited to: 1. Research and other activities necessary to implement PAHO’s Policy on Research for Health. Specific projects may include evaluation of RP initiatives and development of strategies for policy dissemination and implementation.

2. Organization and leadership of monthly Research Interest Group meetings 3. Writing case studies that highlight the value of research for health 4. Contributing to the development and maintenance of the Research web. This portion of the internship includes: writing and reviewing English and Spanish copy; uploading text images, videos, and podcasts; developing and exchanging links with partners; working on systematically obtaining feedback on the PAHO Research Portal; and other initiatives of the Research Promotion and Development Program.

Deliverables: -

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Draft of EVIPNet Evaluation with recommendations for the evaluation strategy 3 Case Studies uploaded on the website (Spanish and English) List of research contacts within PAHO by area of expertise Planned and moderated two research interest group meetings including follow up with participants to encourage knowledge sharing with respect to research for health List of health indicators from various sources for a PAHO tool on health systems Published and disseminated the first research bulletin “News for Health”

I did not begin my internship with a set of specific expectations. I recognized that my TORs were not narrowly defined, which would leave a lot of room for different projects and responsibilities. Additionally, I came to PAHO with realistic expectations about what I could learn and accomplish in a brief, two month period.

I believe that my internships experience was very useful for my professional development as a public health practitioner. I worked as part of the research promotion and development team to help improve program projects (EVIPNet evaluation design and recommendations for the evaluation strategy) and to create new initiatives to increase the use of research for health both within PAHO (through the development of the research

contacts list). I felt that this collaboration with the RP team members was the most enriching and educational experience of my internship. I gained a new understanding of how PAHO works, in addition to an understanding of common challenges in the field of global health. Working the RP office, I also gained an appreciation of how difficult the translation of research to policy is on the ground (due to: lack of capacity, lack of funding, lack of leadership, lack of a well-defined framework that is locally relevant, etc.). In my opinion, the RP team is really accomplishing great things despite these challenges. They are also serving as leaders by promoting research and evidenceinformed decision-making within the PAHO community.

My internship experience helped sharpen both my organizational and critical thinking skills as applied to public health issues. I also learned a great deal about knowledge translation and health systems research, which I believe will complement my background in the quantitative natural sciences (biology and environmental health). My experience at PAHO, and more importantly the knowledge and skills I acquired while here, will undoubtedly help me in my future career.