Student Profile: Fatma Tufa '24MPH

Q: Tell us about your summer internship.

My internship was through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Division of Epidemiology's Local Health Internship Program. I was placed in Ludlow, Massachusetts at the Ludlow Health Department and assisted on a few projects. Since the internship is formally through MDPH we were able to collaborate with the epidemiologists there through meetings, check-ins, and informational panels. That was really helpful to someone like me and other students of epidemiology. During my time at the Ludlow Health Department, I helped initiate a community needs health assessment for the town.  As part of that, I gathered substance misuse and mental health resources for the town. I created wallet-sized cards that have information for resources like where to safely dispose of sharps, hotlines, and other helpful services. Another part of the community needs health assessment included meeting various businesses in town like banks, grocery stores, boys and girls clubs, and introducing the health department. We were able to inform them of what we do and how we can help; we don’t just do inspections, we have resources and connections. We have Narcan and COVID tests if businesses ever need them. That was really nice to be connected to the community. It’s easy to sit behind a desk and have your own ideas but a lot of it was about reaching out, asking questions, and analyzing data for the community.

Another project I worked on was a current status report. I created an informal presentation for the health department. I compared past community health assessments and the top priorities then and compared them to top priorities now. The last assessment was done county-wide as opposed to the Ludlow Health Department doing it. This was the first time the health department was doing it so it was a unique opportunity to localize the assessment specifically to the community.

I felt very supported during my internship. They can be scary and you may feel like there is so much you need to know but that’s not true. Everyone was wonderful and open to answering questions. They were so helpful and it was really team-based. I learned a lot. I didn’t know a lot at first, we are all just learning. If someone is hesitant about an internship I would recommend doing it.

Q: What were some of the most interesting findings during your internship?

I was so surprised by how much work a local health department has to do. They are often times understaffed and underfunded as well. Going into the internship I was so excited to be there and get started, then reality hit. It felt like every time I went into the office there were more and more tasks to do. So, on top of my normal projects, I had side projects to do. That was really fun for me, I like to have side quests. The amount of work is very challenging. Another thing I grew to understand was the scope of it all; every city and town in Massachusetts has its own health department which is a lot to keep track of state-wide.

Q: How has UMass prepared you for this internship?

UMass set a great foundation for me to be successful in this internship. A lot of the concepts I learned in class came out throughout the course of the internship. Especially for the community health needs assessment – in class you learn that you need voices from the community when building the assessment, it’s not just you coming up with ideas, it’s all-encompassing of the community. UMass also gave me the tools to be able to ask questions, reach out, and know which sources are reliable. It was all really helpful to me.

Q: What is your dream career?

I definitely want to be an epidemiologist, but I’m not sure in what capacity yet. Right now, I think that working with the state would be nice. During my internship, I was able to shadow an epidemiologist. I learned a lot. It was a very cool experience for me. I could totally see myself in that position. On the other hand, knowing myself and the amount of interests that I hold, that could change – but I definitely see myself as an epidemiologist.

Q: Why did you choose UMass?

UMass is close enough to home but far enough to find my own independence. Also, UMass has so many opportunities in general, there’s so much you can do. I mentioned I have a lot of interests. I changed my major so many times and I feel like if I wasn’t at UMass I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do that. You’re able to do anything, even outside of your schoolwork. You can join any club you can think of. I was in the American Chemical Society for a little bit. I’m also a spin instructor. I teach classes at the UMass Recreation Center. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to do that anywhere else.

Fatma and UMass friends

Q: Do you have any advice for new students?

Stay present. It goes by so fast. Don’t be afraid to do things that are different than your friend group. You can have different interests that don’t align with your group of friends or your school. There is so much to do at UMass. Take every opportunity to open yourself up to different things, learn something new, or join a different club. Go to the student union, check out a new building, and go into the town of Amherst or Northampton. They are really cool places.

Q: If you could write a book or start a podcast on any topic what would it be?

A book club podcast would be really fun! You have your own little book club and every week you talk about that book and everyone can listen and then comment on it. I think that would be a very fun podcast. I would listen to that. It might exist actually.