Undergraduate Spotlight Q&A: Aditya Gunturu
Aditya Gunturu, a senior undergraduate student at Saint Louis University double-majoring in public health and biology with a minor in health care ethics, did a Q&A with the SLU College for Public Health and Social Justice.
Question: What is your name, year, degree and concentration?
Aditya Gunturu, senior in public health and biology double major with a minor in health care ethics.
When did you do your internship?
I worked at the Missouri Public Health Institute (MOPHI) this summer before my senior year.
What job did you do during your internship?
I worked as an undergraduate intern, one of the first for the organization, on two programs, the public health nursing collaborative and the data learning collaborative.
Describe, in detail, the work you did during your internship.
For the public health nursing collaborative, I worked on teaching public health topics to Missouri nurses, all of which were selected by the nurses in the group who wanted to learn more about how to improve their work. The presentations ranged in topics from insurance pricing and vaccine hesitancy to cardiac health and STD monitoring. The meetings with these nurses helped the organization better tailor their goals and they helped the nurses work with improved health care standards. My first presentation for the collaborative focused on vaccine hesitancy, where I provided helpful talking points for the nurses to use, and we ended the meeting with a round table, where everyone was able to provide each other with advice. For the data learning collaborative, I helped create our webpage which highlights all the various community partners and organizations MOPHI works with and I organized a reference document that collected the agendas, minutes, and presentations from every monthly meeting. I also completed other housekeeping tasks for the organization, such as producing promotional materials, cleaning up group members, and organizing drive data.
What experience at your internship was most formative and stood out in relation to the degree you are seeking at SLU?
My most formative experience was meeting all of my co-workers, who come from all different backgrounds and with different degrees, but still focused on this group goal of improving public health standards in Missouri. It gave me a lot of hope for my future in the public health field and gave me strength to keep pursuing my education and passion.
How did this internship prepare you for your career?
My internship prepared me by allowing me to balance multiple projects and work with other public health professionals in a real office environment. I was able to learn how to manage my time, meet with my coworkers, and learn so much about the importance of public health.
How did SLU prepare you for your internship?
SLU prepared me by giving me a very well-rounded public health education, with me being able to use multiple aspects to improve my work at MOPHI. I was able to use lessons I learned in classes like epidemiology, biostatistics and evidence-based public health. These classes, and others, helped me keep up with the work that I was doing and bring my own experiences into the job.
What was something unexpected that you learned from your internship?
Something I didn’t expect was the variety of work that I would be doing. MOPHI has various collaborations going at all times, and they all focus on different aspects of public health. This means that I was able to learn various experiences at the same time.
Why did you choose SLU for your degree?
I chose SLU because I’m a St. Louis local and I have always felt a strong connection to my home, and I wanted to learn at a place tailored to my home. SLU also highlighted its public health facilities and research, which really drew me to the program.
Describe your experience at SLU and what has been the most rewarding part?
I have really enjoyed my time at SLU, as I really think I’ve come into my own as a whole person here. I was able to gain important life experiences while still working on my degree. I’ve loved all the work I’ve been able to do inside and outside of the classroom which has all combined to give me holistic growth, through club leadership and participation, volunteering, and all the classes I’ve taken in between.
How did your classroom experience at SLU intersect your real-world experience in your internship?
My classroom experience at SLU intersected with my internship by giving me new ways to use the lessons I learned in the classroom in a real-world environment while also giving me new experiences that I’m able to bring into my continuing education. As I go forward toward attaining my master's degree, I’m able to use the real-life experiences I’ve had to give me a strong start to my future education and career.
What advice would you give to incoming students pertaining to their internship?
Some advice I would give to students looking for internship work is to be open to trying different things. It may seem basic but internships in public health can focus on a range of topics and areas, so it can be tricky to find the absolute perfect experience. What is most important is learning what you can from whatever experiences you have, as they all provide important growth while becoming a public health professional.
College for Public Health and Social Justice
The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States. Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the college offers nationally recognized programs in public health and health administration.