Day 4

The HOSA interns had yet another exciting day in Washington, DC. We met at the DCVMRC headquarters in the morning, briefly working on our respective projects before leaving for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. USUHS is the nation’s federal health sciences university. Most students at this institution are either medical students or graduate nursing students. In exchange for receiving a free education, these students will serve as active duty officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Public Health Service. The interns were given a tour of the school, and we were pleasantly surprised to learn that our tour guide was another HOSA alumnus! (If you’ve read the blog posts from the last three days, you’ll definitely notice a trend taking place.)

For more information regarding USUHS opportunities, go to http://www.usuhs.edu/



 
After USUHS, we traveled back to Rockville and quickly grabbed lunch at Chipotle before heading back to the MRC offices. The interns took advantage of an ice cream social in the lobby of the building and met with Captain Paul Reed, Deputy Director of the MRC. CAPT Reed described his career in both the Navy and the Public Health Service and discussed the importance of the “elevator speech”. He emphasized the importance of communicating information efficiently and enthusiastically to maximize success. CAPT Reed concluded with astute observations regarding the state of health care and the future role of public health.            

Captain's Reed's handouts were both simple and profound.

 

The HOSA interns then worked on their respective projects and prepared their presentations for tomorrow. We’re excited to share our work with the MRC staff tomorrow and receive their feedback. (ENS Draude invited President Obama, but he had prior obligations). Commander Davis then came and gave a talk regarding his background, experience in the armed services, and many important life lessons. He particularly emphasized the importance of continuously learning and maintaining balance in one’s life. He also gave a moving discussion in regards to his role in the response to the Haiti earthquake and the public health issues that he had to consider. With our penultimate day at an end, we are determined to end the week with a bang and fully enjoy tomorrow's events.