dierences between interns who chose envi- ronmental public health careers and interns who pursued other paths. While both groups highly valued gaining real-world experience, with nearly all respondents rating this aspect positively, the participants who chose to pur- sue environmental public health careers gen- erally reported higher percentages of positive responses across most skill development and career decision items. Dierences emerged in areas such as clarifying career decisions, understanding company culture, and increas- ing motivation for professional growth. Both groups appreciated the experience for boost- ing their resumes and understanding work- place behaviors and communication styles. Mann – Whitney U tests were performed on these items to compare the eect of intern- ship experience on skill development and career decisions between interns who entered the environmental public health workforce ( n = 31) and interns who pursued other career paths or did not enter the workforce ( n = 8). Results indicated two items showed a signifi- cant dierence between the two groups. 1. The extent the internship experience helped clarify the decision to pursue a career in environmental or public health was significantly higher for interns who entered the environmental public health workforce ( Mdn = 4) than for interns who chose a dierent career or did not enter the workforce ( Mdn = 3, U = 31.5, z = -3.45, p = <.001, r = .55). 2. The extent the internship experience helped with the understanding of their company’s culture was significantly higher for interns who entered the environmental public health workforce ( Mdn = 4) than for interns who chose a dierent career or did not enter the workforce ( Mdn = 2.5, U = 85, z = -2.73, p = .01, r = .44). Impact of Internship Modality In an open-ended question, respondents were asked to comment on the impact that the modality of their internship had on their overall experience, including what worked well and what was challenging. The major- ity of NEPHIP interns strongly preferred in-person internships, citing numerous advantages such as hands-on experience, teamwork, networking opportunities, and comprehensive exposure to various depart- ments. One intern noted, “I was able to get
FIGURE 2
Geographic Distribution of Interns Participating in the National Environmental Public Health Internship Program in 2015–2021 ( n = 45)
4 Legend
4
1
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
3
3
2
1
1
2
1
3
2 2
1
1
1
1
2
4
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FIGURE 3
Quality of Learning Experience Indicated by Interns Participating in the National Environmental Public Health Internship Program in 2015–2021 ( n = 45)
70
62
60
50
40
36
30
20
10
2
0
Excellent
Good
Below Average Poor
Average Learning Experience Rating
Internship Experience and Eect on Skill Development and Career Decision Using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = a little to 5 = a great deal), respondents were queried
about the extent their NEPHIP experience influenced various facets of their career decisions, skill acquisition, and professional development (Table 2). The results reveal
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March 2025 • Journal of Environmental Health
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