Myana Banks

During my senior year of my undergraduate studies, I was interested in learning more about the field of public health as HHS plays a pivotal role in aiding to improve the public’s health on a federal level. Pathways to Public Service provided an excellent opportunity to learn more about the various agencies and departments that influence public health policy, initiatives, and programs offered to communities nationwide. 

What excites me most about the Pathways to Public Service internship is being able to work with an agency like the NIH, whose mission is one that I value immensely. With the NIDDK specifically, the organization’s commitment to supporting research and initiatives that target diseases and disorders known to plague underserved communities aligns perfectly with my passion to support opportunities to create health equity and diminish health disparities. 

In my master’s program, many of the skills I acquired were transferable into a lot of the work I have completed during my time at NIDDK. As an MPH student with a concentration in community health promotion, we were taught skills relevant to public speaking, engagement, and data analysis. I can say I have used skills in each of these categories during my time at NIDDK.

The Pathways to Public Services (PTPS) program webinars provided opportunity to learn more about different career avenues in various agencies throughout HHS. These webinars had individuals from different agencies discuss their roles, share their agency’s mission, and I got to learn how Pathways interns benefit from participation in this program. There were resources available from the PTPS team that discussed how to navigate USA Jobs, advice on compiling a federal resume, and I even had the opportunity to complete a mock interview with the team to receive feedback. As a Pathways Student Trainee still pursuing my graduate degree, I was able to work with Dr. Rivers from the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination, NIDDK, on my practicum project examining Diversity Supplement Award trends through networking as a Pathways intern. I attended a career fair hosted by CIAA in Baltimore and served on a panel to discuss my experience as a Pathways Student Trainee. Overall, Pathways has provided the opportunity to network, establish direction in my future career pursuits, and share my newfound experiences with others who seek to participate in the program.