Piedmont Health District honors intern
Published 7:02 am Friday, July 28, 2023
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This week, the Virginia Department of Health Internship Academy ends. As a result, one Prince Edward County college student will wrap up his work in the health field, at least for now. For the past 10 weeks, the Piedmont Health District has worked with Hampden-Sydney College student Connor Eickelman as part of the academy.
Eickelman is on the pre-medicine track as a biochemistry major, with an end goal of working in emergency medicine. He has been serving as the district’s emergency preparedness intern for the summer, mentored by Emergency Coordinator Christopher Thompson. Eickelman also shadowed the environmental health and epidemiology teams.
From his experience as a volunteer with Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire and Rescue since 2020, and a volunteer with Prince Edward Rescue since 2021, Eickelman knew he was interested in seeing the ‘bigger picture’ of public health and explained how as an EMT he has only seen a small piece of the operations side.
“This experience has majorly shifted my career goals, and I’m now seriously considering an MPH or MD program,” Eickelman said. “I know that no matter what route I take, I want to continue to be involved with public health in some manner, in large part because of this internship.”
A highlight for the summer
A highlight for Eickelman was the opportunity to visit a Remote Area Medical (RAM) Clinic in Emporia. After this experience, he was tasked with spearheading a local RAM clinic community interest meeting in the Piedmont District area. The meeting had over 30 participants from local health clinics, government service agencies, nonprofits, schools, colleges and churches.
“It has been an honor having Connor as a member of the district’s Emergency Response and Preparedness Team for the past 10 weeks,” said Christopher Thompson. “Connor has been more than willing to learn every facet of the job, and he is the perfect example that public health is in good hands for decades to come with the future leaders of tomorrow.”
What is the academy?
The Summer Internship Academy is a structured 10-week program that allows current or recent undergraduate or graduate students to explore what it is like to work at the Virginia Department of Health. The program is for students with a broad range of backgrounds, from accounting to graphic design to biology. Interested applicants can apply to the Internship Academy in spring of 2024.