At the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) we know today's students will become tomorrow's leaders. We believe investing in students is critical to ensuring the future success of Washington's public health system.
Who Are We?
DOH provides comprehensive public health services and programs to the community through a statewide workforce dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Washingtonians.
We center DOH’s cornerstone values of equity, innovation, and engagement in our vision to promote equity and optimal health for all.
Learn more about our agency on our About Us page.
Our Educational and Professional Backgrounds
People who work at DOH have diverse professional and academic backgrounds.
These include educational and professional experiences in public health, nursing, medicine, education, biology, chemistry, environmental science, public policy, law, human resources, finance, and much more. We also have staff who have completed graduate studies, including degrees such as Master of Public Health, Master of Public Administration, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Social Work; degrees in law (JD) and medicine (MD); and doctoral programs in public health and other fields.
Given the diversity and breadth of programs and services at DOH, we welcome and value staff with experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. A breadth of academic experiences among our professionals is just one element of diversity that strengthens our work as an agency.
These staff profiles demonstrate the diversity and breadth of our employees and the work they do at DOH.
Are You Interested in an Internship at DOH?
DOH hosts many students for internships, capstones, practicums and other learning opportunities. As you explore potential opportunities with DOH, we invite you to learn more about our divisions and programs on our Executive Offices webpage.
- Unpaid Internships
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Anytime during the year, if you are in search of an internship, capstone, or practicum experience, please complete our student expression of interest form and send your resume to growth@doh.wa.gov. Please note that these opportunities, when available, are unpaid.
- Paid Internships
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Year-Round
Throughout the calendar year, should a DOH team have funding for a paid intern, a position announcement will be posted in DOH’s jobs portal. Individuals seeking internships can search for "internships" in the jobs portal to identify if any intern positions are available and then follow the application process as outlined in the position posting.
Pathways Summer Program
DOH’s Pathways Summer Paid Internship Program provides paid internship opportunities for 15 post-secondary students selected through an application process each summer. Interns in the Pathways Summer Paid Internship Program are placed with teams across the agency.
During the 10-week period (mid-June to mid-August), the Pathways summer interns dedicate an average of 35 hours per week working on assigned projects to grow their skill sets and engage in other professional development activities.
Eligible students must be pursuing degrees at any college or university, from the associate degree to undergraduate or graduate degree level. Applications for summer 2025 will open in early February 2025 and post for a two-week application period.
Find more information in our Pathways Summer Paid Internship Program flier (PDF).
What Other Academic Partnerships Exist at DOH?
Academic partnerships are vital to DOH’s work supporting research, innovation, student engagement, workforce development, and a myriad of public health initiatives across the state. Partnerships with academia are invaluable in supporting DOH’s efforts to:
- Develop a diverse public health workforce and the next generation of public health professionals.
- Identify areas for collaborative research, including on topics aligned with DOH’s Transformational Plan.
- Promote excellence by advancing evidence-based public health practice.
- Support the sharing of expertise between DOH and academic partners. This includes guest speaking opportunities for DOH staff to bring applied public health insights into the classroom. Academic partners interested in having a DOH subject matter expert or leader speak in your course, or at a campus event, or to advance another academic partnership opportunities, may email our Academic Affairs team.
Additional Academic Public Health Resources
Find more information about student resources, scholarship funding, public health conferences, public health academic degrees in Washington, and more on our WA PHALCO (Washington Public Health Academic Learning Collaborative) site.