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 and the health and well-being of all Washingtonians.
- 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.
Our mission is to work with others to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington. 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 what we do on our About Us page.
- What educational and professional backgrounds do we have?
-
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.
- Are you interested in an internship at DOH?
-
We invite you to learn more about our divisions and programs on our Executive Offices webpage.
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 Learning@doh.wa.gov.
Please note that our internships are currently unpaid. However, DOH is developing a paid internship program, with an anticipated launch in summer 2024.
- 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, may email our academic affairs director.