Master of Public Health (MPH) students gain practical skills and career experience through the public health Integrative Learning Experience (ILE).

The ILE can be an internship at a leading public health organization in the Philadelphia region. It can also be a capstone course or a data analysis project, working closely with Dornsife faculty. The ILE is determined by the student's major. 

The ILE can lead a student to publish research findings or receive a job offer from their host agency.

Examples of Dornsife Students' ILEs 2020-2025

Community Health and Prevention ILEs

• Researching Nexplanon use in an adolescent urban population including STI incidence, side effects, and discontinuation rates
• Writing a CDC/Philadelphia Department of Public Health top-line report
• Exploring the impact of adverse experiences during the migration process and while in detention on the mental health of deported Mexican migrants
• Working as an anti-racist behavioral health community convening organizer
• Evaluating the implementation and impact of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia's Farm to Families program
• Examining preliminary data on a recovery support study on bladder cancer patients and caregivers with Fox Chase Cancer Center.
• Providing data analysis and identifying areas of gaps in health programming based on 5 years of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development health outcome data with a community services organization.
• Examining the relationship between immigration climate (sanctuary status, population composition) and school performance among children of Latino immigrants comparing families who are not separated and separated due to deportation.
• Analyzing medical records of women who take a specific type of birth control, and looking at their demographics and sexually transmitted infection rates with St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.
• Exploring provider practices and approaches on breastfeeding among HIV positive women with Health Federation of Philadelphia
• Identifying women's identity perception of calling themselves a cancer survivor and how this may influence quality of life with Fox Chase Cancer Center
• Developing a formative survey to assess neighborhood gentrification with Urban Health Collaborative
• Conducting a client satisfaction survey of family planning clinics focused on equalizing access to sexual and reproductive health care for teens with AccessMatters
• Measuring the impact of an Overdose Prevention Site in Kensington in response to the overdose crisis with Dornsife SPH faculty

Epidemiology ILEs

• Examining the association between Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) for Autism and ADHD and medication-use patterns among older adults in the United States using the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) dataset
• Examining whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) are associated with depressive disorder among US young adults aged 18-24 using BRFSS data (2022-2024). 
• Analyzing the relationship between access to clean water, fluoride exposure, and dental health outcomes in rural communities, exploring how water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions influence oral and overall health (building upon APE with World Vision Zambia)
• Evaluating unmet needs and the burden of disease epidemiology in head and neck cancer, working with the Interventional Oncology team at Johnson & Johnson
• Analyzing variations by race of preterm birth as a precursor for postpartum depression.
• Examining the association between depression scores and the presence and severity of diabetes among US adults in 2017-2018
• Examining whether parental behaviors while driving (seatbelt use, speeding, alcohol use, etc.) is associated with the usage of child restraint system (booster seats, car seats, etc).
• Investigating the effect of immune dysfunction on the association between chronic kidney disease and nosocomial Clostridium difficile infection
• Reporting on receipt of services for transition from pediatric to adult care among youth with chronic medical conditions
• Conducting a cross-temporal analysis of deported migrants health profile and outcomes over time
• Assessing the relationship between gender and cannabis-using practices in adult cannabis users
• Exploring the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and preterm birth in Pennsylvania
• Analyzing the impact of neighborhood green space on hypertension among adults living in Philadelphia.
• Understanding associations relevant to pathways that connect neighborhood diversity and well-being using data from the Neighborhood Diversity and Well-Being Study in the Washington, DC area.
• Describing how the incidence of non-driving related suspensions among New Jersey drivers varies by race/ethnicity, sex, and age, and examining spatiotemporal relationships between non-driving related license suspensions and driver’s race/ethnicity, sex, and age.
• Examining how the risk of Black men experiencing gun violence in Philadelphia increased in 2020 compared to 2019.
• Exploring the effect of fish intake on the development of autistic traits with A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
• Examining invasive Salmonellosis cases in rural vs urban counties in Pennsylvania with Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Investigating the association between household income and car seat use on airplanes with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Examining cases caused by Legionella outbreaks due to various building characteristics with Drexel University College of Engineering
• Analyzing spatial data of alcohol outlets and their correlation to alcohol consumption with Dornsife SPH faculty

Environmental Health Sciences ILEs

• Analyzing data from the Fire Service Organizational Culture of Safety (FOCUS) 3.0 survey, focusing on demographic factors of fire departments that influence management commitment to and support for safety.
• Working with Women for a Healthy Environment on a pilot project that explored the impact of shade structures on child playtime in childcare centers in Environmental Justice areas.
• Surveying hotel housekeepers and analyzing risk factors for pain and injury for a local union.
• Developing a messaging toolkit for a hypothetical anthrax outbreak, for use in a field exercise by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Preparedness and Bioterrorism Program.
• Conducting a systematic review of the literature on the impact of extreme ambient extreme heat on pediatric morbidity with Dornsife faculty.
• Developing an emergency management plan for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health's Primary Care Health Center Network.
• Conducting a systematic review of the literature on residential exposure to municipal solid waste incinerators and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
• Monitoring air quality across Philadelphia with Dornsife SPH faculty
• Conducting a literature review of long-haul trucker health and developing a prototype for a risk assessment tool with Dornsife SPH faculty
• Identifying and classifying environmental exposures using GIS with the Environmental Protection Agency
• Analyzing exposures and pollutants of greatest risk to children's and adults' health with the Environmental Protection Agency
• Developing and testing a pandemic influenza response plan for the effective coordination of a response with Chester County Health Department

Health Management and Policy ILEs

• Working on the Perinatal HIV Prevention Project at the Health Federation of Philadelphia, assisting with case reviews, quality improvement initiatives, and data collection to identify gaps in care and improve maternal and infant health outcomes among women living with or at risk for HIV.
• Conducting the first steps in St. Christopher Hospital’s community health needs, including reports from various Philadelphia Community Health Needs Assessments that serve the surrounding ten zip codes.
• Assisting Autism Speaks in carrying out federal governmental advocacy work to positively impact employment, health and education policy.
• Working on an Emergency Management Plan for Philadelphia Health Centers creating an incident command structure, and completing an emergency management plan.
• Creating a Standardized Process for optimizing patient flow through the Department of Healthcare Quality and Analytics and understanding how various social determinants of health affect all aspects of patient care.
• Mapping an innovation ecosystem with Independence Blue Cross to design the external partnership strategy for non-profit outreach.
• Optimizing functionality and usability of electronic medical record system at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
• Improving maternal and child health on a global scale with Foundation for the Medical Relief of Children
• Evaluating the implementation of a vaccine policy change for school immunizations at Philadelphia Department of Public Health
• Researching and comparing community referral sites at HealthShare Exchange
• Improving patient safety and quality of services at Wills Eye Hospital

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