Vittaleshvara Bhargava is a sophomore at Stony Brook University, studying Chemistry. He plans to pursue a MD/MPH or MD/JD and would love to be a pediatric endocrinologist, advocating for gender diverse youth.
He reflects on this internship as a life changing experience to be part of the inaugural internship class and present research at the CDC Showcase. His favorite internship course focused on cultural competency and its importance in health-related fields.
His advice: “Make sure you are passionate! It is so important to care when you are in this field because people’s lives are affected by this. Without compassion, empathy, and a strong will, your efforts in public health will not pay off.”