April 25, 2022
In celebration of Internship Awareness Month, HCIF is thrilled to highlight Eric Gore in this month’s staff profile. Eric has been interning with HCIF while he works to complete his Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Temple University. During Eric’s internship, he has provided support to the clinical improvement team with the Pennsylvania Urologic Regional Collaborative (PURC) program. As Eric prepares to graduate and begin a new chapter in his professional career, he reflected on his time with HCIF and what a career in public health looks like for him.
What is your current role?
[I am a] Patient Services Coordinator at Pennsylvania Hospital. I have been in this role for 9 months; however, I have been at Penn Medicine for 5 years.
How did you become interested in this role?
I have always been drawn to the public health field ever since I was a child. I enjoy interacting and helping other people, which drew me to this position. My mother has also worked at Pennsylvania Hospital for over 30 years.
How did you learn about HCIF and what prompted you to seek an internship with HCIF?
I learned about HCIF and PURC [Pennsylvania Urologic Regional Collaborative] through individuals at Penn Medicine who had worked alongside Dr. Adam Reese. They put me in touch with him and from there, I was introduced to HCIF. I have recently taken an interest in cancer epidemiology, and this was a great opportunity for me to learn more about prostate cancer and the HCIF organization as a whole.
What have you found most valuable about working with HCIF
I found the teamwork and comradery to be most valuable while with HCIF. There are many responsibilities and moving pieces at this organization; however, teamwork has been crucial in making sure all tasks are completed in a timely manner. One of my fondest memories was attending the luncheon at HCIF. I had a chance to meet everyone in person and it was a great experience. I am very appreciative for the invitation.
What’s something you’ve learned from your internship with us?
During this internship, I really learned the importance of time management. With this internship, school, and work, effective time management is very important. This is an area I am continuing to improve in, and it will be a very valuable skill as I progress as a public health professional.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment is actually my most recent accomplishment. In a couple of weeks, I will be obtaining my Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology. It was a four year journey. I am very proud that I was able to persevere and work through roadblocks to reach my goal.
What’s a quote that inspires your work?
“You only fail when you stop trying.”
What are your career aspirations? Where would you like to be in 5 years?
My aspirations for the future include pursuing a career position in public health in my major. I am still undecided on whether I want to focus on cancer epidemiology or infectious epidemiology. In 5 years, I potentially would like to be pursuing a doctoral degree if I am inspired to continue furthering my education. I mainly would like to continue to make a positive impact in public health.
When you are not busy with school and work, what do you like to do?
I enjoy exercising and going out for a run. It helps me relax and gives me some alone time. I also enjoy playing music. I play the trumpet, and sometimes I compose music for fun. Most recently, I have begun listening to audiobooks and podcasts.