Hailing from Pakistan, Umaima Abbasi enrolled in GPH after earning her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. Her interests center on vaccine-preventable diseases, with aspirations to design immunization programs using the MOST optimization framework in order to strengthen vaccine uptake in underserved global settings. Umaima advises classmates to find an internship that “challenges you and allows you to share your strengths; when it aligns with your interests it can make the experience more meaningful.”
Degree Program & Concentration: MPH in Epidemiology
Internship Organization: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Immunization
Internship Location: Long Island City, Queens
SECURING THE INTERNSHIP
Why did you apply to be an intern at the NYC Bureau of Immunization? What about its mission, work or brand captured your attention?
I've always been drawn to understanding how vaccination campaigns can both protect communities and reveal persistent disparities in access and uptake. I looked for a place where I could contribute to vaccine programs using the quantitative skills I was developing through my MPH in Epidemiology. That’s what made the Bureau of Immunization such a natural fit. Their mix of research, evaluation, and outreach spoke directly to the kind of work I’ve always wanted to do: taking data and evidence and using it to design scalable programs that make vaccines accessible for everyone, especially those most at-risk.
THE GIG
What were your main responsibilities as an intern?
My internship blended research, data analysis, and compliance work. No two days looked exactly alike, but every week included conducting a comprehensive literature review, coding and data analysis, and meetings with my preceptor to refine methods and share results. Much of my time was spent summarizing research findings to identify knowledge gaps. Once our project was underway, I transitioned into data management and analysis using Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR) data. I analyzed patterns of vaccine uptake among infants, identified disparities across demographic and geographic groups, and developed visualizations so the trends are easier to interpret and present.
What's been a surprising or unexpected part of the job?
Realizing how important it is to truly know your dataset! I’ve gained a deep appreciation for the CIR team, who carry out extensive quality assurance and ensure our data is reliable enough to inform public health decisions. I learned quickly that coding variables correctly and understanding how categories are defined can make or break an analysis. My preceptor guided me in navigating complex variables and deciding which ones were essential to keep, reinforcing the fact that rigorous data stewardship is just as critical as the analysis itself.
How has your internship allowed you to use current skills and develop new ones?
I've applied the quantitative skills from my MPH coursework, such as statistical coding and epidemiologic analysis, to analyze real world data and present the findings to inform decisions. I’ve also become stronger in areas I didn’t have much exposure to before now, giving me new skills in data management, project planning, and working with an IRB process in a government setting. I learned how to balance technical rigor with practical considerations, and I gained a deeper understanding of how large public health datasets are maintained and used.
What's been the biggest learning curve for you?
Shifting from classroom data to working with complex, real-world data at scale pushed me to grow as both an analyst and a practitioner. In school assignments, data is often clean and structured, but in the real world it requires reconciling missing or inconsistent data, making decisions about how to recode variables, and documenting those choices in a transparent way. I’ve also learned critical thinking and collaboration, the importance of asking questions, and how to lean on subject matter experts to ensure that the statistical decisions I make are grounded in public health realities.
THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Were there any "perks" or special events during your internship?
One of the biggest was the chance to work closely with mentors and peers at the Bureau of Immunization. Having that support system made the experience especially meaningful. I could see how invested both my preceptor and PI were in my academic development and professional growth, and that encouragement created a collaborative environment where I felt comfortable asking questions, learning from their expertise, and contributing in a real way to the project.
ADVICE FOR STUDENTS
What advice do you have for students looking for a similar internship?
Start exploring early (as challenging as that may be with first-year coursework)! Don’t be afraid to have conversations with professors who make an impression on you, with peers or even professionals in the field—they’re people who might guide you toward the right fit, and those connections can often lead to unexpected opportunities. Most importantly, find an internship where you can bring your strengths to the table, but also challenge yourself along the way. Reflect on where your public health passions lie, because when your internship aligns with your interests the experience is more meaningful.
What courses or professor at NYU GPH helped prepare you for the internship?
One was my Intermediate Epidemiology class with Dr. Farzana Kapadia. The tools and methods we learned in that course translated directly into the work I did during my internship. I often found myself returning to the approaches introduced in her class as I worked through the dataset, which gave me both confidence and a strong foundation for carrying out my analyses. Having that academic preparation made it easier to step into a real-world project and contribute to it.
HIGHLIGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
What was the best part of your internship?
Without a doubt, my favorite was working with my preceptor; her mentorship and guidance shaped every part of my experience. She not only provided technical support but also encouraged me to think critically and approach the work with both rigor and creativity. What stood out most was how invested she was in my growth as a student and a professional. Having a mentor who believed in my potential, and challenged me to reach higher, made my internship incredibly rewarding.
Can you describe a memorable moment or accomplishment?
One of my proudest moments was realizing how much progress I had made in Rstudio. At the start, I often double-checked code and second-guessed whether my approach was correct. But with practice and guidance, I became more confident cleaning and analyzing the CIR data on my own. The first time I generated a set of graphs that clearly showed patterns in vaccine uptake, it felt like a real milestone! It wasn’t just running the code successfully, but seeing the data come to life and inform meaningful public health decisions.
Has this experience shaped your future career goals? What's your "dream job"?
This internship confirmed that I want a career at the intersection of research and community outreach. Analyzing vaccine uptake patterns and disparities was valuable on its own, but what inspired me most was thinking about how those findings can be used to inform outreach strategies and close gaps in care. My dream job is one where I generate evidence and then work directly with communities and partners to put that evidence into action. This experience showed me that combining rigorous research with hands-on public health practice is not only possible but essential—and it’s exactly where I see myself in the future.