I always knew I wanted to venture into public health and research, but I had no idea where to start. I knew no one in the field, had no guidance, and felt like an outsider. Then, I came across Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH) —an organization dedicated to research, training and practice. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for.
When I found the internship portal, I hesitated. Would I even be selected? But I applied regardless. And then—oh, I did get selected. What followed was a beautiful journey that took me across both rural and urban health facilities in three different regions: Dar es Salaam, Kagera, and Tabora. Until then, I had only understood healthcare from the perspective of treating individual patients, but this experience changed everything. I got an insider’s view of health systems, immersed myself in the diverse cultures of the three regions, and worked closely with professionals across different cadres—nurses, government officials, and patients alike. Every day in the field was a new lesson, a new story, a new inspiration. In just a few months, I received intensive research and quality assessment training that reshaped my perspective.
At AAPH, I worked under the guidance of research giants. These were not just supervisors—they were mentors who led with patience and wisdom. I could ask what I thought were the most naïve questions, yet they answered me as if I had posed the most profound inquiry. AAPH has bosses, of course, but you’d hardly know because the work culture is so supportive and welcoming. It is serious enough to instill accountability, yet friendly enough to foster growth.
One of the most remarkable moments of my internship came when I found myself balancing research and program work, eager to maximize every learning opportunity. At one point, I was required to be in Kagera for fieldwork while an intensive training was happening in Dar es Salaam. I wanted to be in both. ‘This is the start of my career, and I do not want to miss a thing’. When I voiced my concerns, my two supervisors did not just dismiss them; instead, they sat together, then with me, discussing ways to adjust my schedule so I could effectively handle my workload without feeling overwhelmed. Oh, that moment—that moment cemented my admiration for AAPH’s work culture, and it empowered me to thrive. And thrive, I did.
Throughout my internship, I worked in the field, collected data, analyzed findings, wrote technical reports, and even became the first author of a manuscript titled “Stakeholder perspectives on the barriers to family planning services provision: a qualitative study in eastern Tanzania”. I mentored fellow interns and volunteers, particularly those who joined after me.
One of my biggest achievements while at AAPH was winning the 2025 Untold Story Global Contest hosted by Global Health NOW and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH), where I was named one of the two grand prizewinners. The opportunities at AAPH are boundless, and I seized every one of them.
Thanks to Africa Academy for Public Health, my dreams feel closer than ever. The path that once seemed so uncertain now feels clear and attainable. I have grown in ways I never imagined, and I now know what I want and how to get there.
To aspiring researchers and public health professionals—if you have the chance to intern at AAPH, take it. And when you do, give it your all. Because at AAPH, what you put in, you receive back tenfold. The mentors are invested in your growth and your knowledge, and they want nothing more than to see you succeed. This has been a defining chapter in my journey, and I will carry its lessons with me forever.
PS: AAPH, we’re not done yet!
Doreen Smart, MD.
#FORBETTERPUBLICHEALTH