Sarah Yoder's Blog (6)

We are in the middle of week three of the Nicaragua Cook Stove Project and I can't believe how quickly time has flown by. It seems like there's always something exciting going on, whether that's going out to the field or exploring Nicaragua. There are eleven of us living in a great house (which includes a mango tree) and heading off to El Fortin each day to do research. The women in El Fortin are lots of fun to work with and very understanding and helpful when I try to speak Spanish. My main rol… Continue

Hello! It's been awhile since I've given an update, but nothing huge has happened... I've completed all the training to do inspections on my own, so my days are now spent on the road doing inspections. Most of the retail food establishments on my list are FAR away, so I've been driving a lot. Luckily, I've been able to use a county truck most of the time. One day I had to do inspections up north, and ended up driving for a couple hours in Wyoming. That was a long day! It was interesting though.… Continue

Resident food inspector here to dispel myths, speak the scary truths, and impart some wisdom on what to order when going out to eat. First off, let me preface by noting that inspections are not easy! There’s so much gray area in some of the regulations that you have to be confident and decisive about whether to cite a violation and take appropriate actions, but here’s what I’ve learned. 1. Places with the least amount of food preparation are the easiest inspections. False. The ones you think w… Continue

Alright, so the first week is over and I’m so tired! Getting up early in the morning has been a lot harder than usual, especially since my drive to work is long. It’s kind of interesting though, driving through all the farms, feedlots, grainaries, ect. Anyway, I’ve been doing more inspections. I’ve finished my observation requirements and now I’m on to doing joint inspections. In a joint inspection I conduct the inspection and I’m evaluated at the end by my supervisor. My first one was SO stress… Continue

Okay, so I’ve finally started my internship at the Weld County Health Department. I’m an EH intern, but I’m mostly working with the food safety program. I started yesterday and got to do a full day of online training. Yay. I managed to somehow do all 13 modules in a day and I am now a walking encyclopedia on all aspects relating to food borne illness prevention. Questions about HACCP or the incubation period for Listeria? Ask me ;) Anyway, those courses weren’t all that bad, and I was already fa… Continue

I was a JrCOSTEP (intern) last summer with the US Public Health Service. I worked on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation (the FAIR) in Arizona. I was a commissioned officer (Ensign Yoder, haha) and got to know the workings of one of the Uniformed Services (I didn't have to wear a uniform though since I was there for such a short time). It was an amazing experience! I would recommend this internship to anyone interested in pursuing a career in Public Health. If you would like to know more about wh… Continue