diff --git a/backend/entities/user_entity.py b/backend/entities/user_entity.py
index 435023c..2a0f335 100644
--- a/backend/entities/user_entity.py
+++ b/backend/entities/user_entity.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """ Defines the table for storing users """
 
 # Import our mapped SQL types from SQLAlchemy
-from sqlalchemy import Integer, String, DateTime, ARRAY
+from sqlalchemy import Integer, String, DateTime, ARRAY, Enum
 
 
 # Import mapping capabilities from the SQLAlchemy ORM
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 # Import enums for Role and Program
 from .program_enum import ProgramEnum
 from .user_enum import RoleEnum
+from ..models.enum_for_models import UserTypeEnum, ProgramTypeEnum
 
 #Import models for User methods
 from ..models.user_model import User
@@ -36,9 +37,9 @@ class UserEntity(EntityBase):
     id: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, primary_key=True, autoincrement=True)
     created_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime, default=datetime.now)
     username: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(32), nullable=False, default="", unique=True )
-    role: Mapped[RoleEnum] = mapped_column(String, nullable=False)
+    role: Mapped[UserTypeEnum] = mapped_column(Enum(UserTypeEnum), nullable=False)
     email: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(50), nullable=False, unique=True)
-    program: Mapped[list[str]] = mapped_column(ARRAY(String), nullable=False)
+    program: Mapped[list[ProgramTypeEnum]] = mapped_column(ARRAY(Enum(ProgramTypeEnum)), nullable=False)
     experience: Mapped[int] = mapped_column(Integer, nullable=False)
     group: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(50))
 
diff --git a/backend/models/user_model.py b/backend/models/user_model.py
index 2f227c2..c881d54 100644
--- a/backend/models/user_model.py
+++ b/backend/models/user_model.py
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@ class User(BaseModel):
     email: str = Field(..., description="The e-mail of the user")
     experience: int = Field(..., description="Years of Experience of the User")
     group: str
-    programtype: List[str]
-    usertype: str
+    programtype: List[ProgramTypeEnum]
+    usertype: UserTypeEnum
     created_at: Optional[datetime]
diff --git a/backend/services/user.py b/backend/services/user.py
index 87baab5..8065b27 100644
--- a/backend/services/user.py
+++ b/backend/services/user.py
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ class UserService:
         
         """
         try:
-            user_entity = self.get_user_by_id(user.id)
+            user_model = self.get_user_by_id(user.id)
+            return user_model
         except:
             # if does not exist, create new object
             user_entity = UserEntity.from_model(user)
diff --git a/backend/test/services/user_test.py b/backend/test/services/user_test.py
index 337ee5f..170569f 100644
--- a/backend/test/services/user_test.py
+++ b/backend/test/services/user_test.py
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ def test_create(user_svc: UserService):
     assert user1 is not None
     assert user1.id is not None
 
-def test_create_id_exists(user_svc: UserService):  
+
+def test_create_id_exists(user_svc: UserService):
     """Test creating a user with id conflict"""
-    user1 = user_svc.create(volunteer)  
+    user1 = user_svc.create(volunteer)
     assert user1 is not None
     assert user1.id is not None
 
@@ -29,19 +30,15 @@ def test_get_all(user_svc: UserService):
     users = user_svc.all()
     assert len(users) == 3
 
+
 def test_get_user_by_id(user_svc: UserService):
     """Test getting a user by an id"""
     user = user_svc.get_user_by_id(volunteer.id)
     assert user is not None
     assert user.id is not None
 
+
 def test_get_user_by_id_nonexistent(user_svc: UserService):
     """Test getting a user by id that does not exist"""
     with pytest.raises(Exception):
         user_svc.get_by_id(5)
-
-
-    
-    
-
-    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/backend/test/services/user_test_data.py b/backend/test/services/user_test_data.py
index 119375e..bcd481f 100644
--- a/backend/test/services/user_test_data.py
+++ b/backend/test/services/user_test_data.py
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ volunteer = User(
     email="volunteer@compass.com",
     experience=1,
     group="volunteers",
-    programtype=[programs.COMMUNITY.value],
+    programtype=[programs.COMMUNITY],
     created_at=datetime.now(),
-    usertype=UserTypeEnum.VOLUNTEER.value
+    usertype=UserTypeEnum.VOLUNTEER
 )
 
 employee = User(
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ employee = User(
     email="employee@compass.com",
     experience=5,
     group="employees",
-    programtype=[programs.DOMESTIC.value, programs.ECONOMIC.value],
+    programtype=[programs.DOMESTIC, programs.ECONOMIC],
     created_at=datetime.now(),
-    usertype=roles.EMPLOYEE.value,
+    usertype=roles.EMPLOYEE,
 )
 
 admin = User(
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ admin = User(
     email="admin@compass.com",
     experience=10,
     group="admin",
-    programtype=[programs.ECONOMIC.value, programs.DOMESTIC.value, programs.COMMUNITY.value],
+    programtype=[programs.ECONOMIC, programs.DOMESTIC, programs.COMMUNITY],
     created_at=datetime.now(),
-    usertype=roles.ADMIN.value,
+    usertype=roles.ADMIN,
 )
 
 newUser = User(
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ newUser = User(
     email="new@compass.com",
     experience=1,
     group="volunteer",
-    programtype=[programs.ECONOMIC.value],
+    programtype=[programs.ECONOMIC],
     created_at=datetime.now(),
-    usertype=roles.VOLUNTEER.value
+    usertype=roles.VOLUNTEER
 )
 
 users = [volunteer, employee, admin]