LINK INTERNSHIP
At Animas High School, juniors have the unique opportunity to pursue an
internship that will strengthen our interests. These internships take place for most of May, taking over a minimum of three weeks, while not having to attend classes. LINK stands for "Leading Internships for New Knowledge".
MERCY HOSPITAL
My official internship was at Mercy Hospital here in Durango. I worked in the clinical side of the hospital, where check-ins and follow-ups took place. I worked in several different departments including neurology, radiology, and nephrology, but I was usually found in cardiology. My mentor was placed in cardiology, where I would then follow medical assistance and doctors to conference with patients. During the conferences, they mainly discussed vitals, medications, and what the future steps are. Some future steps involved procedures, which would take place in the nearby cath lab.
REFLECTION
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Walking into my official internship I always thought I gave a professional approach. Even with just the first impressions, the handshake man. Every time I met a new patient I was sure to let them know that I was a student, and made that confirmation of if it was ok for me to view their interactions with the doctor.
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When going through the clinics I learned quickly the importance of asking questions. The people I was following are people who do this type of thing on the daily and can easily forget what needs to be explained. I think this question asking was especially important with reviewing radiology within the oncology department. This happens to be a treatment option for those with cancer, by using radiation to destruct the cancer cells. The process was complex and it happened to involve having to have that good communication with other people in the office. I got to understand much of that process and the specific roles that are played because I was constantly asking questions.
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My challenge occurred early on in my internship, yet I'm thankful because it's the only reason I get to express my official internship. I had felt obligated to switch my internship after the first week. This is due to a lack of communication, for I was unaware of my main mentor leaving for Denver, and those that were next in line to support me and future activities had neglected to do so. After the first week, I had only fulfilled two hours when the goal is 30/40. What this looked like from me is the understanding of how important communication is, for I then had to move forward and express to Janae how I was struggling.
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With San Juan Health, it was clear that they had experience with Animas High School students before. I just happened to be the bump in the road. They expressed how they would still enjoy youth voices at there ever growing organization. Whereas at Mercy Hospital, they too venture through many interns. As a hospital, they are a great place for the visual aspect of a growing career, and because AHS students have this incredible opportunity of experiencing the real life, it just feels right for us to take on the hospital setting (those interested in the medical field).
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I was discussing with one of the registered nurses and they recommended pathology to me, where it definitely had that more medical research aspect. Of course, this wasn't heard about until the last day and became out of reach for me to accomplish. Other than that, I learned that I don't want to work with patients. I rather do the background work, the actual research. As I was paneling about my internship with people who did things similar to me, I was listening to one girl who had worked with a holistic setting clinic, I became interested. For a few years now I've been touching base with that holistic approach on things and I wish I had gone up to Oregan to do just that.
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PROJECT
The shown image to the left is a poster I had created during my link internship. While at the hospital, I was interested in neuropsychology, therefore I got to spend a little time in the neurology department. There, I got to experience a botox day. This is where several people come in to receive 31 shots around the head of botox to help block migraines. My poster is a simple research poster of information I have gathered from two different doctors while in neurology. There are some strong visual aspects including where exactly these shots are given and the time span of how long until you can receive your next injections. There is also information on how Parkinson's plays a role with botox.
ANTICIPATION AND PREPARATION
January 19th, 2019
My intern story so far, well it's an unwanted one. I am looking in high spirit for an internship that supports the role of a research psychologist. I thought I had a secure place up in Oregon, only to learn it wasn't ideal for they are more therapists than researchers. I made things complicated by starting a college course here in town. Before I begun, I thought that the two-time frames were going to overlap, forcing me to stay in town. My search took a change by focusing in town. I'll admit I got sloppy, was no longer inspired, and more so upset that I could no longer do the basic thing and travel. I currently still hold the position of swapping emails between business and trying to form a structure before anything else.
April 8th, 2019
My story continues, for after meetings with Janae, I discovered the San Juan Health Basin. I was capable of having a meeting with one of the girls there and in the meantime not much has been developing. I'm nervous for she expressed (a lot) how open-ended they are, so I'm hoping to have more guidelines once I begin there.
April 27th, 2019
The potential internship with San Juan Health Basin, I recognized too late that it had little containing the career path I'm interested in. I stuck to San Juan Health for the first week of my internship, only to learn that they didn't have much for me to do and I only got two hours in the first week. Hours were then guaranteed to be tough to gain, as well as tough to keep communication. I conferenced with our head person, Janae, about switching internships. My mom works at the hospital, so she and I discovered someone who could quickly take me in as an intern. The following week I could be found in the clinics at Mercy Hospital.
Overall
Oddly enough, I was on the search for a research psychology internship. For the past two years I've been chasing the question, "Why do people do what they do?". I was interested in a clinic up in Oregon because I had a great connection up to there thinking it was a research facility. The true piece that I wanted to gain from my internship was to finally grasp that research aspect of psychology. Turned around and was a holistic approached clinic (which is actually what I was inspired to after my internship). I was then interested in San Juan Health due to their work on research with teenagers my age dealing with mental health. Unfortunately, I fear that I ended up at Mercy Hospital due to it being a last resort, more so for the medical approach to my current desire of neuropsychology.
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Since my internships were held in two places, I didn't consider what I could bring to their business. At the San Juan Health, I knew I was going to be their youth voice for a while. To be their youth voice and to throw in a few words about how their ideas look from my perspective. I was going to support their projects in a more positive way. Where at Mercy Hospital, I had no preplanned outline of what I was even stepping into. Unfortunately, I feel that it comes down to me not to bring any big ticket item for them.
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The departments I worked with during my two weeks got to have my given impression of a high school intern. I'm unaware if these clinics worked with students outside of me and the few students that were with me. Although I am aware that I left a good impression for the departments I was with due to the feedback I received at the end of the day and also from my main mentor when she requested I be with her when filling out the survey.