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High School Students Learn Valuable Work Skills Through BIDMC’s Internship Program
BIDMC hosted nine students from three local community groups.
Date: 7/10/2009
BIDMC Contact: Zineb Marchoudi
Phone: 617-667-7305
Email: zmarchou@bidmc.harvard.edu
Each year, through partnerships with various organizations in the City of Boston, BIDMC offers internship opportunities for high school students and young professionals during the academic school year. This year, BIDMC hosted nine students giving them exposure to health care jobs and a taste of what it’s like to work in an administrative, business or clinical role in an academic medical center.
Sixteen year-old Sasha Bachier, a junior at New Mission High in Roxbury, was one of the four interns from Sociedad Latina, a Mission Hill-based organization that partners with Latino youth to cultivate the next generation of leaders. For over a decade, Sociedad Latina and BIDMC have collaborated on development programs to introduce high school students to careers in the health care arena.
“Having an intern really helps with the work load because we’re able to delegate some of those administrative tasks to them,” said Brigitte Bowen-Benitich, Practice Manager, Healthcare Associates, and one of Bachier’s supervisors. “Things like faxing and filing may seem simple but it’s so important for the patients.”
Anthony Clacher, Supervisor, Image Archive, Radiology, is another one of the nine administrators who supervised a student this year giving 18 year-old Elainy Romero, a Fenway High senior, a look at the inner workings of the Radiology department. Fenway High requires students to complete a 60-hour internship to receive credit for graduation. For six weeks Romero worked from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, burning images of mammograms to CDs, sorting mail and tracking down information to help with the work flow in Radiology.
“I learned a lot,” said Romero, who was first introduced to the Radiology Department when she came to BIDMC’s annual Job Shadow Day. “At first I thought it was hard but then the longer I was here it became easy and more fun.”
According to Emily Beck, Program Administrator, Workforce Development, Human Resources, who organizes the internship program at BIDMC, it’s a win-win situation for both the students and hospital administrators
“I think the managers and departments are really appreciative of all the extra help they’re getting and seeing a new face around,” said Beck. “A lot of the managers have enjoyed teaching these kids about health care and about what it means to balance work life and school life.”
Managers also give the students advice about college, next steps in life and pointers on working in a professional setting. In many cases friendships and bonds are made that last longer than the internships. Sally Gwin, Administrative Coordinator, General Surgery, and Ailicet Montilla, Division Administrator, were so enamored with 18 year-old intern Deonee High they attended her June graduation from Winsor High School
High is the only student this year from the GOTCHA program, which stands for “Get Off The Corner Hangin’ Around,” and is a collaborative effort between six non-profit organizations that organize and advocate for teen job opportunities. Previously focused on summer internships, GOTCHA is now expanding the program to support more year-long internships. This was the first year they had an intern at BIDMC during the academic school year.
Not all students are limited to filing papers and photocopying. Eighteen year-old Esther Cazeau, a Fenway High intern, who worked on Farr 5 Medical/Surgical unit, saw direct patient contact under the supervision of Linda Denekamp, RN, Nurse Manager
“Her title is a Customer Service Assistant,’ said Denekamp. “The goal is to go around and check with patients and make sure that little needs are met whether it’s getting a newspaper or can they reach their phone, just those simple things to keep people happy.”
Cazeau also helped escort family members to the waiting room, restocked supplies in the rooms and covered the front desk when the Unit Coordinator was on break. She said she enjoyed talking with the patients every day.
“It takes a lot of dedication and teamwork to improve a patient’s health and make them feel good and have a good experience at the hospital,” said Cazeau. “I’ve become more mature because I’m working in an adult environment that was different so I’ve had to change. It’s going to be helpful when I find a career because I’ll know what to expect.”
Cazeau is interested in psychology and will be pursuing a degree in biology when she attends Suffolk University in the fall.
Students might decide a career in health care is not for them but still enjoy the weekly paychecks for their hard work. The money for the year-long internships is made possible through support of the sponsoring organizations. The GOTCHA program students are paid for by the Boston Youth Fund. Sociedad Latina pays for its own interns and Fenway High students are not paid since they’re getting a semester of school credit substituting the hands-on experience for the classroom.
“I think it’s really important for us to have interns from these community groups because it provides them with real life exposure to jobs and specifically strengthens or even starts their interest in health care and that’s something that’s really important to us,” said Beck.
