Summer Interns Celebrated
High school students share their stories
Date: 8/31/2010
BIDMC Contact: Kelly Lawman
Phone: 617-667-7305
Email: klawman@bidmc.harvard.edu
Thanks to BIDMC’s Department of Workforce Development, 35 area students are headed back to school this fall a little wiser. The summer interns who took positions throughout the hospital now have their own insight into what it really takes to run a hospital.
Everyone thinks it’s the doctors and nurses that make a hospital run,” said Lewis Gay who interned in Health Care Quality, “but I learned that it takes every employee whether it’s a maintenance worker, secretary, custodian, anybody that works the front desk, all of them have to work together to make the hospital run efficiently.”
“The students worked in areas ranging from Nursing to Food Service to Surgery. They were exposed to real life jobs where they were able to build skills, learn about the healthcare setting and hopefully develop an interest in working in a hospital environment.” said Emily Beck, Program Administrator, Workforce Development.
For many of the students it was their first professional experience and an opportunity to see first hand what a career in the health field might look like. “I had a really good summer at BIDMC,” said Alexis Hartfield, who worked in Radiology. “I learned a lot of different skills that can carry over into the future.”
Lacresha Carter, who worked in Facilities, came into the internship thinking college was a long shot for her. “I wasn’t going to go to college because I was afraid of money problems,” she said. But a tour of the cardiology unit with supervisor, Tanya Gray, helped change Carter’s mind. She now has plans to apply to schools and is excited about her goal of becoming a cardiologist. “Every time anybody says cardiology, I smile,” said Carter. “I just love it.”
For over 15 years BIDMC has welcomed summer interns, both high school and college students, and now hosts over 30 students each July and August. The paid internships run seven weeks with students working 25 to 32 hours each week. The program is coordinated in partnership with a number of community organizations, including the Boston Private Industry Council (PIC); Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD); Get Off the Corner Hangin’ Around (GOTCHA); Brookline Public School’s Work Connections for Youth Program, and the Gateway program at the John D. O’Bryant High School.
At an afternoon event for the interns held August 24, the students each spoke about their experiences working at BIDMC this summer and what they learned about both health care and themselves. “I learned how to focus more and work on my own and be more independent, thanks to Jeff Kemp,” said Bennie Wilkins of his supervisor in Information Systems. “He taught me a lot about how to be more organized and attentive.”
Working on the Nuclear Medicine team, Yesenia Perez’s tasks included filing and faxing and actually assisting with patients in the waiting room. “I learned that even the most insignificant details make a difference,” said Perez. “My dream was always to work in a hospital and see what goes on in a hospital and now I know I want to work closely with patients and help them in every way I can.”
In addition to their work schedules, students gathered for weekly Career Exploration sessions, coordinated by Human Resources. During these sessions students toured the Emergency Department, the NICU and Simulation Lab, took a financial aid workshop and participated in panel discussions with nurses and doctors.
I can tell you from our own experience with Claribel Rosa who interned with us in Human Resources, that this is a terrific group,” said Lisa Zankman, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, who thanked all the students for their hard work over the summer and encouraged them to stay in touch. “Let us help you think about what’s next and what kinds of things you need to take in high school and college to get ready for a career with us because we’d love to have you back.”
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and consistently ranks among the top four in National Institutes of Health funding among independent hospitals nationwide. BIDMC is clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org .
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