After several weeks in my internship, I have learned and seen many new things. I began my internship following the physical therapist at Melissa Memorial Hospital, but due to illness, I am getting to follow many different departments and learn a wide range of information. The departments that I have observed include physical therapy, occupational therapy, wound care, cardiology, and cardiac rehab. I have seen many new practices and learned new terminology that will be helpful in my future career and schooling. The first picture is of an echocardiogram. The light blue in the picture shows the cardiologist that the patient has a leaky valve in their heart. The second picture is from wound care. The physician placed maggots in a patient’s wound to clean it. Maggots help clean the wound more effectively than a doctor could because they only eat the dead skin and do minimal to no damage.
I have set a goal for this summer in communication, growing my professional network, and leadership. My first goal is to learn how to communicate effectively and confidently with my superiors. I can do this by being aware of my body language as well as writing professionally. Another goal that I have is to expand my professional network by keeping in contact with my fellow interns in my area. We can give one another tips and advice along with working together to find community service projects that would benefit our town. The final goal I have is to become a better leader by focusing on bettering the lives of each patient that comes into the hospital. Many of the patients are older and can be very lonely. Even a conversation or a sense of companionship will be greatly appreciated by them. My internship is going very well so far, and I am excited to continue.

