By now, you all
should have spent two or three full days at your internships. Please respond
to this post no later than July 10.
Write
a short summary of your first impressions of your internship. React to
the work environment, your mentor, your co-workers, and the tasks
assigned to you so far, as well as any plans you and your mentor have
made for the rest of your time together. Discuss ways in which the
internship has and has not
met your expectations during this first week.
Don't forget to come back and read your fellow interns' posts throughout the
coming weeks and comment on at least two of them. Remember to keep your
comments positive and supportive. (Concerns or difficulties should be
discussed with me via phone - 571/233-0713 - or email.) Be sure
to check back later in the week to answer questions other interns may have asked of you. PRIME Reflections is meant to be an interactive exercise!
Based of my first couple of days, I have gotten a fairly good first impression of my internship. There are only about eight full-time staff members, which makes it very welcoming, and not at all intimidating. I am excited about the projects I will be working on in the next few weeks. My internship managed to meet my expectations in that, I expected my co-workers to be very friendly and helpful. The one thing I did not anticipate was that this particular organization has never had an intern before so not only am I learning, so is my mentor. Overall, my first couple of days have gone fairly smoothly.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're enjoying this internship so far! Also, I think it's really cool how they're letting you do projects over there and how everyone seems really welcoming. Since I have a internship that deals with people, I'm not allowed to do anything like that, but I think it's great that you're getting the experience of doing projects like that to have a better idea of the job.
DeleteSo far, I've had very challenging but rewarding days at my internship as every moment was spent learning something new and interesting. The pharmacy was very organized and had a lot of moving parts and it's inside a large Giant store so things were a little overwhelming and confusing at first but I'm getting used to it now. There was another pharmacist aside from my mentor and the two had very different approaches to the work but that opened my mind to new perspectives and helped me stay interested in learning more. I have rarely seen the four other workers who all work in cycles but I have connected and learned something new from all, everyone was very supportive and willing to teach. I have learned so much already that I feel like I already know everything but I still have so much more to learn in the next few weeks. All the reading I have to do during my assignments was the only negative I could think of but other than that, everything has met my expectations.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that it was overwhelming at first, but I'm glad to hear that you're getting used to the environment. I'm also glad that people are supportive over there because it makes the learning process so much better
DeleteI'm glad that you spent your first few days learning a lot of new and interesting information. That is what makes our internships exciting! I am also glad that you are keeping an open mind to different approaches because that will help you learn more about the work.
DeleteI'm glad you are learning to adjust. It's a great experience to work in different and hectic environments, it will help you a lot later on.
DeleteI'm happy that you are adjusting and are so positive. I hope you continue to learn and that this internship opens many doors for you and truly gives you an insight in what you want to be.
DeleteMy first few days here at the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth, and families have been filled to the brim with work. I feel like the next three weeks are going to be just as busy, if not more so because of how much they value my opinion as a teenager. The office building is HUGE! there have to be at least 40 departments and sub departments under this one roof. For the most part, I've been working with teen outreach and teen Drug and Alcohol prevention. They are challenging me to think of new ways to reach teenagers and get them involved in the community. I can tell that the staff here are passionate about what they do. I came in unsure at first weather or not this would be a good fit for me, but now Im sure this is the best place for me to be able to make a lasting mark on my community.
ReplyDeleteYour internship sounds great, especially since they are keeping you busy. I'm sure they highly value your opinions on their work with teenagers. My office building is also huge, since it's in downtown Rosslyn. Furthermore, the workers in my firm are passionate about their work, and their projects are very impressive.
DeleteYour internship sounds really interesting, Cooper. I met with a woman from the Partnership for Children, Youth and Families with my mentor on Thursday. She is a new hire and she has really interesting ideas about improving the health and well being of low-income families in Arlington. I can ask my mentor what her name is and tell you-- I totally forget what it is now. Good luck, that seems like a great experience!
DeleteYour internship sounds like a really great experience. I have a couple questions. Do you participate in counseling or meet the youth you described? Also, does your mentor's job require them to report certain dangerous situations to authorities? For example, as an EMT, if we have suspicion of abuse, neglect, drug addiction etc, we are required to report it to a related authority. Does your office have similar reporting requirements?
DeleteSo far, my experience at RNL Designs, an architecture and design firm, has been relatively positive. The number of architects at my location in Rosslyn is close to ten, so the environment is very simple and welcoming. Both my mentor and co-workers are kind and easy to work with. I always feel like I can ask at least one of them a question at any given time. The only negative aspect of my internship is that the work that my mentor and co-workers do requires years of specialized schooling and experience with architecture. Therefore, I'm not able to assist them with their projects. Nevertheless, they have designed a project for me that allows me to learn advanced programs, such as AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp at my own pace. It keeps me busy and I enjoy the work.
ReplyDeleteIt's good that you be enjoying the projects that your mentors and co-workers assign to you. Plus having a nice friendly place to work and good people to be around must add on to what you like about your job. It does sound rough not being able to directly assist to their projects but at least you can still gain some learning experience!
DeleteSo far, my internship experience at the PTO has been great and really rewarding. The building is beautiful and huge (10 floors and 5+ buildings), and at first it was really hard to find my way around, but after four days, I can with relative ease find my way just about anywhere. My mentor is awesome, and he really is taking the time not only to include me in his day to day interactions and meetings, but also to teach me more about his role at the PTO, and the countless things that the PTO as a whole oversees. I've mostly been taking inventory of the conference rooms and combining all the information onto a giant spreadsheet which is pretty time consuming, but in the process I have also got to experience the many, many parts of the PTO's building. I also was able to go to Code for NOVA, which another one of the mentors runs on Thursday nights, and got to experience more of a computer side to things, and meet some really intelligent and interesting people that introduced me to coding and guided me in the process of where to start. I also get to work with four other PRIME interns, plus many interns not associated with PRIME who work at the PTO, and it is often reassuring to be able to see familiar faces throughout the day, and have people to eat lunch with, etc. I've been able to listen in on meetings and conference calls, and meet many people who are involved in very different roles at the PTO. It has been an exciting and fulfilling week, and I am looking forward to the rest of the internship.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awesome Megan! I totally agree, its awesome to have other people your age at work that you can relate to. Your internship seems like a great place, I hope the next three weeks are just as rewarding!
DeleteWow! I'm glad you are having such a great time learning and meeting new people. I totally understand the feeling of being uncomfortable in a large environment but since the building is so beautiful it's asking to be explored.
DeleteThis week has been a very eyeopening experience for me by far. In Rader Clinic, I've been able to meet such amazing, friendly people that are just really welcoming to anyone. They're very humorous, but professional at the same time. Everyone that works there is open to any questions you really have and when they explain things (specifically in Physical Therapy) like why a certain exercise is used and what muscle it strengthens. Not only do I see the evaluation part of it, but I also see the actual process they go through by the patient doing physical activity. Even though I've been observing and asking questions the whole time, they'll also make me do the exercises that the patients do themselves. I was told something really important that makes great sense, which is, "do the exercise the patient your treating is doing so you know what they're going through, especially if they have a injury on top of that."
ReplyDeleteSo far I believe there are four other PRIME interns in Rader Clinic (but on different people each week as well) and I feel we can all agree that we're enjoying the internship. The environment is just so positive and everyone seems so nice. It gives you a feel for the army side of the medical field, which is something hard to see if you have no family members that are active. It's also really nice to compare and contrast the lifestyle that they live by to the civilian path (medical career). There's honestly not much that haven't met my expectations in this internship. I guess the only thing that would be surprising is that they really don't see that many patients in specific times of the day, but once you think about it, these times are when people are working so it's understandable. Overall, I've been loving this internship and I can't wait to see different areas of the medical field in Rader Clinic.
So glad you are enjoying it Jessy! It sounds really interesting and like you are getting a lot of exposure to what one does when working physical therapy which is great! Best of luck. :)
DeleteI am also an intern at Rader Clinic and will be doing the physical therapy rotation in a couple of weeks. It was really interesting to hear your description of what an intern does during the week in physical therapy. It is good to hear that the people who work in there are so helpful and friendly.
DeleteThat sounds like so much fun! It's awesome that you've got such a great mentor to teach you all of these things and that you get to see the process of everything.
ReplyDeleteI really like my office, it's not that big and the people there are very nice. I felt welcomed in the office right away. I am one of three new people in it so I'm not the only newbie! And I've been working with the admins this week and they've become friends. However, because I am interning at a structural engineering firm and they had a deadline that was pushed till Friday the office was really busy. So this week they were all working very hard to finish the project. And the majority of my time was spent filing papers. This work does not really meet my expectations, I was hoping to learn about what engineers do and their work processes are.
ReplyDeleteAww, that's too bad Dina. I also was filing papers and entering things into the database for the first few days, but they gave me more exciting work after that was all settled. Hopefully the same happens for you! There are still three weeks left, I am certain you will be able to learn more about what you're interested in!
DeleteWow Dina! I so happy that you feel welcomed in your internship, it's always nice to have a supportive and walk place to work. Plus it sounds like your making friends that you can learn from and talk to. That is unfortunate that your job is not what you worked it up to be. I hope it gets more interesting and your not filing papers for too much longer! I hope to hear more if it turns around!
DeleteHi Dina, I'm sorry to here that your internship isn't what you were expecting. I hope that it improves for you in the coming weeks. Making friends at your office is good though. Maybe it will get better now that the project is done. Good Luck!
DeleteHey Dina, sorry the internship hasn't met your expectations so far, hopefully it improves as you further assimilate into the office and coworkers. However, it is good that you're not the only new worker there so you feel more welcome and less isolated or alone in your experience. Good luck, see you tomorrow!
DeleteHi DINA, that's too bad that it has not met your expectations! I hope that it does not make you shy away from this career. At least your chipotle runs are there for you. You got this.
DeleteMy first week at the Arlington Chamber of Commerce went really well! All the employees were extremely welcoming and the general atmosphere of the office is lively and accepting. The first few days of my internship, I did a lot of work in the database and packaged some envelopes (not the most exciting work, but still a learning experience). I guess my mentor found that I work very efficiently, so once I finish a project I get assigned two more! But, it's all well and good as I like to keep myself occupied. Although I've never worked a day in my life before this internship and I was not used to working for such a long period of time, I've gotten pretty accustomed to the working life. At first, I found the work I was doing pretty dull but my mentor told me she wanted me to do the mundane large projects first to get them over with, but it would not always be like that. By my fourth day, I've definitely been assigned more exciting projects that are all different from one another, which I love because it allows me to get a taste of different job descriptions. I'm now working with three of the employees on various projects including web design, graphic design, and outreach programs. I'm really having a great time and it's nice to have a sense of purpose during summer break.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Christine, I sorted paper that printed out in random order into a binder for well over an hour yesterday. Sadly, not every task can be exciting because we as interns are assigned some mundane work that our mentors don't want to do. I'm glad your mentor has started to assign you some more interesting projects and I'm sure plenty more will come especially as she sees you work efficiently on everything that you've been assigned.
DeleteI am glad that you have been assigned more interesting projects than the ones you started out with. I also like to keep myself busy and doing a project that I am interested in does make the time fly by faster. I'm glad that you have gotten accustomed to working for a long period of time. At first, I came home exhausted but eventually I got used to working life too.
DeleteIt's always a bummer when you have to do the mundane work of filing papers, packaging envelopes, and such, but it sounds like your mentor knows what she's doing when she said you will start working on the more exciting projects later! I hope they go well. I agree with you: even if you're doing work that might not be the most fun, it's still great to have a sense of purpose and to get up to work every morning, rather than just lounging around during the summer.
DeleteSo far, my internship with the Arlington County Department of Public Health has been very rewarding. All the employees were excited to meet me and tell me about their roles at public health-- everyone seems to really enjoy what they do. The office is quiet which makes it easy to concentrate on work. The space is clean and upscale, with a balcony with tables and chairs for the employees to eat lunch, floor to ceiling whiteboards, and lots of glass to let light through. My mentor is a family and public health physician with Arlington County. I have been assigned interesting projects such as writing a health and nutrition guide for Arlington families and writing and editing work in regard to surveys for students. Dr. Sam has also taken me to meetings where I have been able to discuss public health topics with Arlington professionals. I have met with public health nurses to discuss school health, Zika, public health effectiveness assessments and with someone from the Arlington Partnership for Youth and Families to discuss WIC (low income women with infants and or older children) and plans for new and improved health measures in Arlington for low income families. I went with Dr. Sam to see two patients for school physicals (with their consent). Neither child we saw spoke English which was an added challenge but not an uncommon one for school physicals at Arlington County facilities. For the duration of my time at public health, Dr.Sam has planned for me to accompany him to meetings in D.C. with the federal government, go on home visits with PIE, Arlington's subsided preschool and a host of other projects he has not yet unveiled to me as some statistics and studies we are dealing with are not yet public information. I wish that I was able to interact with other employees outside of meetings for other projects but hopefully that will come later. I am thoroughly enjoying this experience thus far and I cannot wait to see what the next month has in store. I am so glad to be learning more about the field of public health as I think about college majors and potential careers.
ReplyDeleteYour internship sounds so interesting! I love how Dr. Sam is engaging you in the meetings and allowing you to have a voice regarding very important topics such as Zika and WIC. It's also great that he is really taking you along on his routine so that you get the full experience. Glad to see you're enjoying the experience!
DeleteThis sound challenging. How did up you manage to communicate with each children? I bet there was a lot of learning to do really fast.
DeleteWe use a phone translator service to communicate but there are certain things that are hard to articulate over the phone so we do the best we can to demonstrate health concepts.
DeleteI am loving the enthusiasm that runs through all the posts above! It sounds as though you are all being exposed to marvelous opportunities. Hang in there, Dina, and let me know if things don't improve. Meanwhile, soak in the atmosphere!
ReplyDeleteMy internship at Rader Clinic has gotten off to a very good start. This week I was in the Pharmacy. I found it very interesting learning how to do the tasks that Pharmacy Technicians/ Pharmacists preform. I spent much of my time assisting Pharmacy Technicians in preparing prescriptions and storing prescriptions for a latter pick up time. I learned about many of the most common prescription drugs. There were several issues with the computer systems throughout the week and while we were experiencing these problems I learned a lot about customer service.
ReplyDeleteI also got the opportunity to talk to the Clinical Pharmacist about her job. The Clinical Pharmacist is responsible for determining the appropriate treatments for patients suffering from conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. I was interested to learn about how she analyzes lab reports to determine the best treatments for these patients. I learned a lot in the pharmacy and, for the most part, my coworkers were very helpful. The only issue was the occasional lack of tasks for me to work on. However this was rare so it wasn't a significant problem.
Hey Quinn, I'm glad to hear your internship is going well. It seems like you have learned a lot about bieng a pharmacist. I'm curious to know what you're favorite aspect that you've observed about bieng a pharmacist so far is.
DeleteMy internship at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office has been very interesting so far. My mentor's department is responsible for maintaining 60,000 computer devices. I've mostly been helping to test a new computer system that will be used in the conference rooms. I have also been checking some of the devices for compatibility with certain programs, which is time consuming. One of the best things about my work is that my mentor is very hands off. He expects me to be working on projects by myself or with other members of his team, but does not expect me to "shadow" him everywhere he goes. The hardest part of this week was learning the building(which is very large) and remembering people's names. Later during the month I will be working with the IT help desk. I am really looking forward to the rest of this month!
ReplyDeleteHello Andrew. I understand what you mean when you say it is hard to remember peoples names. I have been introduced to numerous people, and have been having a really difficult time remembering what their names are and what they all do, and as I'm introduced to more people it only gets harder. Good luck!
DeleteIt is really cool that you have gotten the oppurtunity to do so much hands on work, such as administering vaccines and analyzing tests on the animals. Your mentor must be working hard to give you the most practical experience possible.
ReplyDeleteMy internship is at TJ middle school. My mentor is a 6th grade math teacher. I really love kids so I was super excited to get to know the students and help them learn. TJ is smaller than high schools like Yorktown which is very nice because that means it's harder to get lost. My mentor is extremely friendly and is super enthusiastic. He is very hands on and makes sure that everyone is participating. I am looking forward to the rest of the time I have teaching with him.
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool you get to work at school even though it's summer, as long as you're doing something you love, everything else does not really matter. I'm glad you're being included in everything, that can help you learn really fast, good luck!
DeleteHi Minh, That sounds like so much fun! I'm glad that you are doing something you love, working with kids. It sounds like your mentor is also really good and is making sure you are enjoying your work and being included. Have fun and good luck!
DeleteHi Minh, glad the internship is going well and has met your expectations. It sounds like a lot of fun. It must be really interesting seeing the teaching process from the perspective of the teacher. Hope the rest of your internship continues to be just as much of a good experience. Good luck!
DeleteDuring middle school I went to tj. I found the place rather fun. The teacher were very nice. Is the summer just as busy as during the school year?
DeleteYour internship sounds very hands on and interesting. I'm sure that your mentor appreciates having you around to help with the class. Keep it up!
DeleteMy first week at the Arlingotn Educational Televison was all I could have hoped for. First of all, the work environment is very laid back and relaxed because the people that work there know how to do their job perfectly. My mentor is very nice and has taught me very valuable skills about working a camera and how to evaluate a shot. In addition to my mentor, the people that work with him have been great as well. They are all very welcoming and are great people to be around. In this first week, I have taken many practice shots with a camera, and I have also observed how a movie's visuals and sound effects are edited and created. Finally, I also typed of a draft of a script for a short film I plan to direct during this intern. All in all, this week went very well and I look forward to coming back.
ReplyDeleteFilming and evaluating films can be really hard, so kudos for picking that up quickly John! It took me multiple weeks to feel completely comfortable operating cameras. Good luck directing your short film! Those can be a blast when you are working with good people, which you seem to be.
DeleteHey, John! I'm so glad that you are enjoying your internship so far. Our work environments are different so far because yours is laid back and mine isn't. I am working in a pharmacy and you have to keep moving constantly if you want to get the medicine out as quickly as possible. However, everyone is calm while doing it so it's still a nice environment. What kind of cameras are you using there? I once acted in a movie for a college student once and they had a camera that would roll along tracks. Although I wasn't involved with the cameras, it was fascinating to see how well the people there could use them.
DeleteThat's great that you will be working on a short film of your own! I am doing a similar project, except with a lot less focus on cinematography and all the technical elements of film. I am going to be producing a short intro video for the Women's Memorial that visitors can watch right as they walk into the museum. I am excited to start filming and interviewing. I hope your film goes well!
DeleteMy first few days at the United States Patent and Trademark Office have given me a good first impression of my internship. I have been attending many meetings with my mentor which have helped me learn a great deal about the role that information technology plays at PTO. For example, the first three meetings were about creating an online library for patent examiners because there wasn’t anymore space on campus to build a library. So we were trying to decide on how the website should look and where we were going to store over 100 million rows of data collected from the number of users’ clicks. While I was listening to this discussion, I learned a lot about softwares such as Microsoft SharePoint and Tableau and about the issues that come up when developing a website. During my first week, I have also sent out mass emails to my mentor’s co-workers and edited spreadsheets. I was not as busy as I had expected this week. However, I will be busy next week because I am going to participate in the online library project, attend Code for NOVA, and go through training to learn about SharePoint. I am really looking forward to the next three weeks of my internship.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you've been learning a lot from your internship! It's so cool that you're learning about the different software and the processes behind it. Good luck on your next three weeks.
DeleteMy internship at the Arlington Podiatry at VHC has been interesting. My mentor is a Surgical podiatrist likes to keep me on my toes, I find that he has quite an interesting personality which I'm entertained by at times. I learned a lot about the sorting of medical terminology into patient files and about the interaction between a patient and their care giver. On top of this I have learned to read the way people interact, especially those who seem to be unsure and uncomfortable. I've had a lot of hands on experience here that I probably won't be able to find in other places. It was also great that I got to work with a past prime student who adding to my mentors teaching, trained me to correctly work as an assistant.So from the over view of the past few weeks I have been working, I believe things will get more comfortable but also find a way to remain interesting for me.
ReplyDeleteI also had to learn about the interaction between a patient and their caregiver as I am working in a pharmacy. There are important privacy policies that we had to review so that we can protect the privacy of our patients. As a kid, I was always wondering what was going on in the pharmacy as you could only barely see what was happening through the service windows. It is interesting being able to be the care provider because now you are the one that the little kids wonder about.
DeleteYour internship sounds very interesting. I am also working with a doctor, and have also learned that the interaction between patient and doctor is extremely important. The medical terms are overwhelming at times, so I keep a notebook of them, and at the end of each day, I google each word and find out what it means.
DeleteMy internship at the Podiatry Center at the VHC has been thought provoking. These past 2 weeks I have gained a lot of experience based on treatments and diagnosis. I have definitely become more involved in interaction with patients and people. I have gotten an insight on independent businesses, there's a lot more that goes into running a doctors office then what I thought. The most important realization would be seeing the good and the bad so that I can be different, I want to be the best doctor I can be to help the society. I look forward to continue learning what I can from this internship.
ReplyDeleteWow, your internship sounds like it is making a big impact on you. It is awesome that you are able to look at things from different perspectives, to see both the good and the bad in being a doctor. I hope you keep learning and that you enjoy your time at the Podiatry Center.
DeleteMy first week has honestly been a little unusual, as I have been on my own for the most part. Dr. Egenrider and I met up the first day and I went to office to help set it up and talk about what I will be doing for the rest of my time with him, and then for the past couple of days I have been doing an assortment of things on my own, including Arduino, a programing and electronics activity, labeling streams and rivers on the east cost, prototyping sustained potato harvesting structures, and researching mile-a-minute. He works alone, and I am his only intern for the summer so it is fun to be able to shadow him. In the coming weeks I will be working with hugoculture, a method of growing plants, designing makers-spaces and outhouse doors, as well as building robots and helping with camps. Dr. Egenrider has also offered to extend my internship post PRIME and make it into a paid internship, where he will be introducing me to professionals from various fields and taking me on canoe trips. So far the experience has been absolutly amazing, and I cannot wait to continue it.
ReplyDeleteHey Madelyn! It's good to hear that your internship has been such a positive experience thus far. It is interesting to hear your experience since mine is almost the complete opposite. I have been working in a huge government building and have been working with and meeting many different people, and I have also been working alongside my mentor for a majority of the time. Our workplace atmospheres are very different, yet we both have enjoyed our time there. Good luck with your internship!
DeleteThat sounds great! I think it's great how you're working independently and the various things that you are exposed to learning. Amazing how you'll be able to work for him after PRIME, it all sounds so wonderful and exciting! Congrats!
DeleteEverything that you're doing sounds absolutely amazing! I'm sorry you have to witness euthanasias that must be so hard, I would not be able to handle it but hopeful meeting all the cute animals helps with that!
ReplyDeleteMy first few days at Arlington Public Health have been interesting and informative. I feel that I am starting to understand what they want me to do and I am also learning about some of the different things that Arlington Pubic Health deals with. I like my mentor and the office is quiet. There are a lot of people working in the office but I haven’t had many interactions with them. I am working on a couple of projects right now including preparations World AIDS Day which falls on December 1st as well as helping with some preparation for the Arlington County Fair. Friday was probably my favorite day this week because I went to a meeting on AIDS awareness events at Fairfax Public Health where they were planning upcoming awareness events, HIV testing events and fundraising events so they can test people who want to be tested for HIV but cannot afford it. This group also keep track of the number of cases of HIV that they find when they test so they were discussing recently discovered cases. One of the men in the group ran a testing event a few weekends ago and they found 2 new people who tested positive for HIV. When I got back to the office I was given the project of packing Zika prevention bags that will be given out at the county fair.
ReplyDeleteMy internship at Radar Clinic has been intriguing and informative. My work environment has been friendly as my coworkers have always been willing to help me. I was working in the pharmacy so I was always looking for a single medication embedded in aisles of many others. Whenever I couldn't find something, the pharmacy technicians working there would help me locate the medication. Furthermore, I worked at one of the desks that was distributing medication to patients. While I was working that desk, I was introduced to some Red Cross volunteers. They were older and told me about their carreers. By hearing the carreers of my coworkers and by working in this job, I was exposed to different carreer options. After reflecting on what my coworkers told me, I know that I will join the military if I want to go into medicine as it has the most benefits. My mentor has been there to answer any questions that I have and we always reflect at the end of the day about how my internship is going and what I would like to know about the job I am doing. My mentor and I have planned for me to work in four other departments at the clinic. Next week, I will be working at the physical therapy department. I will eventually work at the radiology, logistics, and laboratory departments. I am looking forward to the rest of my internship and I can't wait to learn more about other fields of medicine.
ReplyDeleteHi JC! I'm glad to hear that your internship is going well so far! I similarly was also exposed to many different career paths this past week, and had the opportunity to see the many ways I could go into a STEM career field. I hope the rest of your time at Radar Clinic continues to shed light on a career in medicine. Good luck!
DeleteI'm glad to hear that your coworkers have also been friendly at the Rader Clinic. I'm rotating into Pharmacy next week so I am glad to hear a bit about it and what I would possibly be doing next week. Good luck with physical therapy!
DeleteHey JC. I'm glad to hear that your internship is going well and that your co-workers are very helpful. Which department are you looking forward to the most?
DeleteI was looking forward to the physical therapy department the most. I have just completed my week in physical therapy and I have loved it. It was very rewarding to see patients already starting to get better within the few days that I worked there. I enjoyed the physical aspect of the job as well.
DeleteMy internship with the Potomac Nationals has been a very different experience than anything I have done before. The office is fairly small so I don't have a desk, which is a bit difficult at times. During the time where I work in the front office before games, I mostly do jobs that people working there need completed, such as folding boxes, cutting paper, or preparing props for games they do between innings. However, this time before games is generally much less busy for the entire office, so I often have trouble finding stuff to do. However, I am learning a lot about how an office works and gaining good work experience. The project on which I have spent the most time is folding boxes in which to put pocket schedules. I completed this on Friday, so I'm hoping that this week I can get started on distribution to local businesses. The final aspect of my internship that has stood out to me is the odd hours. On game days, I work a 12 hour shift, while on non-game days I work far fewer hours. Overall, my first few days have been very interesting and I look forward to the rest of the month.
ReplyDeleteI'm working at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial, located at the Arlington National Cemetery, and so far I am really enjoying it! I was surprised at how flexible my mentors have been with things such as the work that I do, and I am glad that they are giving me lots of freedom to voice my opinion and put my ideas about marketing the Memorial into the works. I enjoy talking to my coworkers and learning about the history of the Memorial; it has really helped me feel more comfortable at WIMSA and I already feel as if I have an important role there.
ReplyDeleteI also had the opportunity to meet the president of the Memorial, General McWilliams. It was so great to talk to her, and I felt honored when she asked my opinion about various ideas to attract visitors to the Memorial. I am excited for the weeks to come and the projects that I will be working on. I am going to meet the founder of the Memorial, General Vaught, and interview her for a video I will be producing, and I will also be visiting their foundation in Arlington. I have gotten a great feel for what an office workplace is like, and I have picked up on so much important information about customer service, marketing, etc., so I am very grateful for this internship!
That's so amazing that they value your opinion, rather than bossing you around! You seem like you have gotten the hang of it already! I hope you enjoy the rest of you time at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial!
DeleteIt was so crazy to see you there when I went to the memorial for my own internship! I really enjoyed meeting the President of the memorial too, that was perfect timing! Also it sounds like they are really welcoming you, and you have some great projects lined up for the next month. I hope it all goes well!
DeleteFor my internship, I am working with a doctor that practices holistic medicine. Her practice is based in her home, and her patients are extremely diverse, coming from many backgrounds and cultures. My first impression of the internship was that it was going to be very different from the other doctors I've shadowed, and I was not disappointed. Everything from administrative duties, to patient consoles is different from doctors that practice medicine in a hospital setting. Dr. Shum-Brady, my mentor, is extremely knowledgeable and gives me countless opportunities to learn. I have been given the opportunity to file a patient report, as well as see patients. Dr. Shum-Brady's office is casual and much more patient oriented than doctors in hospital settings. I also enjoy being a part of the small team of people who work in the office, as well as hearing Dr. Shum-Brady's stories from medical school. Overall, this has been an amazing experience so far and I have learned a lot.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you're learning from the doctor about what he does. It must be interesting to be able to observe his trade and gain experience toward maybe doing it yourself someday.
DeleteI'm working the Rader Clinic at Fort Myer and spent the first week working in Primary Care. It's been a wonderful experience so far; everyone is very friendly and go out of their way to help me with my questions. I spent most of my time shadowing a nurse, and she always explained the procedures to me. It was very welcoming.
ReplyDeleteWorking there has also helped me figure out if I want to work at a military hospital or as a military nurse in the future. I talked to the army medics and nurses there about their experiences. They told me that the military has given them many opportunities but they said I should only join if I felt that it was right for me.
I also had the opportunity to meet with the Lieutenant Colonel at the clinic. She talked more in depth with me about ROTC scholarships for nurses and what they involved. It was very helpful and kind of her to answer my questions about it. I am very happy with this internship and the opportunities I am receiving from it.
Wow it seems like you are really enjoying it. Im glad to hear that you are learning a lot from the nurses there. I also am thinking about working as a military nurse. I really hope you enjoy the rest of your internship!
DeleteI am interning at the Arlington Court House. Every day I go to different courts and follow someone around. There is criminal court (mainly deals with drugs and alcohol), traffic court (mainly deals with running a stop sign or going over the speed limit), and civil court (mainly deals with people suing other for money). I enjoy civil because it is most similar to what you see on TV. There were many interesting people suing others for ridiculous or crazy reasons. It usually makes us laugh and is fun to watch because we make decisions on whether the defendant or prosector should obtain the money and compare them to the decision of the judge. It is nice to discuss whether we agreed with the judge's ruling or not and explain our reasoning. I spend about four to fives hours every day in court and get dismissed for lunch. I love my coworkers/mentors because they are all fun and love to make the most of the long hours. The work environment is very welcoming. The first day was scary because I did not know anyone, but we all got associated quickly and became closer. My mentor is technically Steven Spurr, but he is the head of the office. Mr. Spurr is usually busy running the office, so the closest thing I have to a mentor is Raquel and she is the funniest person ever. I love learning from her. In addition, everyone is the office is my mentor since they all participate in different courts and have different things to offer me.
ReplyDeleteThat's really great that you have a variety of different cases to observe and learn from. I'm also glad to see you are having a good time with your coworkers while also learning from the individual courts they participate in. Sounds like a really cool place to intern!
DeleteMy internship is at the dental clinic at Fort Myer. My first impressions were very positive. The environment is mostly what I expected to see at a dental clinic. My mentor is very kind and so are the other dentists, hygienists, and patients. They are completely open to answering any questions I have and are more than happy to help me understand any aspects of the clinic or procedures that might have been confusing to me. One of the dentists even printed out a long list of dental vocabulary and pictures of the anatomy of the tooth so that I could refer back to that if I had additional questions. So far the plan for the internship is to observe around a little with each worker to get a feel of how the clinic works and what they do. One plan my mentor and I have is for me to polish the tooth of one of the workers there. It has met my expectations in that the environment and people are great and, for the most part, what I expected. The only way that it has not met my expectations is that there is not always a set place for me to be, so sometimes I have to try and find someone to observe if I ever find myself just wandering looking for someone to shadow. Overall, the internship has been going well.
ReplyDeleteOver the past week I have had a great time and a great experience during my internship. Even after the first week it has exceeded my expectations. I expected a more boring and quiet, office like environment with minimal interaction between coworkers. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the extremely lively, interactive, and collaborative environment throughout the office. Both my mentor and the other workers were very supportive and friendly and I was quickly assimilated into current projects and into the social spectrum, making me feel like a part of the work that was going on. On top of that, the work that the firm does is extremely interesting. I formerly thought of civil engineering as simply utility work, but Ive see the extent of how important and interesting the field goes through watching the work the company does on global embassies. I really look forward to the rest of my time in my internship and hope it continues to surpass my expectations.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you are enjoying your internship - it sounds like the environment is very friendly and engaging. I hope you continue learning new things about Civil Engineering, and I hope it continues to go well!
DeleteYou internship sounds awesome, I'm kind of jealous. I hope you keep having fun and get to contribute to more projects.
DeleteI am working at the online newspaper ArlNow, and my first few days have been rather challenging. I was home sick the first two days and when I finally got in to the office, I had to figure out a lot of the work on my own. I am working in a small office space in a building housing many companies - there are about twenty small businesses working on the same floor as ArlNow. There is only one full time employee, but the other interns have been very nice and helpful. Work is exciting, I get to go out in the community and interview people and take pictures of events. In fact, in the upcoming week my boss has asked me to come up with four new articles. The small span of the company was a little outside of my expectations, but I am writing (as I expected), and I am excited to continue learning about the company.
ReplyDeleteHey Lindsay! Wow, your internship sounds really neat! I know we have all heard of/read ArlNow articles, and it's pretty cool that you get to be on the other end of all the news updates we're seeing. Although it does seem like a challenging workplace to be in, it's cool that you get to interact with people in the community and go out into Arlington to get your stories. I guess you'll be the first one to hear about all the exciting Arlington news this month!
DeleteWow, your internship sounds so fun!Its so cool that you will be able to have some of your very own articles published. It must be nice getting to go out into the community and talk with people. I look forward to reading some of your articles soon!
DeleteBeing an intern with the Army Band at Fort Myer for the past three workdays has been so action-packed, and not really what I was expecting, but I am really enjoying it so far. I have spent some time sitting in on rehearsals and meetings, going to a Therapy Outreach Program mission to a substance abuse recovery facility, and working in the huge music library that they have in the Army Band building. I really like how diverse the workplace is, and the fact that I can be independent in the work/projects I am doing. However, one thing that is a little hard to get used to is the day to day schedule, which is always changing. Some days, I may only need to come in for as little as three hours, while other days I may have events and projects going on from 8am to 8pm with only a few breaks. I am really looking forward to being able to sit in with one of the ensembles in the end of the month as they practice for their rock concert. It will definitely be a memorable experience!
ReplyDeleteIsabel, this all sounds really interesting! I'm glad you are enjoying it. It's awful to hear about your schedule. I really hope everything gets easier in the future, but for now just enjoy and take in every moment!
DeleteHey Isabel! your internship sounds very exciting. Its so cool that you get to go to concerts and rehearsals. It sounds like your days are action-packed, that must be fun. Its also great that you are getting to learn more about not just a professional band, but the Army as well. I hope the rest of your time is just as exciting!
DeleteMy internship in Rader Clinic has been amazing so far! At first I thought it was going to be a very fast paced environment but the doctors really take their time to thoroughly care for each patient. Everyone there is very nice and so positive. So far I'm just observing the doctor and taking notes. Although I don't get to see them much, I really like the other interns in the clinic they are so sweet. Since I am shadowing a primary care doctor I rarely get to see really interesting things. Besides that I love my internship and my mentor, she is really nice and teaches me a lot of things but makes sure I understand it. I hope to learn a lot more in this internship.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're having such great learning experience at your internship! Hopefully you'll get to be more hands on in the coming weeks!
DeleteMy first few days moved fairly slowly in all honesty. It was good because it gave me the chance to learn how everyone who works there got things done. There is only a handful of daily employees, and they all have certain processes, and it was interesting to see each persons approach to a certain task.
ReplyDeleteSometimes watching and learning is the best way to gain experience! Good luck with the rest of your internship!
DeleteWhew ... everyone is off and running! I especially appreciate those of you who were able to identify something at your internship that did NOT meet your expectations and have figured out a way to roll with it. In the "real" working world that sort of thing will happen on a regular basis. Two of the most frequent things that will pop up will be changes in schedules -- some days will just run unbearably long -- and changes in work load -- some days you have time to play Words with Friends and some days you don't even have time for lunch - or dinner! It seems as though some of you have experienced that already.
ReplyDeleteI also really like the way you are supporting each other. A little support in the workplace goes a long, long way!!
My first few days have been great! I really enjoy working with all the children, and getting to talk and learn from those who are less fortunate than me. The counselors and teachers seem very passionate and excited about their jobs and that makes me excited to go to my internship every day. I have been challenged to write a full monologue/script by Wednesday and I think I can do it! It has exceeded my expectations by being a fun and welcoming environment!
ReplyDeleteMy first week at the USPTO was interesting. I had to meet a lot of people who I couldn't keep straight. After the first day it got easier though. I spent a lot of time learning the ropes of my mentors job. Summer at the USPTO is slow, so me and the other interns haven't had much to do. It took a few days to get into the building because of security. The food is delicious. So far so good.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see you're enjoying your internship. I also had trouble learning the names of people, and I still have trouble keeping some of them straight. Hopefully you have more to do as the internship goes on, because it isn't fun to be sitting there doing nothing.
DeleteMy first couple days were very interesting. I have been getting to know the residents at the retirement home and have been making friends with them. Many of them have lots of stories to tell and I'm starting to understand each person's interest. One of the hardest things was making sure I used the correct terminology to refer to them. Old age is a sensitive subject so making sure to refer to them as "seniors" and "residents" rather than "elderly" and "patients" is very important. I've also been learning the delicate balance between making sure the residents understand you and not patronizing them. When speaking to them, one must speak loudly and slowly and use simpler words, to make sure they understand either for hearing problems or cognitive disability. I have worked on my own patience as well. On monday, one resident with whom I'd been talking for 2 hours and who had called me her friend, later forgot who I was and cursed me out. That made me realize that I must accept that sort of situation and move on. Today, one resident was singing "Glory glory hallelujah" and changing the words each time for the whole morning. She was very nice, however, and I liked talking to her.
ReplyDeleteThe office of Delegate Alfonso Lopez was far different than what I expected it to be, but nonetheless was friendly, easygoing, and interesting. I envisioned an office of many formalities and workers but realized that there was only one full time employee and a few temporary workers to help get documents and bills prepared. Though the environment was laid back, I was happy to have work that, while sometimes monotonous, was important. The work I have been doing so far has mostly involved gathering and inputting data into spreadsheets but soon I will be doing more of what one would expect a political job to be like. Rallies, door to door campaigning and other activities are scheduled for me to do. Overall my experience is engaging and a good look at the inside world of politics.
ReplyDeleteGood insights from everyone; keep it up.
ReplyDeleteMy first impressions of the USPTO were very positive. Everybody was super friendly, and I had a couple friends with me to show me around so I didn't get lost in the massive building. My mentor wasn't there for the first week, so I worked with another intern and her mentor who was very fun and nice. So far I hadn't gotten much work to do, but it was enough to keep me occupied. What stuck with me the most is the cafeteria, which was incredibly good.
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