An internship provides pre-med healthcare students an opportunity to gain experience and build valuable skills by Healthcare Intern . When taken alongside academics, internships provide healthcare students with the unique opportunity of practicing the knowledge and skills they develop in their studies.
Fortunately, there are numerous opportunities that exist for healthcare interns. These range from scientific writing, medical technology, and pharmaceutical sales to wellness programs, manufacturing, consulting, and research. Beyond gaining experience, healthcare interns can leverage internship positions to make a positive impact on their careers and the community at large.
If you’re a healthcare intern, here are seven things you can do to make a positive impact:
Have Clear Goals
At the beginning of your internship, make a point of meeting your supervisor to understand what’s expected of you. Be proactive in setting the meeting up – if the supervisor doesn’t initiate it, request for a meet-up. You can prepare the most common questions to ask your supervisor ahead of your meeting.
Based on your deliberations with the supervisor, craft clear goals in line with your expected weekly or day-to-day accomplishments. Further, clarify your personal goals for the internship. Identify the skills you wish to learn, share your interests with the supervisor, and request opportunities to acquire those skills.
For you to keep tabs on your performance and track your goals, engage with your supervisor regularly.
Be Keen To Learn
When you join an internship program as a healthcare intern, your initial responsibility is to understand your role. However, to make an impact, you need to be keen to learn. You can learn more by clarifying stuff you’re not sure about, asking questions, and getting regular feedback from your supervisors and workmates.
Ensure that you have a notebook at hand so you can take notes on the new things that you observe or learn. This will ensure that you remember important processes. To have a real impact, apply the lessons that you learn in your work. Focus on delivering quality outputs promptly. If you’re not sure how to do this, ask your supervisor or mentor for guidance. Check out the best + free dental courses with certificates.
Build Problem Solving Skills
The most effective way to have an impact during a healthcare internship is to solve problems. As an aspiring healthcare professional, there’s a high chance that you’ve had to work through numerous problems at school and in your day-to-day career. Leverage these experiences to build your ability to find creative solutions to problems.
Healthcare organizations are always dealing with problems. These range from coping with global challenges, like the pandemic, and losing funding to soliciting alternative capital sources. Finding ways to solve these problems presents huge opportunities to have a positive impact on healthcare organizations as an intern. Problem-solving skill comes in handy in healthcare internships, especially since you’ll interact with employees in healthcare organizations and learn more about the problems they face.
Act Like You’re In A Real Job
If you want to have an impact as a healthcare intern, behave like you’re in a real job. When you land the internship opportunity you want, take it seriously. By taking it seriously, the company or organization you’re interning for will also take you seriously.
Since internships involve learning in real work environments, treating them as actual work allows you to leave a positive mark in an organization. It also allows you to make contributions that affect other employees positively.
A great way to treat your internship like a real job is to show up looking professional every day. Learn the culture and atmosphere in the healthcare organization and dress one level above the position you hold. This will make you appear serious with your work, which will leave the impression that you’re playing a significant role in the organization.
Take Advantage Of Research And Publishing Opportunities
With huge amounts of government funding, grants, and capital being directed to researching each year, it’s among the most competitive and sought-after areas of healthcare. If you’re looking to pursue a career along this path, taking up a healthcare internship opportunity that allows you to build your research skills in the world of work can be invaluable.
In many instances, healthcare interns are invited to participate in research. You can make a positive impact in the research field by taking advantage of such invitations that allow you to work with teams of seasoned researchers. If this is the case, you can then provide unique insights and experiences.
A great way to have a real impact in this aspect is to publish blogs, articles, and website updates. Also, collaborate with innovative teams to research different healthcare areas, deepening your knowledge, skills, and impact.
Go An Extra Mile
When you start interning in a healthcare facility, you’ll need to go beyond the call of duty to make an impact. While you’ll need to deliver quality work on your initial assignment, you’ll stand out more if you provide more than you’re asked to do.
Additionally, be willing to volunteer services or information whenever an opportunity arises. If your supervisor is seeking feedback on projects, ensure you share valuable suggestions for improvements.
When there are opportunities to lead new assignments, offer yourself to participate in the project. This reflects your ability to take the initiative and add value to projects. This is also a great way to have an impact as a healthcare intern.
Network With Other Employees
Although you’ll work closely with a few supervisors and interns during a healthcare internship, nothing stops you from nurturing relationships with other employees in the organization.
Once you report for an internship, learn the different positions in the organization and the names of employees who hold them. Make it a habit to often address employees by their names. This makes you look competent and confident. It’ll also ensure that people remember you.
Final Thoughts
As a healthcare intern, you have an opportunity to make a real impact in your organization as you put your skills and knowledge to work. But this won’t happen unless you become intentional. While you’ll most likely have a supervisor to guide you throughout your interning period, taking initiative is a great way to leave a lasting impact in the organization, in addition to the five discussed above.
