About

Description of Internship

            For my internship I will be working with Dr. Jen Forrest, Orthopedic Surgeon at Animas Orthopedics and Dr. Tibor Boco, Neurosurgeon at San Juan Regional Medical Center.  I will shadow each doctor in the hospital as well as work with their staff, depending on the circumstances.  Dr. Forrest is an orthopedic surgeon, therefore when I'm working with her I will be learning about bones and joints.  Dr. Boco is a neurological surgeon, therefore when I am working with him I will be learning about the brain and spine.  At both sites I will learn about how a hospital functions and the different jobs and procedures that go into preparing for surgery.  I will also learn all about patient care and how to treat more minor injuries that do not need surgery.  The role of a hospital in the community is to heal and to keep people healthy.  This field has always interested me for this reason, as well as the fact that I have been exposed to the medical world through my father.

Animas Orthopedics

San Juan Regional Medical Center

Project Proposal

            My father is a surgical distributer and works closely with both these doctors, providing specialized implants they use in the operating room.  He knew that I was interested in the medical field.  When he heard about this internship opportunity he told me that he might have some doctors that would be willing to be my mentor.  He then gave me their email addresses and I sent out an email.  My dad talked to the doctors that were interested about what the internship would entail.  I knew Dr. Forrest because I had baby sat her three little girls and had gone on bike rides and hikes with Dr. Boco.  The next step was to figure out what I needed to do with immunizations and patient confidentiality.  I am still working out my exact schedule, but it's getting there.  This internship will allow me to explore the medical world, gain a better idea of what it involves, and how all the different jobs that are involved with it work together. 

           The medical field has always intrigued me and I have considered becoming a doctor.  This internship gives me an opportunity to experience this career without having to commit the rest of my life to it.  The process to become a doctor is lengthy and hard, and the job is high stress and long hours.  It is not something I want to pursue unless it is definitely what I want to do.  Dr. Forrest also provides a unique perspective because she is an example of a doctor who balances her work and family.  To do this she limits the amount of time she works, allowing ample time to raise her children.  She juggles three little girls and a medical career.  I think having her as my mentor will give me a sneak peek into how to balance a career and family.  With two great mentors, I want to make sure that the project I am doing benefits them and the hospital. 

            The project I have in mind is a poster or pamphlet on preventative tools for a specific condition that relates to each mentor's practice.  For example, for Dr. Forrest I might do something on how to prevent joint arthritis in the knees. There is a lot of information out there on treatment options, but not enough on how not to get sick in the first place.  Since the whole goal of the hospital and my mentors is to heal and keep people healthy, I think this will greatly benefit them.  As for the local community, it gives people just who are coming in for a checkup a guide to staying healthy.   This project will of course require the help of my mentors. 

             To prepare for this project I have contacted Dr. Forrest and spoken to her about my ideas.  This allowed me to explore my options.  Her input also gave me the feedback I needed in order to come up with a project that benefited the hospital, her practice and the patients.  The first step in this project will be to study and understand the medical condition that I am trying to prevent.  I will use the doctors as well as the library and the internet to conduct this research.  The next step would be to come up with a design that would best fit and most efficiently portray the information.  Then I would use Photoshop to create the beautiful piece of work.  The first week and a half of my internship I should be doing the research and the second half should be designated to the actual creation of the project.  I am not quite sure how long this will take me but believe that I will be able to manage my time efficiently. 
              On that note I would now like to discuss the biggest problem that I have faced this year in LINK; time management.  This year is a crazy year with incredibly challenging classes, ACT and SAT testing, extracurricular activities and LINK.  The biggest struggle for me has been finding the time to work on LINK.  Luckily I am a perfectionist and a very hard worker so it has worked out, but it hasn't always go smoothly.  I am super excited for this internship and feel that I will get a lot useful skills and information from this experience.