Medical/Health Opportunities

Biology Lab Assistant

Description:

I helped researchers at Utah State University map the genome of Basin Wild Rye grass. I worked in the lab doing reactions, took care of samples in the greenhouse, helped take care of and harvest field samples, and record data from tests.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

I talked to another person who was already working at the lab to see if they needed additional summer help. He asked around and then called me back when he heard that one of the researchers needed to hire someone. I wanted to try and work somewhere where I would learn skills that would relate to my future career as opposed to just getting a job that paid well. Because I live near a university, I took advantage of the fact that there were lots of labs that did work related to my field.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

I was by far the youngest person there and it was a very technical job that required some knowledge that I didn’t have. Also, I was the first summer worker this researcher had ever hired and so he didn’t know exactly what my job description was. What I did was use any free time I had to research what the project I was working on was about so I could understand what I was doing. I also kept a small notebook with me and whenever I learned something new, I would write it down. Another thing I did was volunteer to help on lots of different projects so I could learn how to do them. By the end of the summer, I was able to do most of the things that the senior researchers could do on my own even though it wasn’t part of my “job description.”

What I learned:

Even though I was quite inexperienced in this particular area, because I was willing to learn I ended up being very successful. I also learned that labs in universities are always looking for more help and that during the summer when the students are gone, they are very willing to hire high school students. The pay is much better than a fast-food job and it looks much better on a resume. And, for me, it helped me to decide what career I want to have in the future.

Biomedical Research Summer Intern

Description:

For eight weeks, I worked as a summer intern at a prestigious medical school/research hospital. Under the direction of a post-doc (post-Ph.D.) mentor, I performed Alzheimer’s disease research using innovative microbiology techniques. I was one of 16 interns that summer in the program, and every Thursday we met as a group for lunch and subsequent afternoon seminars from a variety of professionals. Since the internship was given through the university’s Center for Aging, we interns gained insight from a number of different disciplines related to aging: occupational therapy (accessible room design), civil engineering, psychology and biology of aging, and we were also privileged to meet with a philanthropic couple who basically funded most of the research at the university dealing with aging. The great thing about the internship program was that not everyone was a biology major! There were a number of behavioral science (psychology) majors that performed social science research throughout the summer. I though I would have to be at work 8 hours/day, but I quickly found out that I could go home when my work was done: some days I left for home at 1 and some days I stayed until 6 or 7 pm. For eight weeks of internship, we received a $3200 stipend. Besides the generous stipend, we went on an expense-paid ethics retreat for a weekend to a lake resort and got to spend the weekend learning about ethical behavior and enjoying outdoor activities. The cumulative experience resulted in a poster presentation, where we all got to experience presenting research and fielding questions to a large audience. For a freshman right out of my first year, this internship was a FANTASTIC way to “get my feet wet” and see what the field of biomedical research really does every day! My advice? Get an internship! You won’t regret it!

How I got the idea / found the employment:

While at school my freshman year, a number of faculty and advisors encouraged everyone to get an internship for the summer. There were a number of positions online, but in my hours of searching, I found that most of them were geared toward junior/senior level students who had an understanding of the depth of the field. I had a really hard time finding internships geared toward freshman—specifically in the metropolitan area of my hometown, where I knew I was going to be for the summer. The faculty kept encouraging us to network with ANYBODY and EVERYBODY we knew; I didn’t really believe them because I personally knew nobody in my field. I decided to try it out. I told my mom I was looking for an internship, which turned out to be the best thing I did. She relayed the information to a friend from church who was walking buddies with one of our neighbors down the street. This neighbor, who we barely knew, happened to work under the lady who was in charge of internships at the medical school, so the nieighbor relayed her supervisor’s info to our family friend, who gave it to me. I called the number, found out about the internship, and had my application in shortly. Not much longer later, I got an e-mail saying I had received the internship. I was STOKED!

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

First and most importantly, finding an internship! I knew nobody and was a timid freshman. Once I finally started talking to people, it was AMAZING the doors that opened. You HAVE to learn to talk to people—networking is by far the most valuable source for finding meaningful internships. Secondly, since I only had a year of college behind me, I felt really behind in my knowledge of the science behind the experiments. I could do what my mentor told me, but I had no idea why. Once I started asking the right questions (unfortunately not until the end of my internship) did the concepts start to make sense. Basically, don’t be afraid to ask ANY question—there are no dumb questions! You’ll be grateful later that you asked earlier.

What I learned:

NETWORK! Never underestimate the power of anybody and everybody you know. I honestly would have never found this internship if it weren’t for my mom, of all people. Don’t be afraid to talk to people! It’s never too early to get involved in your possible future career. My internship excelled my WAY above my classmates once I got back to school. I not only had knowledge, but I had EXPERIENCE, which has been the most valuable as I get ready to graduate. Internships are also a good way to see what your field of interest does from 8-5 every day. It’s definitely different than the classroom. That exposure alone was very valuable. The scientific knowledge I gained was invaluable; in classes the following semester, I better understood the material because, unlike my classmates, I had dealt with these different assays (and the problems with them) and had a great understanding already. Bottom line: INTERNSHIPS ARE INVALUABLE!!

Certified Nursing Assistant

Description:

A certified nursing assistant works with a home health agency or at a rehabilitation or assisted living facility. A CNA helps patients with their activities of daily living such as; getting ready for the day, eating, toileting and etc. This is a great job opportunity for anyone interested in pursuing careers in medicine such as, medical school and nursing school.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

As a junior in High school I had the opportunity to get my nursing assistant certification at a local college as part of the high school’s distance learning program. This was a great opportunity because the course was very cheap as compared to what it would have been if I was not participating through the high school’s program. This gave me an excellent opportunity to get experience in the medical field.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

As a nursing assistant most of my patients were elderly and nearing death. I had several of my patients pass away as I was working with a hospice agency. This was difficult because I had become friends with a lot of these people and it was hard to see them go. But I learned how to better serve others as they approach the end of their life and I found joy in providing quality care to patients who were really in need.

What I learned:

This was a great opportunity for me because I had interest in pursuing a career in medicine. I gained invaluable knowledge about how insurance companies work and what a care plan is. My experience as a CNA also opened up other opportunities for me to serve in the community in medically related positions. This was an all around great opportunity to make a good wage and get experience in the medical field.

Coroner’s Department: Removal Staff

Description:

Description: I lived in a rural county which contracted the removal of deceased persons through local mortuaries. The job paid seventy-five dollars a removal, with a typical removal lasting anywhere from one hour to at most three. I would be on call over a weekend and when a removal came in I would meet another coworker, travel in a company van and load up the body on a stretcher. We would then take the body back to the mortuary and put it in the refrigerator.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

My uncle owned the mortuary to which the coroner’s department had a contract with.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

Due to the fact that the employment was part time on-call work, I was limited in the amount of hours I could work. Removals would be sporadic and so I would work an hour one weekend and ten the next. However, the pay was so good for so little work, that on average I would make a couple hundred dollars a month for only a few hours of work. Other challenges included: Having to stay within the county limits when on-call as well as having to deal with some pretty traumatic and disgusting work environments.

What I learned:

This experience helped me learn compassion for others as often times I would be in their home taking away their loved relative. It helped me mature a lot quicker because of the extreme situations I was in. Seeing a man die that chose to drink and drive made it very unlikely in my mind that I would ever do such a thing.

Physical Therapist Technician

Description:

A technician basically is an assistant to a physical therapist. As a technician you are in charge of rooming the patients, setting them up on electric stimulation (which also requires that you get the appropriate heat), doing their ultrasound if necessary, massaging the area where patient is experiencing pain, and leading them in their rehab exercises.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

My uncle is a physical therapist and he knew I was interested in the medical field. He thought it would be wise to start being around medical terms and begin working with people at an early age.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

One of the challenges was learning how to run the various machines. The way I overcame this challenge was by simply watching and listening and then doing. Another challenge was learning how to massage. This challenge was overcome by just practicing.

What I learned:

I learned that by just being positive you can make a difference in someone’s life and help them really get well. I also learned that in order to get well from and injury, a lot of work is required and as a technician encouraging the patient is very important.

Respite Care Provider

Description:

You work in the home of a family that has children with disabilities and qualify for government funding. My specific job was to tend and provide therapies and activities for two boys that have autism. They were 8 and 10 years old and were very severe cases. My job entailed taking them to the park or to watch their favorite movie or play their favorite game with them. I drove them to school or other activities and took them to scouts this was all with the mother there as well she just didn’t have to worry about their behavior or where and what they were doing like she would usually have to do, this way she could enjoy activities with the family and others. I did have to change diapers and help them learn to do chores around the house but it was a very fun job that I would recommend to anyone who would like to work with children with disabilities.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

I fell upon this idea because my best friend in high school had an aunt with three boys that had autism and was approved for government funding. My friend actually started working for her and I choose to just a few months after. Only two of the boys qualified so we only watched two kids but we were paid 6.17 an hour for each. So the pay was pretty good and like I mentioned above it is a really fun and rewarding job with very flexible hours. All you need to do to get the job was read the code of conduct and rules for handling the children you would be working with and do a full background check and get fingerprinted.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

The challenges that I faced were that the hours were only when the children were home and only till they went to bed so from 4 to 8. I over came this by utilizing one of the perks that comes with the job. The perk is that you can clean for 11.50 an hour at anytime during the day so that the mom can do things with her kids. So when I needed extra hours she would let me come when I could during the day and after the kids were sleeping and clean. Another challenge that I had was being bored a lot of the time and not having enough to do because the kids would just want to watch a movie or something. I solved this by creating things to do or planning things that we could do together like going to the park etc.

What I learned:

I learned a lot from this job it was by far my favorite job that I had. I only had one job before but it was coaching gymnastics and since I was a gymnast for 10 years and since gymnastics was pretty much my life I was surprised to find out that I found something that I enjoyed more. I did this job for three years and still work for that family as much as I can now because I fell in love with the kids and enjoyed it so much. I learned over those years that I wanted to teach special education instead of elementary education and I changed my major because of it and am learning so much more now because of it. I am so so so glad that I took the opportunity when I could to do this job because it helped me see what I was really good at and what I really love to do.

X-ray Tech/Billing Specialist, Cart Boy, Custodial

Description:

In high school I was busy all the time. I would start my mornings off around 4 AM. I would wake up and drive to a local office building and do the custodial work before anyone came in to work (vacuum, toilets, dust, mop, etc…) I was involved in my schools “Madrigals,” a performance or show choir and that began at 6:30 AM, so I would go from cleaning straight to school. After school was out I would drive directly to the golf course, not to go golfing, but to clean carts, clean bathrooms, work the snack bar, book tee times and clean clubs for tips. I worked as a cart boy for the local golf course for two years and part way through my senior year.

Every day my schedule was different, but my Senior year in high school I was allowed to take half a day and do “work study”, a program that allowed students to have a job and just have their employer fill out some information. So during the mornings I began going to a Chiropractic Center and learning how to take and read X-rays for patients. Soon I found that I enjoyed working inside and doing work like that, so I quit my job at the golf course after two years and the Chiropractic Center hired me as their Billing Specialist/X-ray tech. I was in charge of dealing with all accounts collectible, speaking with insurance companies about benefits, collecting cash and payments from customers, as well as taking x-rays of clients and developing them when they were needed. Needless to say, I was busy enough working those two positions and couldn’t keep up with the golf course.

So my mornings continued to start around 4 AM, and then about noon I would go to the Chiropractic Center and work until 6 everyday, this allowed me to get my homework done in the evenings. It was tough, it was busy, but working at the Chiropractic Center was the best thing I have done, it provided an opportunity to build my resume as future employers realized I was able to deal with large amounts of cash at such a young age, and deal with accounts collectable, possibly one of the best decisions of my high school career.

How I got the idea / found the employment:

The Golf Course I started because my Dad worked for a housing development around the course and he asked the Golf Pro if they were hiring, they interviewed me and gave me the job. I got the custodial work because I knew a person who had their office in the office building, so he set me up with cleaning it. I got the X-ray Tech/ Billing Specialist because I knew the doctor of the practice. I was interested in Medicine at the time and asked him if I could job shadow him a few times, I did for two days and it turned into a job opportunity, which also led to the Billing Specialist opportunity.

Challenges I faced, and how I overcame them:

I was busy. I would get tired getting up so early and working such long days. My parents did not like me working such long hours and having so many hours in work and school. I eventually had to cut back my morning hours to cleaning the office just once a week, which worked in my favor, because I could go in early on Saturday mornings and it was cleaned for the next week.

I was in the choir as mentioned above, I also was the Sports Editor for my school newspaper. As a result I would get off work and go back to the school to finish up stories, edit stories, work on page layout and prepare for production. There were times when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to handle it, but some how it all just fell together. I don’t recommend so many jobs, but I do recommend working at least one job.

What I learned:

I learned the value of hard work. I worked hard, and still found time to be a high school kid, play and have a good time. Working three jobs, going full time to high school, being the sports editor of the school newspaper, and being involved in the school performance choir was a lot. I learned to work hard, study hard, and then to play hard. I graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and I am not smart. I spent many hours getting help with my teachers in math classes. If you were to ask my teachers about me they would all tell you that I would come in and seek for help often (almost everyday) and that it didn’t come easy for me. My lesson learned: work hard, study hard, play hard… and enjoy it all along the way.

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