My Biggest Challenge:
The most difficult part of my internship experience with the American Red Cross was learning how to adjust to a professional work setting. It took a while to get used to the new level of professionalism at the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross because it was completely different from any of the jobs or work experiences I’ve had in the past. It was exciting to collaborate with health professionals at a highly recognized health organization, but it was also very intimidating. At first, I was very shy with my colleagues and I even stressed about how to dress professionally because I was so worried about being accepted as a working member of their organization. Luckily, most of the staff and students at the Red Cross were very understanding and accepted me through this process of trial and error, but it was without a doubt one of the most stressful parts of my internship experience. I realized that my coursework at UMD could only prepare me so much and in order to succeed in the real world I would need to jump right in and gain real experience. I’m really grateful for this experience because now I feel like the adjustment to a professional work environment will be much smoother when I pursue other jobs in the future.
If I Could Change One Thing:
If I could change one thing about my internship, I would have changed the time it took for me to complete it. It would have been really great to have had more hours over a (much) shorter period of time. Although I’m glad I had the opportunity to get to know and grow within the organization over time, I think working full time would have helped me feel like I was a true member of the staff rather than an intern they have on the side.
How This has Impacted My Career:
My internship experience with the Red Cross really helped give me a better idea of what it means to truly work within a professional health organization. I learned a lot of things while working with the Red Cross that I never would have learned from a book or in a classroom of UMD. I think the opportunity to work hands-on with community health professionals was extremely eye-opening and gave me a much better perspective as to what the expectations are for emerging health professionals.
Not only did I gain the hands-on experience of what it’s like to work as a health professional, I also had the opportunity to earn several certifications during my internship with the Red Cross. I became certified to teach CPR/AED for the professional rescuer and I used this certification to gain experience with teaching. This was a very exciting part of my internship experience because I’ve realized I really enjoy teaching and I think this certification will be helpful if I decide to pursue a career related to teaching. I was also able to get re-certified as a First Responder and I had the opportunity to work as a first responder at several Red Cross events. Although I’m not sure I will pursue a career in emergency medicine, I think this was a great learning experience for me and helped me meet and network with people working in different health disciplines. Overall I’m very glad I had this internship experience with the American Red Cross and I feel like I am better prepared for whatever comes next in my career as a community health professional.
The most difficult part of my internship experience with the American Red Cross was learning how to adjust to a professional work setting. It took a while to get used to the new level of professionalism at the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Red Cross because it was completely different from any of the jobs or work experiences I’ve had in the past. It was exciting to collaborate with health professionals at a highly recognized health organization, but it was also very intimidating. At first, I was very shy with my colleagues and I even stressed about how to dress professionally because I was so worried about being accepted as a working member of their organization. Luckily, most of the staff and students at the Red Cross were very understanding and accepted me through this process of trial and error, but it was without a doubt one of the most stressful parts of my internship experience. I realized that my coursework at UMD could only prepare me so much and in order to succeed in the real world I would need to jump right in and gain real experience. I’m really grateful for this experience because now I feel like the adjustment to a professional work environment will be much smoother when I pursue other jobs in the future.
If I Could Change One Thing:
If I could change one thing about my internship, I would have changed the time it took for me to complete it. It would have been really great to have had more hours over a (much) shorter period of time. Although I’m glad I had the opportunity to get to know and grow within the organization over time, I think working full time would have helped me feel like I was a true member of the staff rather than an intern they have on the side.
How This has Impacted My Career:
My internship experience with the Red Cross really helped give me a better idea of what it means to truly work within a professional health organization. I learned a lot of things while working with the Red Cross that I never would have learned from a book or in a classroom of UMD. I think the opportunity to work hands-on with community health professionals was extremely eye-opening and gave me a much better perspective as to what the expectations are for emerging health professionals.
Not only did I gain the hands-on experience of what it’s like to work as a health professional, I also had the opportunity to earn several certifications during my internship with the Red Cross. I became certified to teach CPR/AED for the professional rescuer and I used this certification to gain experience with teaching. This was a very exciting part of my internship experience because I’ve realized I really enjoy teaching and I think this certification will be helpful if I decide to pursue a career related to teaching. I was also able to get re-certified as a First Responder and I had the opportunity to work as a first responder at several Red Cross events. Although I’m not sure I will pursue a career in emergency medicine, I think this was a great learning experience for me and helped me meet and network with people working in different health disciplines. Overall I’m very glad I had this internship experience with the American Red Cross and I feel like I am better prepared for whatever comes next in my career as a community health professional.
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