Goals & Learning

My current career goal is to become a Physician Assistant. To achieve this, I plan to attend PA school and earn my master’s degree after completing my undergraduate studies. I've always known that I wanted to help others, and the medical field has long felt like the right path to make a meaningful impact. From a young age, I was inspired by both my mother and grandmother, who both work in healthcare, and I’ve always imagined myself following in their footsteps. Choosing to pursue the PA profession specifically was a decision I made a few years ago, and I feel confident that it’s the right fit for me as my internship helped me confirm that. A career as a PA will allow me to care for patients while also providing the flexibility to explore different specialties and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Although I haven’t yet decided which specialty I’d like to pursue, I know that I want to work in a patient-facing role within a more inpatient setting. Through this internship I was able to gain valuable exposure to the healthcare field which helped reinforce my career choice. By shadowing multiple healthcare professionals across both outpatient and inpatient settings, I gained insight into the realities of day-to-day patient care. These experiences helped confirm that a hands-on role in an inpatient setting aligns well with my strengths and interests. Overall, this experience helped me feel more confident in the direction I’m headed, and it gave me a clearer picture of what I want my future in healthcare to look like.

Learning Goal #1: Gaining experience working in healthcare/working along others in healthcare.

Relevance: This will allow me to get more of a first hand experience to what it will be like working in healthcare and

working alongside healthcare professionals.

Action Plan:

1. Shadow healthcare providers in a primary care clinic.

2. Review articles or studies on how to work as a team in a healthcare setting.

3. Keeping a log of shadowing experiences.

Progress: As part of my internship, I had the opportunity to shadow several physicians in both an outpatient clinic and an inpatient setting. These experiences gave me valuable insight into how doctors interact with patients, make quick and informed decisions regarding care, and manage the behind-the-scenes aspects, such as charting and other administrative tasks. I also observed the importance of teamwork within the healthcare environment. Shadowing these professionals helped solidify my decision to pursue a career in healthcare, specifically in a patient care role, and confirmed my passion for diagnosing and treating patients in the future.

Learning Goal #2: Gain better communication skills working in a more professional healthcare setting.

Relevance: This goal will allow me to learn valuable skills like good communication and asking questions that I will

use in every professional and personal setting going forward and also allow me to learn what the best form

of communication is for the healthcare setting.

Action Plan:

1. Working alongside faculty members and residents on the Wellness Project

2. Observing and also interacting with members of projects and healthcare professionals.

Progress: Throughout my internship, I have developed the ability to interact with healthcare professionals in a professional and respectful manner, which has greatly enhanced my communication skills. I’ve also been able to support the Wellness Project by creating team-building activities for the monthly wellness meetings, allowing me to engage with other healthcare professionals in a collaborative setting. On top of that, regularly checking in with my supervisor about my main project; whether it’s scheduling meetings, asking questions, or discussing any concerns, has helped me become more confident in how I communicate in a work environment. These skills will continue to evolve and grow as I progress through my academic journey and transition into my future career.

Learning Goal #3:  Learn how to ask questions in a more professional environment and that will benefit

my experience working as an intern.

Relevance: This will allow me to gain more valuable skills to be able to communicate effectively in my future career.

Action Plan: 

1. Using a log to reflect on experiences each week to identify successes and changes I had.

2. Working alongside my supervisor to go over each week and determine how to make my experience better and ask the questions I may have from that week.

Progress: I’ve become more comfortable framing questions in a clear and professional manner, which has helped me receive more useful and timely feedback. Throughout this internship, I’ve improved in recognizing when and how to ask meaningful questions. My confidence in asking questions professionally has grown, and I’ve learned to think critically about what I need to know and how to communicate that effectively in a workplace setting. This skill is becoming more natural with practice, and I look forward to continuing to develop it further.