My Internship

I have several strengths that can be used as a team member. As a team member I can understand direction and work thoroughly in data collection, interpretation, and presentation. As I've grown and worked with Dr. Jacob and the team, I've become very good and reliable at transferring data and working in this environment. Initially I knew data collection was important, but I didn't understand what it was being used for, but now that I'm almost half a year into working with Dr. Jacob I know the data we collect and manage is important to bettering the lives of children with Sickle Cell.

I want to understand and grow as a Social Worker in a professional medical setting, while also using data as a tool that can be used and learned from, rather than numbers on a paper/screen. As I've grown however, I want to continue working with children in a professional medical setting. The way medical social work is structured is something I can work with, and thanks to this internship opportunity I feel more comfortable pursuing this goal.

The work I've completed will allow the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Clinic to gain more funding from the data we collect into the program as a whole. This will help the current programs we have like the Sickle Cell Storybook Club and future programs that benefit children and families experiencing Sickle Cell Disease.

I also want to note that I was surprised by how much there was to learn as I started working with my site. The group of professionals that make up the clinic holds so much information on the topic of Sickle Cell, and I'm glad that I have had the opportunity to work with them as this school year has went on. 

I have had many successes and challenges I've had to overcome through my experience as an LHSI intern. I've felt successful in my work by learning how to use Cerner Research to look at confidential medical records in a professional and insightful manner. With the help from the professional team, I was able to learn to navigate the many layers to a clients medical records professionally, and directly without stumbling into places i shouldn't be. As of February, I'm still just as successful in navigating Cerner Research and our REDCap databases, and I also now know how to work with some spreadsheet codes! I can use the things I've learned in the future as a medical social worker to easily gather client information and gather my own data for research.

The most challenging part of this experience is staying focused. For the most part, we've been doing data transferring. This can be tedious at times, and requires patience to complete. I believe motivation from my personal peers or internship cite would help in staying focused on my work. Staying focused is still my biggest challenge as of February when it comes to the work I do for my internship. I've learned to take mental breaks whenever I feel tired or drained, just sit and either play on my phone or just get  out of my chair and stretch.