Internship
Project Summary
In this project, I work with Dr. Reinoso, her fellow pediatricians, and my internship partner to learn more about how diaper insecurity affects families with young children. We use surveys to understand the depth of their needs, and provide free diapers, while also working to connect the families to further services such as housing and food assistance. Our goal is to offer holistic support, addressing immediate concerns like diapers while also helping with broader needs. Another facet of our program is working to understand the impact of diaper insecurity on mental health and parenting confidence. Throughout our work in data collection and patient connection, we use our findings to continue earning funding for the program in order to be able to reach more patients in the future.
"If you have children in diapers, do you ever feel that you do not have enough diapers to change them as often as you would like?"
Above is one of the questions we use to determine diaper need. The answer to this question helps us allocate resources to the patients who need it most. oa
About the Internship -
My team and I make sure to ask demographic questions as well as how they perceive the importance of our program. Another big part of my work is entering data efficiently and accurately. This is crucial because the data we collect allows the program to apply for grants and increase funding.
My team also works closely with the Indiana Diaper Bank to provide access to diapers for residents across Marion County and the entire state.
Workplace -
My current strengths in the workplace are working independently and taking initiative. I recently gained access to the clinic scheduling system, meaning I can look ahead to see what patients are coming in, what their preferred language is, and the age of the child. Using that information, I can be ready to start screening them as they wait for the doctor to seem them. This helps with patient flow and satisfaction. In the future I plan to look for opportunities to take initiative wherever I can.
An area that I want to grow in is creating connections with each person that I do screening with. If I don't take care, my interactions can be quick and impersonal. Something I am striving to perform better at is being more open and approachable, and fostering a feeling of community and inclusivity with each person that I interact with. In the future, I hope to continually look for opportunities to lengthen the time I spend learning about the people I work with, and ask questions not only about what I need to know from them, but about them personally to get to know them as a whole person. I want to strive to make genuine connections with everyone I meet, and to be a welcoming presence in a situation that may otherwise be uncomfortable.
Successes and Challenges -
My greatest success at my internship has been getting to give free diapers to parents with little kids who really need it. Seeing the relief on the face of someone who doesn't have the means to get them is inspiring. Many of the patients my team work with are single parents, low income families, and minority groups. These people often have the odds stacked against them, and being able to help in any way is a success in my eyes. I feel that these successes are emboldening my desire to connect with and empower my community in my future career. I want to use this inspiration from my internship this year to drive me into a future filled with a desire to help others.
A challenge that I have had to work through as I have gone through this year so far has been connecting with patients through a language barrier. A vast majority of our patients are Spanish speaking, and as someone who knows little to no Spanish, learning to connect with those patients has been a challenge that I have welcomed. I feel that this will prepare me for a career in Public Health, where I will be interacting with individuals in a whole host of different demographics and communities. In the future I plan to explore cultural competency trainings to help me gain skills in this area. I also plan to actively seek out situations and experiences that introduce me to people from different cultures, in order to expand my cultural knowledge, make new connections, and get me out of my comfort zone. I also could invest in taking a language class. I have always wanted to learn ASL, and I could use that skill in the future to connect with even more people.