Goals & Learning
Goals
- Effective Communication
Communication is a skill, and learning how to develop and propose good conversations that result in understanding and good outcomes are important in any position. In my career journey, whether as a leader or subordinate, learning how to effectively communicate now, will teach me to effectively communicate in the future.
Reaching This Goal:
Attending KTB (Komen Tissue Bank) events where I will be communicating and interacting with people of various backgrounds acquiring useful information.
Reaching out to providers for the mammogram project that I will be assisting with.
Using the general service line to talk to other staff, pathologists, and patients; learning to scale conversations to my target audience.
As I've progressed throughout the course of my internship, I have built an immense amount of confidence in my communication skills and the way that I choose to communicate with a variety of people. Next, I hope to implement what I've learned from my internship by means of communication, and use it now while in school, and in the future workplace.
- Initiative
Being able to take direction and leadership even in small ways can contribute to a bigger goal. Learning how to take initiative prepares me for taking on tasks and coordinating projects.
Reaching This Goal:
Constructing prompts or posters for the mammogram project that I will be working on.
Using the ePortfolio to highlight smaller tasks I took charge in in completing.
Taking kits from the lab and breaking them down, I will have complete ownership of that process. I will be learning from team members and figuring out how to get things done in my own way, which allows for making proposals on how to execute the assignment.
I've been fortunate to be granted a lot of creative and freedom in many of the projects that my internship site gives me. As a result of these opportunities, I've been able to progress in taking initiative in a plethora of endeavors. Next, I hope to keep progressing and gaining confidence in my initiative skills so that I can lead in the future.
- Organization
Staying organized in every aspect of your career is important. Whether it’s organizing an event, scheduling meeting times, or filling out documents and paperwork. The skill of being, and staying, organized is a goal of mine that having will stick with me and help me throughout my entire career.
Reaching This Goal:
Assisting the KTB (Komen Tissue Bank) with event preparation and post-event tear down.
When receiving images for the mammogram project, I will be organizing and sorting items by barcode under my own direction.
Keeping established practices up to date and accurate whilst on the mammogram project and communicating to the team about what’s going on and the current statuses.
In this internship, organization skills have not only become a space for continued learning but also a requirement for success. I feel that I have greatly improved on keeping myself organized. However, next, I still want to progress and find the best ways to stay organized that fit my needs.
Current Career/Academic Goals:
I'm currently in the IU School of Medicine's Radiography program and minoring in Public Health Administrations. I recently found out that I got accepted into the program, which was a huge academic goal of mine that I achieved! I also have the goal of finishing my minor and obtaining my certificate by the end of the Spring '24 term. Aside from shadowing radiologists and radiographers throughout my undergraduate, my academic goals have also aligned with my internship tasks. I had the opportunity of taking ownership of the Mammogram project at my LHSI intership which goals direclty in hand with what I want to pursue in my future career! I always sensed a sure feeling of the career path I chose, but being involved with Radiology secularly, academically, and at my internship, has further confirmed my choice and built my confidence!
A lot of the goals that I had previously stated were centered around me getting into the IU School of Medicine's Radiography program. Now, that I have gotten accepted into the program, my goals have shifted. A lot of my decisions now will be focused on succeeding in my program and making that my main focus. This summer I will be enrolled in classes, and the rest of my time here at IUPUI will be spent in the Radiography program!
Learning
Skills Assessment:
After completing the skill assessment, it's helped me to evaluate skills that I have come to grow into and skills that I could use some improvement on. One of the skills that I've developed is communication. I struggled both academically and professionally with learning how to express myself and convey information. However, working at my internship has given me the opportunity to demonstrate this skill thus continuing building my confidence in it. At my internship site, I'm instructed to complete a lot of individual projects. In completing these projects there are times where issues arise and I need assistance with something, or where I have to properly communicate the status of the project with my supervisor. This experience has allowed me to continue growing my communication skills.
Through the skills assessment, I've also realized there are skills that I need to improve on. One of these skills is confronting challenges and failure. I've found it to be mildly difficult to use all of my available resources when challenges arise. I think this skill also coincides with my communication skills. When it comes to challenges, I've learned how to communicate my needs however, I have a harder time identifying risks before they arise, and using my resources in that regard. To grow in this skill, I think that learning how to prepare and weigh all of the risks factors prior to jumping into an assignment will help me to confront these challenges and thus be better equipped to use my resources.
The skills that I am using now and feel more confident in are both my communication skills and my teamwork skills. In my position at my internship, I am required to communicate fairly often about my progress on my projects or if I need assistance with software that I'm using. I see myself having a lot more confidence when it comes to asking for help and truly being able to implement the advice that I'm given. I also see this kind of growth in my teamwork skills. While I do obtain a lot of independency on my projects, I still have to reach out to others for clarifaction or help with these projects. I've been able to effectively work with my team in completing tasks and using the resources they give me to successfully finish a task.
I would like to continue working on my problem-solving skills. I think that while I am able to reach out for help with tasks, sometimes I get overwhelmed because I always want to jump in and try things by myself first before asking for help.
Overall, I've been able to build on my skills a lot during the beginning of my internship, both ones that need improvement on and ones that I feel confident in. I've been fortunate to be placed in experiences where I can utilize my knowledge and abilities, while still being exposed to new experiences that help me sharpen skills that need to be helped. Along with those experiences, I've also been able to encounter experiences that support my major and introduce me to parallel pathways. This internship has allowed me to shadow those in my field, and get hands-on experience in clinical settings. Additionally, I feel that my internship has even furthered my interest in my future career. It has shown me how I can be involved in more ways than just clinical, and the many facets of how Radiology is used in different departments.