November 2024
After high school, I plan to further my education within the business field. Previous to my internship, I had virtually no experience at all in a corporate based environment, and was completely unaware of the educational path I wanted to pursue. Over the course of my internship at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, I have attended finance meetings, been responsible for creating accurate statistical charts and graphs, and been challenged to pick up on things quickly and go outside of my comfort zone. I have also had to learn how to act and perform within a professional environment, being a relatively quick add on to the department. Even only being a few months into the experience, I feel that I have already acquired a countless number of skills that I will be able to apply to future jobs or opportunities in the future. At this point in my internship, I am extremely excited to continue within the department to further validate my interests in some type of business degree in college.
I have thoroughly enjoyed taking on every aspect and opportunity presented to me over the course of this internship program. Naturally, I have enjoyed some things a bit more than others, but I have found them all to be beneficial to my personal and professional growth. I always enjoy being asked to attend meetings, as I get to observe and understand the decisions that are critical to the success of the hospital, most of which I initially did not realize were so important. I also enjoy the aspect of being put in a position to be around new people in a new environment, as I feel as if I get to be a part of something bigger than myself. Something I have also learned to appreciate is being placed with the responsibility of creating some sort of spreadsheet or data graph that will be used to determine bigger financial decisions within the department. Again, feeling like I have the opportunity to contribute to a greater cause. However, I am always willing to help out with anything I can, always searching for new challenges and adjustments, even if it is outside of finance specifically.
Prior to starting my internship, I had virtually no direction in what to choose for my future career and education paths. I had somewhat of an idea that I wanted to study some type of business, but even then I was still unsure. Even when choosing where to complete my internship, I was skeptical about joining the hospital. I was anxious that I would not be getting a valuable experience and it would fall short of what I was looking for. Looking back, I should have had absolutely no doubts. After the incredible amount of diverse experience and opportunities I have received within my internship, I now plan to pursue a major in Agricultural Business and minor in Finance or Accounting. Considering I still have over a semester left within the FORGE program, I would be open to trying a different job opportunity. I do not have anything specific in mind, as for now, I would love to continue out my time within the finance department.
December 2024
Over the past month, I have been exposed to numerous tasks and experiences that have deepened my understanding about financial and administrative responsibilities. I have received the opportunity to sit in on a few different meetings and conferences that covered multiple aspects of the day-to-day responsibilities of my coworkers and supervisors. With this experience, I quickly learned that the profession is far more complex than one might initially think. We are responsible for effectively managing the hospital budget, revenue, expenses, payroll, and more. From this, I have learned the importance of collaboration, communication, attention to detail, and adaptability. These are skills that are consistently utilized and applied to every aspect of work that finances and administration is responsible for. Consequently, my initial understanding of the department has significantly expanded, and I am confident that the rest of the internship will be an ongoing learning experience.
Coming into my internship, I had minimal real-world work experience. After having spent a full three months in a professional work environment, I have been able to gain valuable insights and develop essential skills that I will continue to use in the future. A significant aspect of my skill development has been understanding the crucial role of collaboration. In my specific department, teamwork is a crucial part of our daily operations. It seems that there are constant meetings between a wide variety of people, acquiring different perspectives and expertise to work towards a common goal. Initially, the extreme amount of meetings and emails felt like it would be incredibly overwhelming and difficult to manage. However, after working in the atmosphere for a few months now, I feel that I have grown to truly appreciate everything that goes into the work that we do. This collaborative approach has allowed me to slowly become more comfortable reaching out and asking questions to the professionals around me, and has fostered an environment for continuous improvement. As a result, I am better able to contribute to the team and feel more confident in my role for the department.
Wrapping up my first semester spent interning at the hospital, I have been able to reflect on my overall progress made in the past three months. After reviewing my reflection from November, I now feel much more confident and comfortable in my area of work, as well as taking on new tasks that are assigned to me. In the first few stages of my internship, I was apprehensive about asking questions, and felt like I was expected to immediately know how to complete the projects I was given. Now, after spending more time in the department and successfully completing a number of projects, I realize how incredibly unrealistic that was. A more recent project that helped increase my confidence within my work, was being able to create a hospital statistic Excel sheet. Furthermore, a sheet that will continue to be used and shared with the entirety of the hospital. Having the opportunity to contribute to a greater cause has left me feeling fulfilled and accomplished within my internship, and I am looking forward to similar projects for the upcoming semester!