Three weeks. That’s all I have remaining at Grinnell Regional Medical Center before I head back to school. Could time possibly go by any faster? There is so much more I want to learn from the incredible people who spend their days at this institution. During my short tenure here I have been exposed to a variety of learning experiences, and I wanted to take the time to share some of these things with you.I’ll start with a brief introduction as to who I am and why I am here. I am an Iowan—born and raised. I attended the University of Iowa for my undergraduate years and obtained a bachelor’s degree in finance. I didn’t spread my wings too far when I enrolled in the MHA and MBA programs immediately following graduation, again at the University of Iowa. I finished my first year of graduate school this May—only two years to go before I am finally able to venture out into the great unknown called “the healthcare industry.”
In April I had the absolute pleasure of attending the annual American Hospital Association meeting in Washington D.C. with Todd Linden and three GRMC board members: Dr. Michelle Rebelsky, Susan Witt, and Ed Hatcher. The trip was exceptional. I can honestly say that I learned more about health policy and reform during that week than I had the whole academic year. D.C. was stunning and we had the opportunity to see many of the awe-inspiring sites! Once back in Iowa, I was filled with motivation and couldn’t wait to begin my summer internship at GRMC.
Once summer arrived, I packed up my things and headed (not too far) West. The first few weeks of my internship were spent getting to know GRMC, the people who work here, and the exciting things going on. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on many interesting meetings, ranging from the Mercy affiliation to patient satisfaction initiatives. Even more thrilling, I was able to scrub up one morning and watch two surgeries in the operating room! Being a numbers and words gal, the exposure to the anatomy of the human body was an experience, to say the least. I was also fortunate enough to be able to spend a night shift in the hospital with one of the house supervisors, Mary Banta. I hoped to stay awake until 6 a.m., but I ended up wandering home around 3 a.m.! It was a great experience to be able to get a sense of how a hospital operates during the evening hours. Now I have my fingers crossed that somehow I will be lucky enough to observe a birth before my time here is up!
When I’m not at the hospital, I enjoy the quaint atmosphere and stellar lattes downtown at Saints Rest Coffee House. I also frequent the farmer’s market on Thursday evenings and get some great deals on fresh produce while listening to the live music. I’ve caught a movie at the Strand and purchased a few books at the Pioneer Bookshop. I have greatly enjoyed and appreciated my time in Grinnell and am grateful for all of the wonderful interactions and experiences I have had. Go Tigers (and Hawkeyes!).
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent GRMC’s positions, strategies, or opinions.
1 comment:
Thank you for spending your internship in Grinnell. It sounds like you had a great diversity of experiences. Thank you for sharing them, it was a great article!
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