The Parkview Summer Internship Program is a 10-week paid opportunity for college students interested in clinical and non-clinical areas of healthcare. We offer students the chance to work a 40-hour week and become engaged in the mission, vison, processes and culture of Parkview Health. Additionally, our interns learn healthcare industry best practices and gain skills and competencies through projects and organizational activities, while advancing their professional development.
We caught up with three of the young professionals spending the summer with us, to see how they heard about the program, their thoughts on the application and interview process, and how the experience is going several weeks in.
Meet the interns
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Ally Kneller
College: Miami University - Ohio
Degree program: Bachelor of Arts, Biology - Premedical Studies
Projected graduation date: May 2025
Internship department and leader: Parkview Whitley Emergency Room, Katelyn Lopez, manager, Nursing Services, Parkview Whitley Hospital
Which area did you choose to intern in and why?
I was given the opportunity to work in the Emergency Department. I am planning on attending medical school but have not yet decided on a specialty. I’ve had the privilege of seeing any number of different injuries and ailments. This variation has been ideal to help me get a feel for a variety of fields of medicine, all in one place.
How did you learn about the internship opportunity at Parkview?
I learned about Parkview’s internship program after speaking with a pre-medical advisor at my school. Parkview had presented the internship program at Miami University before COVID, and she recommended that I look into it. Afterwards, I reached out to Emily Franza-Knickrehm, [MS, student experience consultant, Parkview Health], who sold me on the program itself.
What interested you about healthcare?
I have always had an interest in and affinity for biology, anatomy and physiology—all subjects relating to the human body and how it functions. This, in combination with my enjoyment of getting to know and help others, makes this an ideal workplace to suit my interests.
What was the internship application process like?
Parkview made the application process relatively simple. The application form included a variety of short essays denoting the applicant’s interest in the program, letters of recommendation, as well as resume questions. I then had a short, informative interview with my department before being offered the position.
What can you share about your day-to-day internship experience?
I am working alongside the ED providers, taking EKGs and vitals, and assisting the patients, nurses and doctors in any way I can. I love having the opportunity to give direct patient care and to improve my own bedside manner to help better prepare me to provide excellent care to my patients in the future. In addition, I enjoy having the incredible opportunity to observe the care and treatment of a broad variety of patients, with any number of different ailments and a variety of personalities and backgrounds.
What are your initial impressions of the internship program?
I am very impressed. It has prepared me well for my work in the ER, with excellent training and support from Parkview’s Education Center, my leader and co-workers, as well as an impeccably shaped program, thanks to Emily Franze-Knickrehm. I really enjoy my experience in the ED, and all the relationships I’m building with my co-workers. The internship program offers get-togethers with the other interns at local coffee shops, as well as opportunities to assist the community through volunteering. I love this part of the program just as much as the clinical portion, as I have had the opportunity to meet many incredible people. Many interns are at similar points in our careers and have a lot we can learn from one another. Within the internship program, there are interns from a variety of non-clinical fields, such as finance, IS, talent acquisition, etc.
What are some of the things you’ve learned so far?
So far, I’ve had the opportunity to improve my bedside manner, to learn how to provide basic care to patients, to understand the inner workings of a hospital, the relationship between the technicians, nurses and doctors, and have learned a significant amount from the other interns, both in and out of the medical field.
I truly believe the Parkview Internship Program will help me in more ways than I can count for my future endeavors. What I have learned here will benefit me forever, in both my career and everyday life. Not only will I have a better understanding of the basic treatments of a variety of conditions, but I have gotten the opportunity to observe and learn from the amazing techs, nurses and doctors in the department as they provide exemplary care to each of their patients. I believe there are some things that simply cannot be taught from a textbook. I will forever have a greater respect and understanding of what the EMS and ED professionals are capable of and do for their patients. I would certainly recommend Parkview’s Internship Program and I hope to get to be a part of it again next year.
Jadyn Pugh
College: Indiana University
Degree program: Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Sciences - Focus in Speech Language Pathology School
Projected graduation date: May 2024
Internship department and leader: Parkview Huntington Hospital Rehab & Wellness, Katie Kaiser, PT, DPT, outpatient therapy supervisor, Rehab Therapy, Parkview Huntington Hospital
Which area did you choose to intern in and why?
I chose the Rehab and Wellness department because I have a strong interest in therapy. Specifically, pediatric speech therapy!
What interested you about healthcare?
Everyone in my immediate circle has something to do with healthcare; both my parents, family and friends all have ties to the healthcare field, which was my initial reason I was so interested. However, now that I have obtained some of my own personal experiences, I have reasons beyond family, such as helping people and having the opportunity to build relationships every day.
What can you share about your day-to-day internship experience?
Every day, I’m able to talk with all the therapists and listen to their plan for each patient. I really enjoy picking their brains about how they landed here to gain some insight on how they felt and compare it to how I feel at this point in my schooling. I am also fortunate enough to get some shadow time and also work on some projects for the pediatric department. I also have the opportunity to sit in on briefings and know other things going on around the hospital, which is really interesting!
What are your initial impressions of the internship program and what you’ve learned so far?
I have learned so much about the therapy department and what it would be like to be a Parkview co-worker! I have also learned about the education, training, etc. of therapists.
Currently, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity, and I hope to continue to learn more about Parkview and the field of therapy as a whole to further my education and career!
Noah Zahn
College: University of Notre Dame
Degree program: Bachelor of Arts, Finance and Economics Concentration
Projected graduation date: May 2025
Internship department and leader: Finance, Bret Claghorn, vice president, System Financial Services, Parkview Health
What interested you about healthcare?
I have always wanted to use finance to help others and I initially thought wealth management was the path for me, but I discovered healthcare as an option to do that by hopefully finding ways to make healthcare more affordable, accessible and profitable.
What was the internship application process like?
The application process was a little wild for me. I knew I wanted to work somewhere close to home, but there were few options available. I found Parkview and decided to apply for their finance non-clinical internship. I was really excited and as disappointed when I did not hear back during the listed interview period. I had reached out and learned that my application got lost due to technical issues.
At my interview, speaking with Bret, he got me really excited about the internship. He was super flexible, placing me in my hometown of Huntington where I have been able to see, both the corporate and operational side of healthcare. He also told me upfront what projects I would be working on, so I knew what I was getting into. While the process was a little stressful because of the missing application, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity Parkview has given me.
What can you share about your day-to-day internship experience?
I start each day working from home, getting through tasks and emails before I head into Parkview Huntington Hospital for meetings or to get answers to questions I have. No day looks the same, as I am bouncing from project to project, each extremely unique. I am also attending leadership meetings with Sonya Foraker, [manager, System Financial Services, Parkview Huntington Hospital], who is the best and has taught me so much.
What are your initial impressions of the internship program?
I love this internship. It’s flexible, full of learning opportunities, a great networking environment and just plain fun. I love the challenge, collaboration and problem solving I get to do each day, providing insights from my perspective, which, I feel, are truly valued by my co-workers and not blown off as just “an idea from the intern.”
What are your initial impressions of the internship program?
I have learned that healthcare is a very difficult financial field to understand. You are constantly finding new rules, regulations and processes. I have also been learning a lot about resiliency, which means doing the little things to minimize costs, which I think is necessary for any organization, especially a non-profit, to achieve success.
I want to thank Bret, Sonya and Jeannine Webster [senior financial coordinator, Parkview Real Estate], for being so helpful and making me feel at home at Parkview this summer. They are all caring and knowledgeable, never lose patience when I ask lots of questions and always have the answers I need. They truly make Parkview a great place to work.
For questions regarding the Parkview Summer Internship Program, please e-mail students@parkview.com.
