Alexandra Cermak, an Ethics & Leadership in Health Care BDP student, interned with Enhabit Hospice where she was able to provide hands-on patient care and gain experience in the area of bereavement care.
"The most rewarding aspect was connecting with patients and their families.”
Where did you intern?
I interned at Enhabit Hospice in Austin, TX
How did you find this internship?
I volunteered with Enhabit for a year before pitching the possibility for an internship to their volunteer coordinator! She loved the idea and let me design an internship, which they now offer to other UT students.
What kind of work did you do as an intern?
I was able to provide hands-on patient care, as well as do administrative work, paperwork, event planning, and bereavement care.
What was the most rewarding aspect of your Connecting Experience?
The most rewarding aspect was connecting with patients and their families. For instance, I planned a bereavement event for families who had lost loved ones through hospice system. I both worked and sung at the event. Overall, it was incredibly rewarding.
In what ways has this Connecting Experience shaped your plans for the future?
While I have decided I do not want to work in healthcare with direct patient interaction, this experience helped me realized how rewarding the healthcare field is, even as a volunteer. I intend to continue pursuing volunteer work within the hospice community.
Please discuss the relationship that you had with your faculty mentor(s), and how they helped you during this Connecting Experience.
I LOVED my faculty mentor and my internship supervisor. Kelli, my supervisor, is the most flexible and kind woman. She always checked in to ensure I felt fulfilled with all the work I did. I simply can’t recommend my faculty mentor, Dr. Stephanie Osbakken, enough. She is a phenomenal person and very understanding of college students’ busy schedules. Both women were wonderful mentors and helped me reflect on my experiences.