Name: Anna Miller
Class Year: 2023
Major: Undecided
Hometown: Bellingham, Wash.
Internship Organization: Associates in Family Medicine
Job Title: Medical Records Updater
Endowed Internship Funding Award: Class of 1987 and Barbara E. Wilkins Memorial Internship Fund
Location: Bellingham, Wash. (remote)
What’s happening at your internship?
This summer I have been working remotely for Associates in Family Medicine, a family practice medical clinic in Bellingham. As a remote intern I work to update patient medical records with prescriptions and procedures assigned by consulted specialists. I also add recalls for patients to receive tests, exams, and follow up consultations. My duties also include checking existing records of diabetic patients to ensure timely treatment is occurring. In addition to this virtual internship I am also participating in the Career & Civic Engagement Center’s virtual summer program. Through this program I am completing eight Coursera classes, reaching out to alums for informational interviews, and exploring job and career databases.
Why did you apply for this internship?
The summer before I left for college, I interned sporadically with Associates in Family Medicine shadowing a scribe. I enjoyed this time but I knew that in order to become a proficient scribe myself, I needed to devote a longer period of time to the training necessary to become familiar with medication names, standard procedures, and the work flow of the office. In March I reached out to the provider that I shadowed previously about possible opportunities to scribe for the clinic. Unfortunately, in-person access to the clinic became restricted as a result of COVID-19. However, I’ve still found my work to be meaningful and engaging. I applied for this internship to learn more about health care in a primary care setting and despite my inability to be in the office I believe I am still gaining important knowledge and understanding of a potential career path.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
Over the course of this internship I’ve begun to familiarize myself with medications and their uses as well as preventative care measures and the workflow of a primary care clinic. I believe the most important skill I’ve gained through this experience is navigating and manipulating medical records software. I am also learning how to communicate with my superiors effectively. I enjoy asking clarifying questions and it was difficult at first to balance this desire with the aim to be self sufficient.
Working remotely for the first time? What has that experience been like for you?
I’ve found that many of the benefits I anticipated experiencing as a result of working remotely were actually difficulties. I thought that I would enjoy being able to work from home in comfortable clothing at my own pace but I underestimated the motivational power of having a separate work area and clear deadlines. It has been challenging to balance work and relaxation in the same environment. This is in part because while living at home I am not surrounded by the engaging cohort I enjoyed at Bryn Mawr.
Visit the Summer 2020 Internships page to read more student stories.