Jennifer Carpio applied her bilingual skills and cultural knowledge to aid and support a more inclusive patient communication and outreach at PIMA Heart and Vascular.
What is unique about your situation that influenced your internship selection or experience?
One unique fact about me is that I am a recently retired veteran. I served 12 years in the U.S Navy as an aircraft firefighter. This is my “first” work experience outside of my military career. The reason why I chose to intern with PIMA Heart and Vascular was because I wanted something that could get me close to helping people since I had to leave the service due to an injury. In addition, I hoped to gain some perspective on applying the humanities by emphasizing ethical reasoning and human-centered problem solving.
How did you get your internship?
It was actually my sister who made me aware of this internship opportunity. She is currently a Medical Assistant for the company and she was the one who suggested that I apply. My first responder training, in addition to my bilingual skills, played a big part in the application process.
Why did you choose this internship?
Arizona has a diverse population that includes many Spanish-speaking patients. I wanted to gain experience and bring practical language skills to contribute to providing a better health care experience at PIMA heart and vascular. Also, this was an experience where I could incorporate both the humanities and business administration areas of my degree at the same time.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
I provided a variety of administrative and translating services to support the mission of PIMA Heart and vascular. I translated patient instructions and intake forms to facilitate patient appointments and insurance processing. I also supported appointment scheduling, billing, and reviewed sensitive and confidential patient information to organize referral paperwork in both languages.
What was your favorite or most satisfying part of your internship?
My favorite part was helping people communicate in their native language. Having to deal with health issues physically is difficult as it is, but having to work to understand what is actually going on in your appointments is another burden on top of that. Experiencing the gratitude, kindness, and relief I felt when the patient realized I could understand every single word and communicate with them was the best feeling. In addition, about 90% of the patients we saw were elderly, so I got to meet people who were willing to share wisdom and wonderful stories about their lives.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
Absolutely. To be completely honest, even though my previous job was being a first responder, I've realized I don't want to focus my career in the medical field. This internship was wonderful, and I felt like I made a difference and gained a lot of insight and knowledge, but I don't think it's for me. I did challenge my language and communication skills, which was the main goal. However, I think I am ready to explore a different sector of my applied humanities degree.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
The biggest advice I would give future students is to try to look for something similar or in the area of what they are actually studying. Every internship, even if it is not as necessary in your field, will be enriching. However, picking something in your specialty area would give you a better idea of what it would be like once you graduate. And lastly, I would say: do your research beforehand, and don't be scared to dive in; it can be your way of securing a future job.