Interns Learn the Ropes at UT-H in Summer Admin. Program

Of ages spanning more than a decade and hometowns ranging from Jamaica to Livingston, Texas, 14 diverse university students came together to participate as interns in the Summer Administrative Program at The University of Texas- Houston Health Science Center.

The opportunity to explore careers in health administration drew many of the students to UT-Houston. "The Summer Administrative Program was a real inspiration to my career pursuits. There were many reasons for me to select this particular program, including immense opportunities for hands-on experience in web developing and networking, fields which I intend to pursue after graduation," said Ray Chacko, senior at the University of Houston, who interned in network services under Kevin Granhold.

The program offers practical work experience for the students, who are mostly business majors. "As with most students, I have work experience, but I didn't have work experience in my major. So, I felt an internship would be a great way for me to obtain experience prior to graduating," said Terese Jackson, senior at Prairie View A&M University, who worked in management systems support. "I have enjoyed most the practical, hands-on experience that the internship has provided. I was able to take theories and concepts that I learned in school and apply them to my projects."

By allowing them to experience the "real world" first hand and giving them access to knowledgeable professionals, the internship helped the students get a better feel for their options. "This experience has opened my eyes to a whole new direction that I did not know about. Just this summer I decided that I would like to be a part of a development and fundraising team for a nonprofit organization," said PeopleWorks intern Nikki Thomas, junior at Prairie View A&M. "I had a talk with Michael Carter, the executive director of development, and decided that this was the field for me. He shared with me some of his experiences along with some encouraging words and I was sold. Without this program, I would have never known anything about this field or how to get involved with it."

Interns worked for 10 weeks in one of nine departments, including accounting, the Center on Aging and environmental health and safety. Under the guidance of a supervisor and mentor, they took on large roles in their offices. "I worked in facilities operations and planning. The main project I worked on involves the indoor air quality (IAQ), geared at upgrading the air flow conditions in the medical school laboratories," said Vincent Ruiz, senior at the University of Houston. "I served as a mediator among four teams to ensure that all groups were receiving the information necessary to complete their assignments. Knowing that, through my work, I have become a part of UT-Houston's history as it continues to grow, and achieving personal growth through the workshops and the people I worked with has been the best part of the internship."

Along with the internship component, interns participated in professional development seminars on Fridays. Workshops covered topics such as networking, leadership and computer applications. Staff from PeopleWorks and interns led the seminars. "The best part of this internship was the Friday seminars," said Chacko. "The seminar on the graduate degree program in Health Care Administration (MHA) supplied clear insight into the diverse opportunities in the health care administration field. From attending the seminar, I have decided to take MHA as a serious option while pursuing a graduate degree."

The Administrative Program is one of three summer programs offered by UT-Houston for university students. The program is in its 10th year, and so far has successfully met its goals. "This program is important for interns because it provides the students with direction and opportunities for post-baccalaureate education and/or employment, and it encourages recruitment into careers in academic or health care administration," said Debra Samuels, program director in the office of education access and equity. "It's certainly important from UT-Houston's perspective because the student interns provide extra assistance to the administrative departments, and the supervisors/mentors are afforded a great opportunity to work with them in terms of providing direction and mentoring."

Bui, a Rice University student, interned in the Office of Public Affairs at UT-Houston.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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