Real rounds at Baptist for Rhodes interns
4-week program lets students observe closely
Lindsey Bierle, a Rhodes graduate, spent the summer mornings of her senior year rotating through rounds at Baptist Memorial HospitalMemphis. First up: cardiac cath lab. In the afternoon, she reported to respiratory care, and in between, she was given the opportunity to observe every function of the hospital, from billing to surgery.
Bierle participated in an internship, formed from a relationship between Baptist Memorial Heath Care Foundation and Rhodes College, the Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. Medical Scholars Program.
The Baptist Medical Scholars Program offers students like Bierle the opportunity to observe and learn about the current state of the practice of medicine. The program utilizes immersion in an acute - care hospital.
Rhodes biology professor Dr. Alan Jaslow, adviser of the Baptist Medical Scholars program, helped begin the program in 2008. Interns are paid a salary that is provided for by the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation.
What began as a sevenweek program has been trimmed to a four-week program to allow more students to participate, says Jaslow.
Students apply through career services, and a number are accepted based on the application, their projected career, their academic aptitude and their commitment to health care medicine, says Jaslow. An essay evaluating ability to articulate goals is also required.
The program aims to allow medical-minded students to observe the integration of people, processes and technology in the delivery of health care services within specified areas of the hospital, while allowing participants to gain a basic understanding of how various disciplines and departments affect the patient experience, and the efficiency and flow of the procedural units.
“This program offers incredible access to conversations with physicians,” says Jaslow. “The physicians are handpicked to mentor the students, and be shadowed by the students.”
Each scholar also has a weekly meeting with Baptist Memorial Health Care chief medical officer Dr. Richard Drewry.
“Baptist feels it has a responsibility to mentor students,” says Drewry.
“The staff looks forward to mentoring the students and showing them the day-to - day happening of the hospital.”
Upon completion of the Baptist Medical Scholars Program, participants own the skill set to identify the barriers in adoption of new technology by members of the health care team.
They are able to have the mindset to compare the work environment of health care institutions and providers, to that of other industries.
Bierle did not want to see her experience with Baptist Memorial Health Care come to an end. She and Kate Stewart, a Rhodes junior majoring in neuroscience and a former participant of the program, developed the Baptist Memorial HospitalMemphis Rhodes Volunteer program.
The program allows for Rhodes students to volunteer their time throughout a number of Baptist-affiliated hospitals in the metro area. More than 70 students applied to volunteer through the program in its first year, and 28 students were chosen.
“There is such a good partnership between Rhodes and Baptist,” Bierle says. “I love the mission of Baptist, and I am so glad that I was able to start the volunteer program.”
For more information on Baptist Memphis, call (901) 226-5000, or visit memphis.baptistonline.org.
Diana Wier is a public relations intern for Baptist Memorial Health Care.