Internships
Each student spends the majority of the day interning in the department to which he or she is assigned. At the end of the day, all of the students meet as a large group to see interesting lectures and watch engaging movies related to healthcare. Students also meet for weekly small group conferences to have fun and interactive discussions about medical ethics and problems faced by individuals with various types of handicaps and disabilities.
Departments and Supervisors
New York University Langone Medical Center prides itself on having a world-renowned faculty and staff. In many cases, students will be working with people who are the leaders of their specialties.
Placements
Anesthesiology: Students rotate between different operating rooms with different anesthesiologists each day. They have the opportunity to see a wide variety of operations ranging from neurosurgery to orthopedic surgery. Students also have the opportunity to spend some time with the pain management team by making rounds on post-operative patients. The physicians that the students work with are always eager and willing to discuss surgeries and answer questions.
Cardio/Pulmonary Research: Students assist with research in the cardiac rehabilitation department. They collect data from patient charts and then discuss the data in a team setting to decide which information will be used in the study. Students enter information into the database and analyze the results. They also have the opportunity to observe physicians and other healthcare professionals specializing in cardiac rehabilitation.
Clinical Nutrition: When assigned to the nutrition department, students spend half of their time shadowing nutritionists around the hospital and half of their time working in the hospital’s food service facilities. While shadowing nutritionists around the hospital, students have the opportunity to read charts and observe the entire medical team in action through rounds and conferences. They observe patient interviews and the nutritional counseling of patients. While working in the hospital’s food service facilities, students have the opportunity to prepare food in the kitchen and aid in the preparation of the hospital’s food service budget.
Horticultural Therapy: The horticultural therapy program works with both pediatric and adult patients in Rusk Institute’s greenhouse and garden. Patients develop and use their skills and abilities through the art and science of growing plants. When students participate as assistants in this department, they will learn how to work with people of different abilities. The work is challenging and fun, but it also demands flexibility and willingness to play in the soil. Some students are even given the opportunity to teach their own class.
Nursing: Students work with nurses at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. They spend the day learning about various medications and procedures. Students have a great deal of patient contact because a lot of time is spent visiting with and talking to patients. Students also get to see the interactions between doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Occupational Therapy: Some students are assigned to work in the occupational therapy department at the Rusk Institute and other students are assigned to work in the occupational therapy department at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. Students have daily contact with patients as they observe and actively help and assist with patient treatment. They often aid therapists in preparing material and equipment necessary for treatment. The students have the opportunity to observe and ask many questions.
Pharmacy: Working in a hospital pharmacy and a retail division gives a student a broad range of diverse job characteristics to observe and participate in. Research projects are also available.
Physical Therapy: Some students are assigned to work in the physical therapy department at the Rusk Institute and other students are assigned to work in the physical therapy department at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. There are a number of departments under the umbrella of physical therapy (i.e. pediatric, adult, inpatient, outpatient, acute, cardiac, pulmonary, vestibular, etc.). Students have daily contact with patients as they observe and actively help and assist with patient treatment. They often aid therapists in preparing material and equipment necessary for treatment. The students have the opportunity to observe and ask many questions
Plastic Surgery: Students follow plastic surgery residents and fellows by attending plastic surgery conferences and observing plastic surgery procedures. Most of the day is spent observing plastic surgery procedures in the operating room alongside the residents and fellows.
Preschool: At the preschool, students work in a preschool program with children who are physically and developmentally disabled. Most students love working with children with handicaps and disabilities because they seem to have a special aura around them.
Psychology: The student is involved in all parts of a research project, from recruiting subjects at the beginning to administering and scoring tests and then documenting data at the end. Students also have patient interaction as they help and assist the psychologists in conducting some of the treatment.
Radiation Oncology: Students have the opportunity to follow attending physicians and residents as they see patients and administer radiation therapy. Students are able to attend conferences with the attending physicians and residents.
Recreational Therapy: Students may be placed in a number of different areas of therapeutic recreation. They take children to the other departments when they have classes. Students play with children using various therapeutic toys and sometimes participate in arts and crafts projects during free time. The children thoroughly enjoy the individual attention they receive. There is also time for outings throughout the month, intended to boost self-esteem and confidence. For adult recreational therapy, the functions of the student are basically the same with adjustments made to the age and maturity level of the patient.
Rehabilitation Medicine: Students have the opportunity to attend rounds and conferences alongside attending physicians and residents. They are able to track the progress of the patients that they see during rounds and discuss during conferences by observing their various therapy sessions.
Social Work: Students have the opportunity to shadow a social worker while they meet with inpatients and outpatients. They learn how to assess clients and even have the opportunity to write summaries and comments about the patients that they meet with.
Speech-Language Pathology: Some students are assigned to work at the Rusk Institute and other students are assigned to work at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. Students spend time observing speech therapy sessions. They participate in all aspects of being part of the rehabilitation team. Students may have the opportunity to observe both pediatric and adult cases. The therapists explain and discuss different conditions through a daily in-service training.
Surgery: Students spend the day observing surgeries in the various operating rooms throughout Bellevue Hospital. The surgeons are always eager and willing to discuss the surgeries with the students. This placement is only available for sessions 1 and 2.
