HMP Orientation 2014

By: Jeralyn Westercamp 

You know it's that time of year again when the Pumpkin Spice Latte appears.  Time for Orientation.  It can inspire excitement, dread, nervousness, trepidation - a potent mix of emotions for our new beginning in the field of healthcare.  It's a dynamic and ever-changing field for HMP students.  And in fact, our Orientation was almost dynamic as our industry! 


Back in yesteryear (those undergraduate years that seem so long ago), I remember the fear and excitement as we were paraded around campus with student ID cards swinging from our lanyards - so much to learn and take in.  This round, there was the same fear and excitement, but the HMP staff tackled it with ease through immersive experiences and our welcoming HMP team.  We participated in team building activities, picnics, and socials with alumni and current students.  On our third day we had the opportunity to meet and hear from senior leadership at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  While we all heard the standard name, hometown, and past school attended for each person, the Iowa HMP orientation was more innovative.

While we were peppered with important information relating to our professional and academic careers, we spent the majority of our time on the personal level.  Prior to orientation, students did not know each other.  We knew we came from a vast array of backgrounds and places.  Some of us are Iowa natives, some are from other states, and others are from other countries.  Some of us started graduate school straight out of undergraduate college while others came from professional careers.  While it may have seemed the differences outweigh the similarities, orientation helped prove this wrong.  We learned about the passions and excitement we all share.  Our class quickly bonded over fun activities like kickball and picnics.

We started orientation as strangers and ended as friends.  As of writing this post, we have just completed our first week of graduate school classes.  We are ready to accept the challenges that come with working in healthcare in thanks to the bonds between students, mentors, and the assistance of the Iowa HMP Program!  

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Adriana Kotchkoski (MHA '24): Nihon Keiei Consulting Group

Image
Konnichiwa from Japan!   As I sit down to write this blog post, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and accomplishment as I reflect on my time as an intern at Nihon Keiei Consulting Group in Osaka, Japan. This summer has been nothing short of remarkable, offering me a unique blend of professional development and cultural immersion that I will cherish forever.   During my time at Nihon Keiei, I had the opportunity to engage in in-depth research and analysis, creating comprehensive market profiles for the healthcare sectors in the Philippines and India. These profiles laid the foundation for strategic expansion plans, and it was an honor to present my findings and recommendations to a senior consultant during insightful one-on-one meetings. These interactions were not only professionally enriching but also allowed me to witness firsthand how strategic decisions shape the course of an organization's growth.   One of the most rewarding experiences during my internship was t...
Read more

Devante Davis (MHA '24): UCHealth - Southern Region

Image
Hello my name is Devante Davis I am going into my 2 nd year as an MHA student at the University of Iowa!    I am currently interning at UCHEALTH southern region in Colorado Springs, and UCHEALTH mission statement is to Improve lives through providing quality care. My preceptor is Andrew Ritchie the Chief Operation Officer of the UCHEALTH southern region. He great a developing talent while unlocking hiding potential within his interns, and fellow! My favorite project was evaluating what the rest of the world is doing to recover from this global nursing shortage. Summarizing the data and be a part of creating a valuable plan to implement into the UCHEALTH southern region. A few other fun events I attended were the pikes peak annual racing event, viper’s baseball game, the incline!  
Read more

Naudya Chhuon, UIHC Accounting and Financial Services (MHA '25)

Image
This summer, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Finance and Accounting Services team (FAS) at the University of Iowa. My internship allowed me to better understand what it is like to work in finance and accounting, especially within the healthcare industry. From managing a vaccination clinic project to tackling financial models, I got to contribute to some and be a part of some fun projects. One of the highlights of my internship was being the go-to person for all things related to the HPV vaccination clinic with the Population Health team. This project provides Shoes for patients under 13 years old who obtain their 2 nd  dose of the HPV vaccine. I found myself at the center of communication between four different teams, which meant I got to lead meetings, and make sure we were all on the same page. Our big event is coming up in the second week of August, and I am proud of how smoothly everything has been running so far.  Another big part of my summer was getting my han...
Read more