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Economics and biology double major gains hands-on experience with patient care through APEX Fellowship at ������Ƶ Community Hospital

Garrett Morris ’24, an economics and biology double major at ������Ƶ, spent his summer working as a health coach through the Community Care Network, a partnership between the College and ������Ƶ Community Hospital. In this position, Morris visited patients in an outpatient setting to check in, discuss each patient’s personal health goals, and guide patients as they took action to achieve those goals. In his internship, Morris gained insight into some of the day-to-day practical and administrative operations of the medical field, gaining hands-on experience with patient care and familiarity with many medical conditions and courses of treatment. The experience strengthened his time management and communication skills, his understanding of the medical conditions he helped to treat, and also reaffirmed his future career plans in the medical field.

“This internship has helped me gain experience for the next chapter in my life. It helped me solidify that I want to be somewhere in the medical field and be able to help people.”

—Garret Morris ’24

How did you learn about the internship opportunity for your APEX Fellowship?

I learned about this opportunity through the Health Coach program. It was a good fit because I wanted to diversify my experiences at ������Ƶ as much as possible. This role allowed me to get great insight into the medical field.

What interests you most about the work you did?

I loved the human interaction with all of my patients and the lovely CCN team. I visited patients, managed medications, communicated with patients and nurses in a professional and effective manner, and charted my patients’ visits in a quality and effective format.

Who was your fellowship mentor and how did they help you to succeed in this position?

My fellowship mentor was Dr. Grit Herzmann. She helped me succeed by being supportive and listening to my days as an intern. This really helped me feel comfortable.

What are some skills you’ve learned that you see yourself carrying forward in your career?

Through this experience I’ve learned professional communication and time management skills, great people skills, a love for meeting new people, and great intensive background on many medical conditions.

How has the internship helped you to see what’s next for you?

This internship has helped me gain experience for the next chapter in my life. It helped me solidify that I want to be somewhere in the medical field and be able to help people.

Posted in Experiential Learning, Showcase Stories 2023 on August 16, 2023.