By Anwita Puttam – Staff Reporter

Senior Kishal Shah is currently interning at Yale New Haven Health’s Park Avenue Medical Center. Advocate Staff Reporter Anwita Puttam interviewed Kishal about her internship.

Anwita Puttam: How is your internship going so far?

Kishal Shah: So far, I would assess my time at the internship as very informative, and a positive experience. I have learned so much about the importance of communication and about being present and aware of patients and your surroundings. An instance of this was when a patient had just woken up post-op and was recovering in the PACU, and I had a few minutes of downtime to scroll on my phone. The patients had quietly mentioned to Natalie, the nurse who was checking their vitals that she wanted ginger ale and a muffin. I saw that Natalie was a little busy, so I went over to the fridge and grabbed a ginger ale and got a muffin in a plate for the patient and brought the food over to the nurse to give to the patient. This instance has taught me that patients are your first priority in healthcare, so even when you have free time, you should still pay attention to your surroundings and tune in to your patients needs.

AP: How exciting is it to get to work hands-on in a hospital?

KS: It is so exciting to work hands-on in a hospital because I get exposure to a medical setting and I get to learn from professionals in the field. 

AP: What do you think is the best part of working in the medical field?

KS: The best part of working in the medical field is the patient interactions. So many people can be academically gifted in stem, and research is very important to furthering our understanding of medicine, but the one thing that makes working in the medical field so unique is that you get to interact with patients and learn about their lives and perspectives

AP: What do you enjoy most about working with patients and other hospital employees?

KS: I love interacting with patients because my favorite memories at the medical center is of the bedside interactions or the conversations I would have while discharging the patients! I also like working alongside the other hospital workers because I am surrounded by a positive teaching environment so that even when I mess up, the nurses and doctors redirect me and help me learn, which I appreciate. 

AP: What goals do you have for your career in the medical field?

KS: The goals I have for my career in medicine is to become a surgeon. The steps I will be taking to achieve this are studying to graduate from Boston University with a BA/MA in Biology with a specialization in Neurobiology. Later, I plan to take my MCAT, gain clinical experience, and apply to Medical School before matching into a residency for my specialty.