Learning the Ropes of a Private Practice: Chelsea Karson's Summer Internship

In the summer of 2013, Chelsea Karson (right) completed her 100-hour medical humanities (MEH) minor internship with Robert Boton, M.D. Below she shares a bit about her experience.

At Pediatric Care Associates (PCA), I worked as a certified nurse assistant (CNA). I helped carry out physical exams and sick visits, cleaned and restocked rooms, straightened the waiting rooms, filled out paperwork, answered phones, and worked in the lab. During physical examinations for children and teens, I measured the heights and weights of patients and checked their vision and blood pressure. Exams of infants and toddlers were carried out differently. Rather than checking the vision and blood pressure of these patients, I measured head and chest circumferences as well as heights and weights. Between each visit, the rooms were wiped down, and the paper mats that cover the exam tables were replaced. I put away toys in the waiting rooms and stacked magazines numerous times. Answering the phones is a task usually handled by the receptionists that run the front office, but I assisted them if they were very busy. I helped the nurses in the lab by running urinalysis. Working at PCA taught me so much about health care. The wonderful staff there let me observe the work of doctors, nurse practitioners, and nurses. I also learned about how a private office operates.