Photo Courtesy of Janki Patel
Today we get to talk with Janki Patel, a nursing student at UAH who loves caring for others. She talks about the difficulties of Nursing School, different lessons she learned at her internship, and her affinity for chocolate chips. Check out her awesome interview below!
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What is your major and hometown?
I am from Athens, AL, and I am majoring in nursing with a minor in business administration.
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Who did you have your internship or co-op with?
This past summer, I did a very fun and challenging internship in the Emergency Room at Huntsville Hospital. I also participated in a 2-week Global Health study abroad program to Budapest and Prague.
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What made you choose your major?
I’ve always been interested in the medical field, and through nursing, I saw myself being able to work closely with patients and their families.
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What made you choose UAH?
I chose UAH because not only was it a great university close to home, but I found the campus very welcoming. The fact that UAH isn’t an extremely large university yet still offers so many opportunities definitely influenced my decision to attend here.
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What has been the biggest lessons you have learned from your internship?
I learned the importance of asking questions and continuing to learn. For me, that will be true throughout my entire career. As a student, I have limited experience, but the internship gave me an opportunity to discover so much about healthcare and medical technology that I do not get exposed to in just a classroom setting.
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What surprised you, if anything, about your internship?
Working in an emergency setting and being able to see all levels of trauma was definitely a highlight of my summer. My biggest surprise I think was just the wide variety of cases I saw each day and how fast paced this environment is.
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What is one thing you would tell someone interested in obtaining an internship?
DO IT! I think internships, study abroad programs, and even volunteer activities are such amazing opportunities to expose yourself to different environments, build your skill set, and connect with people in your field!
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How has your internship grown you as a person?
Facing challenges in an emergency medical setting definitely allowed me to enhance my skills and become more confident in approaching different situations.
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What has been the funniest thing that has happened to you at your co-op or internship?
I would definitely love to share that here, but HIPAA legally does not allow me to. ☺
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What is one lesson you had to learn the hard way?
When people say nursing school is hard and doesn’t leave much time for a social life, they were not wrong!! It is definitely a rewarding field; however, studying will need to priority #1. Also, never second guess yourself on exam questions: that first answer you pick is probably right (don’t make the same mistakes I did). Listen to your gut feeling.
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What is one fun fact about you that most people don't know?
I am an ENFJ; I will never ever say no to chocolate chips, puppies, plane tickets to anywhere, mint-flavored anything, or an opportunity to start an IV. Also, in my next life, I want to be a travel videographer/journalist.
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What is the best "hidden secret" at UAH?
The amount of opportunities available for students to get involved with such as research, student organizations, and internships with various companies around Huntsville.
Janki has such a fun, awesome story with the reality of pursuing the medical field. Once a month we will be highlighting different students on the campus that are excelling in their co-ops or internships, so be sure to keep reading!