COOL FOR THE SUMMER: Student Interns Find Medical Professions ‘Rewarding’

By Ryan Clark

CHS Communications Director

This week: Kamryn Tucker

Keeping relationships can make all the difference in the world.

“I currently serve as a medical and front office assistant at Flourish Pediatrics,” Kamryn says. “I grew up with Dr. Shayna Smith and she’s always been a close family friend. She has mentored me in the world of medicine and continues to motivate me to be an outstanding African-American woman that contributes to other minorities and various demographic patients throughout the country.”

That’s Kamryn Tucker, a 21-year-old Clinical Leadership and Management major from Atlanta, who utilized her relationship with a local pediatrician to earn an internship for the summer.

Now, she’s gaining real-world experience at the office in Sandy Springs, Ga. A typical workday could include:

• Escorting patients to prepare for examinations. 
• Appropriately documenting all procedures performed, documents sent to other providers, labs, etc., in chart 
• Assisting physicians as needed with sick visits, well-child visits, school or camp physicals, and paperwork preparation as needed, while handling prescription refill requests via protocol.
• Preparing and running laboratory tests (i.e. strep tests, flu tests) and administering immunizations
• Assisting providers and other back-office medical personnel with procedures.
• Answering phones and telemedicine communication as needed and triage appropriately. 
• Overseeing patient insurance and billing documentation.

“I enjoy getting the opportunity to be able to work with youth patients because it's so rewarding!” she says. “Pediatrics has been the perfect gateway into medical practice for me personally. I get to learn so much while having fun with personality-filled babies every day!”

In the Clinical Leadership and Management department, Kamryn says there is a strong emphasis placed on interning — and that, paired together with classroom experience, can give students a full picture of what the professions are like.

“Interning gives students the opportunity to learn in real-world situations,” she says. “Although schoolwork is fundamental for our future career paths, having hands-on practice builds character, makes students able to adapt to situations, and grooms students to be personable, trainable, and adds experience.” 

Each week we'll feature another student who is participating in a summer internship.