THE INTERVIEW
I would like for you to interview a health professional. This can be done in any format you choose (over the phone, video conference, face-to-face). Please prepare a one-page paper that includes who you chose to interview, what profession they are, what kind of facility they work in (hospital, doctor’s office, dental office, etc.), and responses to interview questions. The ones below are just basic ones that you can use, but feel free to ask others that would help you understand more about their profession. You do not have to choose someone in your first choice profession. If you do not know anyone in healthcare just contact me and I will put you in touch with someone.
Why did you choose to work in the [medical field] profession?
What skills have you learned that you feel will help you work in the healthcare field?
What made you decide to go into healthcare instead of the corporate world?
What impact do you hope to make in the field?
How do you feel your education has prepared you to work in the healthcare field?
Describe the importance of your role on the whole healthcare team.
THE OBSERVATION
At this point, you should be fairly certain which career interests you most. Find a location to conduct an onsite observation. You may do this by calling a facility and asking for a specific department. While there, speak with someone in the field and ask similar questions to those listed above. Plan to spend at least half a day for observation. Document your experience and turn it in. Tell me where you went, the time you spent, contacts you made and a narrative that includes information from the above questions.
