Internships at Myrtue Medical Center

In today’s professional world, having a good degree is no longer enough to secure that all-important job offer after graduation. To have the best opportunity possible, most students have to pursue an internship before graduation to gain some real-world experience so they have a chance of obtaining a job in their field of study. An internship is a step in a college student’s education that allows them to get real world experience before graduation in which they are then able to put on their resume.

Why Are Internships Important?

An internship allows the student to apply practical knowledge they have learned from the classroom setting while also developing important soft skills, such as:

• Time management
• Organization
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork

These soft skills can distinguish an intern after graduation from others competing for the same real-world jobs. Internships have many additional benefits, some of which include:

• Tests a student’s industry knowledge
• Helps the student determine their interests or create new ones
• Let’s the student learn more about an industry
• Creates connections between the student and industry professionals
• Offers a safe environment to learn and grow

Once a student completes an internship, they leave with more confidence in themselves, possible recommendation letters from leadership professionals, and feel better prepared to graduate from college and enter their careers. Overall, a student will not lose anything when entering into an internship role. It will only help them grow, learn, and completely understand if this industry is the right fit for them.

Internships at Myrtue Medical Center

At Myrtue Medical Center (MMC), we offer a variety of internship opportunity for both high school and college students.

“Real-world exposure to healthcare is valuable for students and organizations making the investment in exceptional talent,” said Jill Mages, Chief Human Resources Officer at MMC. “Student internships, preceptorships, apprenticeships, and job shadows provide unique experiences to learn develop skills and build professional connections, many of which advance into employment relationships.”

MMC has offered internship opportunities in all areas of the hospital; nursing, marketing, administration, Behavioral Health, Community Health, Rehab Services, lab, and more. To give more of a perspective, let us highlight three present and two past interns .

Carter Bendorf, Administration Intern

Carter Bendorf is an Administration Intern for the summer 2024 semester. He is currently attending Brigham Young University in Rexburg, Idaho and studying Healthcare Administration and plans to graduate in April of 2025.

“This internship has given me more opportunity than any classroom ever has,” stated Carter. “During my time here, I have been able to get that hands on experience I have been looking for, and Myrtue has been a great place to apply the skills I have learned from school as well as teaching me new skills every day.”

Carter continued to explain how he was not always sure what he wanted to do growing up. Being able to not only learn about Healthcare Administration in the classroom setting, but also getting to be immersed in the industry through this internship has given him a lot of insight.

A typical day for Carter looks like:

• Arrives to work at 8 AM
• Logs into his computer and checks emails
• Works on in-progress projects until lunch
• After lunch, will continue working on in-progress projects or will start new ones
• Collaborates with departments around the hospital to check-in and see if there are any new projects he can help perform

Carter is a 2020 graduate of Harlan Community High School and plans to move back to the community after his college graduation.

Sydney Frerich, RN, Nursing Intern

Sydney Frerich, RN, is a current nursing intern for the summer 2024 semester and she floats around in a variety of different departments, focusing a lot on Inpatient, Outpatient, and the Emergency Department. Sydney is currently attending nursing school at the Bryan College of Health Sciences in Lincoln, NE, and hopes to graduate the Spring of 2025.

"I wanted to work in a smaller hospital where I could experience a wider variety of tasks compared to my usual routine. At Bryan Hospital in Lincoln, I often find myself doing the same tasks repeatedly on a specific floor. However, at Myrtue, I have the opportunity to utilize my skills and apply what I learned in nursing school."

A typical day for Sydney in her internship consists of following around a nurse and observing everything, allowing her a chance to learn when to apply skills and how to assess situations.

Sydney found Myrtue through a job application website and wanted to explore nursing outside the classroom before graduation. She appreciates this opportunity to explore her attending career at Myrtue, where she has met new people and expanded her connections.

Sydney is a 2021 graduate of Millard West in Omaha and hopes to soon graduate college and apply for available jobs in the surrounding area.

Caitlyn Leinen, Diagnostic Imaging Student

MMC’s Diagnostic Imaging department currently has a student from Iowa Central in Fort Dodge. Caitlyn Leinen has enjoyed expanding her medical expertise at Myrtue and is looking forward to transitioning into a full-time radiology technician role upon graduation.

“One of my teachers helped me connect with Myrtue to be able to come and learn here,” said Caitlyn. “I needed three different locations for my school credit, and I am so happy Myrtue was able to be one of my three. The environment here is unlike any other facility I’ve studied in and the Diagnostic Imaging department team is so supportive and caring to both one another and to all patients.”

Caitlyn elaborates on how Myrtue has provided her with the hands-on training she was seeking. Being able to work where she grew up brings her joy, and the positive recommendations from former students made accepting her new position an easy choice.

Caitlyn will begin working as an on-call employee beginning on August 2024.

Grace Wegner, Marketing Intern

Grace Wegner was an intern in Myrtue’s Marketing department during the summer semester in 2023.

Myrtue was her first opportunity to apply what she learned from college into the real world. As the marketing intern, Grace had many tasks to complete on a daily basis, some of which included:

• Working on various and print and digital content
• Managed the Petersen Family Wellness Center Facebook page
• Writing informative blogs
• Assisting with the new website design

“I undertook multiple projects while acquiring new skills from a highly capable, inspiring team who were dedicated to help me grow personally and professionally.”

Some of her bigger projects required a lot of research and cross-departmental meetings and interviews, to gather all the necessary information.

Grace’s advice to any prospective student or intern is; “If you have the chance to join Myrtue, in any department, seize it. Myrtue not only prioritizes our community, but also values their team members, who truly make this place exceptional. I am truly blessed to have been given this invaluable opportunity.”

Since finishing her internship with Myrtue, Grace changed her studies at Iowa State University to include a marketing degree with a minor in finance with an added professional sales certificate.

Addyson Malone, CNA, Nursing Student

In addition to helping college students advance their education, Myrtue is also dedicated to helping kids who are still in high school. Addyson Malone, CNA, is going to be a Junior at Woodbine High School this fall. Myrtue has given Addyson the opportunity to be a CNA student during the summer months. She currently works 36 hours per week and will cut back on hours once school begins with Myrtue working with her school schedule. Addyson’s typical day as a CNA includes answering patient’s call lights and assisting with their everyday needs.

“I was hoping to start gaining medical experience once I obtained my certified nursing assistant certification,” said Addyson. “I was very excited when I saw Myrtue’s open opportunity and applied right away.”

Ever since she was little Addyson has been interested in being a nurse. She spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals with her own mom, and saw how that affected her life, so she wanted to be able to do the same for others when she grew up.

Addyson plans to attend Clarkson University to study nursing once she graduates high school.

Myrtue provides incredible opportunities for all ages with a range of different interests and skills. No matter what department you work in, MMC can provide great opportunities for anyone trying to gain more experience and knowledge in the healthcare industry. Here at Myrtue Medical Center, we are always updating our Careers webpage and seeking new team members and talent. To see what we currently have available, visit myrtuemedical.org/careers.