Pee Dee AHEC Health Careers Summer Internship Program Places Students from Five Counties

Left to right: Sabrora Lemmon, Brittany Lewis, Brittany Brown, Kathryn Johnson,
Courtney Brown, Synobia Miller, Samoria Session 

Summer interns in the Pee Dee AHEC Health Careers Summer Internship Program have begun their summer work experiences. Students have been placed in facilities that align with their health career aspirations. This summer’s internship class includes high school and college students from Florence, Sumter, Clarendon, Horry and Marion counties. 

To prepare for the work experience, the interns first gathered for an orientation and training session at McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence. The session addressed topics such as communication skills, professional appearance, and ways to optimize internship experiences. Orientation also allowed the students to meet one another and interact in person with the health careers program coordinator.

During orientation, three health professions students along with Traci Coward, Pee Dee AHEC Health Professions Student Coordinator, offered advice to the interns to help them enter their internship successfully. Traci Coward told them to “remember, the preceptors have been where you are – they were students at one point too,” encouraging the students to not be afraid to ask questions. Other tips included finding ways to integrate into the interdisciplinary team, communicating with staff, and showing engagement. Two of the health professions students: Aaron Sloan and Erin Myers were able to offer advice from a preceptor-student relationship, as Aaron Sloan is pharmacy resident and preceptor to Erin Myers.

This summer’s interns have interests in surgery, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, healthcare administration, human resources, optometry, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and cardiology. The interns will work through the end of July. As both an educational and work experience, interns will also participate in enrichment activities for student development and present a final project.

For more information, please contact Pee Dee AHEC Health Careers Program Coordinator Larrissa Clavon at lclavon@mcleodhealth.org.