Over the last eight weeks, I had the opportunity to intern at King’s College Hospital NHS Trust in London. While I started in the Speech and Language Pathology department, I transferred to the Pharmacy department after the first week. I then spent the rest of my internship working there. Throughout my time, I worked largely on a pharmacy time and motion study, while also having the opportunity to shadow pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

My biggest project of my internship was the time and motion study. At the start of the internship, I had little knowledge about job planning, or how data is used to support decisions about workforce planning. Over the course of the summer, I learnt how to collect, organize, and analyze large amounts of data and communicate my findings through reports and presentations. It was rewarding to see the project progress from an idea, to a survey, to a completed report that can be used by the hospital even after my internship has ended. I also enjoyed being able to attend meetings and training related to the project because it helped me understand the purpose behind my work.

Another highlight of my internship was the opportunity to shadow pharmacists in different specialties throughout the hospital. As someone interested in a career in healthcare, it was valuable to see how pharmacists contribute to patient care and collaborate with other healthcare professionals. Shadowing allowed me to connect the data I was working with to the real work being done throughout the hospital. It also helped me better understand the variety of roles that exist within a healthcare setting and how different specialties work together to care for patients.

One of the more challenging aspects of the internship was adapting to the department change early in the program. While I was excited to learn about Speech and Language Pathology, I had to quickly adjust to working in an entirely different department than I originally expected. Looking back, I am grateful for that change because it exposed me to opportunities that I would not have otherwise experienced. However, it did require me to learn new concepts quickly and become comfortable asking questions whenever I was unsure of something.

My experience aligned with some of my expectations, but it also introduced me to areas of healthcare that I had never considered before. I expected to learn about clinical pharmacy and gain experience in a hospital setting. However, I did not expect to learn as much as I did about job planning, research, and the operational side of healthcare. Through my project, I gained a better understanding of how decisions are made within hospitals and how data can be used to support those decisions.

There are many things that I will take with me from this experience. First, I developed stronger skills in data analysis, communication, and presenting information. Second, I learned the importance of asking questions in order to understand the larger purpose behind the work I am doing. Finally, this experience strengthened my confidence in professional settings. Whether it was presenting to pharmacists, attending meetings, or working independently on projects, I became more comfortable contributing in a professional environment. Overall, this internship provided me with valuable skills and experiences that I will carry with me into future academic, professional, and healthcare-related opportunities.