Intern of the Month Improves Skills in Sports Chiropractic
Posted on July 2, 2009
Andrea Albertson, chiropractic student, has been selected as the June 2009 Clinical Education Intern of the Month. She is currently interning at Lyn Lake Chiropractic in Minneapolis. “What I enjoy most about my internship is that the doctor I work with allows me to be very involved with patient care,” she says. “I’m improving my skills through treatment, diagnosis, and patient interaction.” Albertson explains that Lyn Lake Chiropractic sees a lot of runners, specifically marathon runners, so she has the opportunity to treat a variety of running injuries. She was initially drawn to the clinic due to the focus on sports chiropractic. “I believe my experience here will help me in my future practice by giving me more confidence, as well as building and improving my skills.”
“It’s an honor to receive the Intern of the Month award,” says Albertson. “There are a lot of great students at this school, and I really appreciate it.”
According to Mary Berg, MA, Ed, clinical experiential education coordinator, the Department of Clinical Education has an application process for selecting the Intern of the Month in which students nominate themselves. “We encourage this as an opportunity to learn how to market themselves. Many of them will have to do this in their practice.”
According to Berg, “Andrea meets and exceeds all of the criteria for the award, as well as demonstrating an advanced interest in sports chiropractic, specifically for marathon athletes.”
To apply, students complete an essay that demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning; high esteem for the chiropractic profession by participating in clubs and organizations; speaking engagements; health fairs; additional rotations; and other service learning experiences. They need to conduct themselves in a mature, responsible, professional and ethical manner; follow department policies and procedures; turn in accurate paperwork; and demonstrate effective communication skills.
Applications for Intern of the Month need to be submitted by the 15th of the month. The Department of Clinical Education reviews the essay, and votes to determine if the student has met each of the criteria. If so, he or she is awarded Intern of the Month. The recipient receives four hours of Time Away from Clinic (TAC); a certificate, and a $25 gift certificate to Northwestern’s Bookstore.