30 Berks County high school students completed the Reading Hospital High School Internship Program.
Reading Hospital recognized 30 high school seniors from across Berks County who have completed the Reading Hospital High School Internship Program at an end-of-year celebration. The reception was held on Thursday, May 25, at the Thun/Janssen Auditorium of Reading Hospital. Remarks were given by Charles F. Barbera, MD, President and CEO of Reading Hospital; P. Sue Perrotty, President and CEO of Tower Health; program interns and others.
The internship program is designed to enhance student’s academic, professional, and personal development through non-clinical practice experience within the work environment at Reading Hospital.
During the academic year, students worked approximately 300 hours each in areas including Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Children’s Health Center, Podiatry, Emergency Department, Labor and Delivery, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, Center for Public Health, Procedure Prep and Recovery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Radiation Oncology, and Genetic Counseling.
Students were also exposed to other aspects of career development through a variety of educational workshops including resume writing and mock interviews, financial literacy, and healthcare career roundtables.
Of all 30 interns, 29 of them plan to pursue higher education and a career in healthcare.
This is the first year that the program was open to all school districts in Berks County, boosting enrollment numbers from 8 to 30 interns. This year, the program hosted students from Conrad Weiser, Exeter, Fleetwood, Governor Mifflin, Muhlenberg, Oley, Reading, Twin Valley, and Wilson school districts.
Desha Dickson said, “We are extremely proud of all the graduates of our Internship Program. This program allows Reading Hospital to engage with young learners in our community to provide insight and guidance into the various career pathways that the healthcare industry has to offer.”
Reading Hospital began the Internship Program in 2014 as an effort to introduce local high school students to the vast assortment of careers in healthcare. Since its inaugural year in 2014, 81 students have participated in the program and 10 have returned to Reading Hospital for employment.
“Tower Health has always made healthcare education a top priority,” said Charles F. Barbera, MD, Reading Hospital President, and CEO. “It is important to us that we are part of the conversation when it comes to tomorrow’s healthcare providers. Through our program, we can expose students to real-world scenarios and offer them a unique hands-on learning approach all within our top-tier facility. We would like to express our sincerest thanks to all the departments involved in helping to make the internship program a success, as well as the participating interns for their hard work and commitment to the health of our community.”
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