HSA summer interns learn about healthcare options
Intern Luckshi Maheswaran in the HSA laboratory
(CNS Local Life): The Health Services Authority (HSA) took on 65 interns this summer for a work-study programme to prepare Caymanian students for careers in healthcare. The annual summer programme enables high school students interested in a healthcare career and college students already pursuing related studies to work in the Cayman Islands Hospital and Faith Hospital in both clinical and non-clinical areas.
The internships help to promote the variety of career options available to the students within the healthcare field, stated an HSA press release. This year, interns were assigned to more than 12 departments within the HSA including biomedical engineering, health information management, finance, laboratory, information technology and physiotherapy.
Intern Luckshi Maheswaran, who attends the University of Southampton, said she dreams of becoming a medical doctor and shared how her experience working in the laboratory has increased her knowledge in areas related to her field of interest.
“Having completed biomedical sciences, I wanted to explore the scope for research here in Cayman Islands. In the laboratory, I‘ve gained knowledge on the clinical testing aspects of medicine such as the biochemistry, microbiology and histopathology behind diagnostic testing. The medical lab plays a crucial role in the treatment of disease in patients, as well as monitoring the effectiveness of the treatment. So far it has been an insightful experiment,” she said.
Daniel Britton
In addition to learning practical skills and discovering the diverse career options within the healthcare industry, the students are also learning about professionalism from their supervisors and skills to help them make the most of future opportunities.
Daniel Britton of Pensacola Christian College spoke of the benefits of the programme for students who may want to apply for an internship next year.
“The internship programme is a very good learning experience, and you have fun at the same time. You are given a firsthand experience of what it is like in the working world and what to expect. I believe that once you are willing to learn, you will truly enjoy this experience,” he said.
A World Health Organisation report, Global Health Workforce Labour Market Projections for 2030, shows that worldwide demand for health workers will increase to 80 million and that Latin America and the Caribbean are likely to be most affected, said the release.
With that in mind, HSA CEO Lizzette Yearwood said the organisation’s internship programme “creates a pipeline of future healthcare professionals for the HSA and reflects our commitment to growing the next generation of healthcare professionals in the Cayman Islands”.
Category: Education, Medical and Health
