What it's like to be a Pathmaker - Ashley S.

Hi everyone, Ashley here. I’ve been a part of PPASO for 3 years now and this is my second year on board. I have been a Pathmaker for about a year now so hopefully this post is informative and helpful! Also, this is all in my humble opinion so take everything with grain of salt!

What is the Pathmaker Internship? In short, a way for you to get exposure to the healthcare field, interact with patients, learn from various healthcare professionals, and different departments. It is through Palomar Health. You have the option of switching departments every 3 months to learn new skills, see new things, etc.

What do you do? Your duties will vary based on the department you’re in. Most of them involve non-clinical work, like cleaning rooms, working with charts/packets, restocking supplies, etc. With that said, some of the patient care I’ve done include taking vitals, feeding patients, performing oral care, performing perennial care/bed baths, taking off secondary dressings, using the doppler machine, taking leg/ankle circumferential measurements, and assisting with dressings. I’ve only served in three departments thus far. You can also observe procedures or whatever the doctor does, again, depending on the department. I will say some departments are more “hands on” than others.

What is the time commitment? The internship requirements are specific to high schoolers and college level (and older). If you’re reading this, you’re probably in college, so you must complete 240 hours to graduate from the internship. You must serve one 4-hour shift per week. You can have three-ish absences in one rotation (3 months).

Does it count as PCE for PA school? Depends. Some schools require PCE to be paid. This internship is not paid. Some schools specifically don’t count hours accrued in an internship. For the most schools, they probably do. (But I’m not claiming to know all the answers here!)

Cool things: You get to work with some awesome LVNs, CNAs, and RNs! You’ll also interact with therapists and doctors but to a lesser degree. You can observe endoscopies, live births, C-sections, surgeries, and more! Overall, my biggest takeaway so far is becoming more confident interacting with patients, developing my bedside manners, and having experiences that have taught me alot about myself. Plus, I can draw upon these experiences during interviews!

Not so cool things: You get to work with some not-as-awesome nurses; let’s be real, you’re an intern doing unpaid labor so I have definitely experienced some shifts where I felt like I was just being taken advantage of. (ie: emptying trash cans). Also, you need a car! The closest location is 20-25 minutes away in Poway, and you can also serve in Escondido which is slightly farther. Even though 4 hours a week is NOT too demanding on our full-time student schedules, when you’re switching departments you also have to attend orientations, shadow shifts, and sometimes upskilling modules that can eat away at your time.

General Remarks on how to make the most of this opportunity: Be proactive! Don’t just sit around during your shift, always ask the nurses what you can do to help. The only way to learn and experience cool things is to put yourself out there! Be professional, and stay courteous.

Still have questions? Find out more here: https://www.palomarhealth.org/pathmaker-internship-program/level-ii