From exams to important meetings – my journey to becoming a Healthcare Management Program associate

Written by: Ryan Ott, 2018 HMP Intern

Coming into college, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. I chose to be an Economics major because I knew that it was broad enough, and it allowed me to explore exactly what my passion was. Being from Long Island, I had always been surrounded by Northwell Health. However, it never crossed my mind what a job in healthcare would really look like.  How could you work for Northwell without a MD or Nursing degree? Fortunately, my friend’s father is a Cardiologist in the health system and strongly suggested that I look into healthcare administration.

During the summer of 2017, only a couple of months later, I was set up to shadow 5 different administrators in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Business Development. Upon starting, I immediately recognized how special this field was. I grew a passion for the behind-the-scenes work that needed to be done for a physician’s appointment to take place. It was something that I knew I needed to be a part of. After a little over a month of attending meetings, visiting practices, and soaking in the day to day operations of healthcare leaders, I set out to find a way to continue to work with Northwell.

I was briefly told about the opportunity to apply to be a Healthcare Management Program associate. After extensive research, it seemed as if the program was a perfect fit for me. I wanted to continue my healthcare experience, and I yearned for the ability to actually contribute value to a team. After a number of interviews, I finally got the call. I had just gotten out of soccer practice when I saw the voicemail left on my phone.  Needless to say, I called back half a second later. I was ecstatic that I was going to have the opportunity to come back to Northwell and be a part of such a highly regarded internship program.

Fast forward to today, where I am just starting my eighth and final week of this program. This program far exceeded my expectations. I had anticipated performing all the stereotypical intern duties, such as running to get coffee and doing work others didn’t want to do. I was blown away by how welcoming the staff at the Clinical Call Center (within Health Solutions) was. Within the first few days, the Director gave me important responsibilities and allowed me to initiate my own projects. Some of my responsibilities ranged from drawing up project plans to designing workflows to be presented to leadership. Looking back on the past 2 months, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I was constantly challenged to step outside of my comfort zone. In doing so, I feel like a more well-rounded professional, and more importantly, a well-rounded person. I can confidently say that this program solidified my goals to become a future healthcare leader

Update: Ryan has been offered and accepted a full-time position at North Shore University Hospital once he graduates from Bucknell University in May.

Submit your resume to become a Summer Associate in the 2019 Healthcare Management Program Internship.