For Allied Health students, an internship provided experiences 'that just can't be taught'
The entire team of UConn students at the sunrise on Volcan Baru celebrating the culmination of their clinical work (contributed photo)
When Jiannah Paulino '26 (CAHNR) and Jayline Steiding '26 (CAHNR) came to UConn in the fall of 2022, the Allied Health Sciences major had never crossed their minds. Now, as they prepare to graduate from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) and pursue careers in health care, they look back on their studies in allied health as the key to their passions.
Both seniors knew they wanted to work in health, and their studies and internship opportunities began to introduce them to the many career paths they could pursue. Paulino and Steiding have collaborated on two internship projects that have prepared them for a future in health care.
This past January, Paulino and Steiding traveled to Panama with VAW Global Health Alliances, where they joined local medical clinics to provide and serve for underdeveloped communities.
This internship offered students clinical exposure, and an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to global health equity while developing your own professional skills in real-world settings.
"I want to go into health care to fulfill my desire to help people, and this trip gave me the opportunity to provide medical support and see how health care differs in other countries," says Steiding. "It motivated my interest in health care and my passion for volunteering. There are so many people that need health care access, and I want to use my skills and be part of that."
"I had never been exposed to being somewhere where people didn't have access to health care, and even though I knew that not everybody in the world has access to the same health care that anybody in the United States has, I really saw these differences in Panama," says Paulino.
Before they traveled to Panama together, both Paulino and Steiding participated in the Adopt-A-Health-District (ADOPHD) internship addressing opioid addition and education.
"In my previous internships, I had never worked with addiction-care in medicine. This experience inspired more of my interest in working with people and taking what I have learned to help a community," says Steiding.
Through ADOPHD, Paulino stepped out of her comfort zone, which ultimately led her to become the team leader of the Panama Medical Internship.
"The teamwork and leadership skills I gained with ADOPHD prepared me for the role I would take in Panama," says Paulino, who recruited the other interns and was the point of contact with VAW in Panama. "And now thinking about this travel opportunity in terms of others I've had, I could leave Panama saying that I helped these people, rather than saying I shadowed the person who helped."
While the Allied Health coursework prepared the foundational knowledge both students needed for their careers, it is hands-on opportunities like this this that provide critical insight into the medical field.
"I experienced things that just can't be taught. Whether it was meeting community members in Panama or talking with new UConn students I met on the trip, I learned so much along the way that further opened my eyes to wanting to work with a large population of underrepresented groups," says Steiding.
In addition to the community aspect, student interns were actively working in sectors such as patient intake, taking vital signs, shadowing local healthcare professionals, assisting in pharmacies, and facilitating health education sessions.
"I learned how to take vitals in Panama, which is something I never had exposure to before. When I've shadowed in the past, I was never outright taught how to take vitals, so coming to Panama and figuring this out for the first time was difficult and took some practice," says Paulino.
In just six days at the clinics, students gained over 60 hours of work experience that varied at each station.
"Pharmacy was unexpectedly the most impactful station for me," says Steiding. "It's reassuring that these patients are getting the medications that they have desperately needed for so long, many of which are things we take for granted here. It was amazing to be part of this process and provide something so big to these people."
Although their time as undergraduates at UConn is coming to a close, the educational experiences that Paulino and Steiding have pursued will carry them through their health care careers.
"Through opportunities that enabled me to work with communities, I've realized how much I enjoy working with people rather than being in the background. I want to enjoy what I do, and I know for sure that I will when I am working directly with people," says Paulino, who plans to pursue an Accelerated BSN program with the goal of becoming a CRNA. After graduation, Steiding is preparing to become a Physician's Assistant.
In those future careers, Paulino and Steiding say their experiences in Panama have given them new perspective in the way they hope to provide care.
"A good provider is well-rounded, and Panama elevated all of those qualities in myself. I learned how to talk with patients from different cultures with different language backgrounds, which taught me to accommodate and adjust how I communicate effectively with larger groups. My teamwork skills benefitted by collaborating with like people who have different mindsets than you and who have a whole different background of like education than you do. I also learned a lot about cultural awareness and knowing how to work with a wide array of diverse populations," explains Steiding.
"As I'm going into health care, it's important to me to reflect on this experience and how much it taught me to remain understanding and nonjudgemental," says Paulino. "All of my patients won't have the same access to health care or grew up the same, and I want to be open-minded in my practice."
