Interning at West Suburban Medical Center, by Grace Snyder

Hi, my name is Grace Snyder! I am one of the Social Work students in the Chicago Semester Program. So far my time here in the Windy City has been better than I could have imagined! I cannot believe that it has already been just over 5 weeks since I moved in. In the past several weeks I have come to realize that Chicago, and the Chicago Semester program, has so much to offer.

A large majority of my time is spent at my internship with the Social Services department at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. Interning in the medical field as a social worker is a very rare opportunity and I feel extremely lucky to be at West Sub. West Suburban Medical Center provides a wide variety of comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitation care. Social Services hold a significant role in interacting with patients who receive this care. Specifically, West Sub Social Services provides continuity of care planning, rehabilitation, counseling and long-term care.

Throughout the course of the semester, I will have made rounds to all of the units Social Services covers. These are the Progressive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Nursing/Orthopedic Unit, General Medical Inpatient Unit, Sub-Acute Rehabilitation/Skilled Nursing Unit, and Mother Baby/Labor and Delivery Unit.

Working in the hospital setting as a social worker has been a very eye-opening experience. Each day is unpredictable as patients are admitted and discharged. The units are fast past and the work is plenty, almost never-ending! I have been challenged with the presence of ethical dilemmas, confronting emotionally charged incidences, feeling helpless and hopeless for patient situations and simply learning how to do the daily tasks of a medical social worker.

Despite all of the challenges involved in this internship, I have never felt more blessed and content. I love the diversity and large cultural presence seen in the patients and professionals at West Suburban. Directly interacting with patients brings me so much joy. I love the connection that is formed during those times. It is so fulfilling to counsel, listen and be a support when needed.

I am excited to continue to learn and grow at West Sub. I am so grateful for what I have experienced thus far, and am looking forward to what is too come. This internship is educating me on how to perform social work roles effectively, identify strengths and weaknesses, and helping me to recognize what career direction I want to head in the future. Five weeks ago I would have never thought interning would be so impactful. Thank you Chicago Semester!