Local Golden Leaf Scholar Interns at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital
| Date Posted: 7/27/2018
East Carolina University student, Golden Leaf Scholar and hospital intern Shiana Jaimes “scrubs in” to observe a procedure at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital in Troy.
TROY – East Carolina University student Shiana Jaimes has come full-circle in her life in some sorts.
The Biscoe resident, who was born at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, has recently completed a health care internship at FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital (MMH) in Troy.
A 2017 graduate of East Montgomery High School, Jaimes is a 2017 recipient of the Golden LEAF Scholarship, a program designed to assist high school seniors from specific rural counties.
“I was very fortunate to receive the scholarship,” says Jaimes. “The program is something I can relate to in many ways since it is designed for students in rural areas and allows them to go off to school, pursue a career and come back to a rural area. Montgomery County is small, but it has given me everything I have, so I plan to follow the Golden Leaf Foundation’s mission and come back to this community to give back and be a role model for other Montgomery County students.”
Jaimes plans to pursue a career in the medical field. She is currently studying public health with a concentration in pre-professional health and intends to attend physician assistant (P.A.) school following her undergraduate studies.
Her internship at MMH has given her much experience and guidance into what a medical career may be like.
“My goal was to learn what it is like to work in a hospital environment,” she says. “I have had an amazing experience and have met so many wonderful people who have motivated me and shared so much knowledge with me.”
“Most importantly, I was very fortunate to have a great supervisor – Beth Walker [president of FirstHealth’s western region and FirstHealth Montgomery Memorial Hospital]. She has done everything possible to expose me to all the different departments of the hospital.”
During her internship at MMH, Jaimes not only shadowed Walker, but also many clinical directors.
Internship duties included clinical rounds (her favorite), observing surgeries in the operating rooms, emergency medical service (EMS) simulations, occupational health visits and assisting with special events like the Troyfest Parade and North Carolina Peach Festival.
“Shiana has been a joy to work with at Montgomery,” says Walker. “I look forward to seeing her smile and enthusiasm again when she begins her career – hopefully right here at MMH!”
FirstHealth of the Carolinas offers internship and shadowing programs to students in high school and college. For information on participating, visit www.firsthealth.org.
