Millie Evonlah '25 - Project Healthcare Summer Internship in New York City

This past summer of 2022, I was chosen to participate in Project Healthcare; a selective emergency medicine internship located in New York City. I was given the opportunity to hear from and shadow esteemed physicians, including residents, attendings, and chiefs. I also worked with medical students attending the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and made connections with some of the brightest young minds from universities all over the nation. We resided in the New York University dormitories in Manhattan for the entirety of the program lasting two months. We worked at NYU Langone Hospital;  the number one hospital in New York and level one trauma center. This intensive program included immersive clinical rotations between emergency departments including pediatric emergency services, adult emergency services, psychiatric emergency services, triage, and incoming traumas. With each emergency that came in, we observed the differentials, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge under one-on-one mentorship with doctors in their specific specialties. During these shifts, we also attended to patient needs and comfort throughout their stay at the hospital.

We also had the opportunity to observe surgeries in the operating room with the surgeons and patients themselves! I was able to witness hip arthroplasties, amputation debridements, cholecystectomies, hysterectomies and so many more right in front of my eyes. Oftentimes, the surgeons would explain the anatomy of the patient and exactly what they were doing, allowing us to get a closer look as well. These shifts actually inspired me to strongly consider surgery as a potential specialty. We also shadowed anesthesiologists who would explain to us their responsibilities throughout the operation, the different drugs that were being utilized, along with how the drugs were administered. We also participated in suture classes led by physicians and “scrubbing in for surgery” classes led by registered nurses. 

Throughout the duration of this internship, there was a heavy emphasis on patient advocacy. We completed various outreach and research projects along with a paper on the social determinants of health followed by a capstone presentation to the faculty of the hospital. My favorite shifts, however, were the ambulance ride-alongs. We had the opportunity to shadow EMTs during their entire eleven-hour shift; riding in the back of the ambulance with them and observing emergency treatment. We were the first point of contact during traumas in the city along with providing care to the homeless population of New York. To top it all off, we were also designated a resident mentor who we shadowed overnight and could go to for any advice or questions. The most meaningful part of this entire experience, however, was simply talking with the patients, hearing their stories, and learning from them. All in all, this program solidified my passion for medicine and it has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life thus far.