Throughout the school year, the Sports Med internship for juniors and seniors at BVH allows students to do various volunteer opportunities, such as: interning at hospitals, working at the district clinic, being on the sidelines at sports games and so many more. Interns are given the opportunity to learn valuable lessons that help future medical students thrive in the medical field. Giving students a headstart in the medical field and learning from their peers and/or future employers. BVH student, UCSD hospital internship volunteer and senior Karen Beaza elaborates on what she feels to be the best parts of her internship.
“The great part about this internship is that I can go to different schools across San Diego to be able to work the games [and also be placed in different hospitals] that [BVH human anatomy and sports medicine teacher] George Lafiguera [connects us with]. My friends and I go [to UCSD hospital] once a week to volunteer [as well],” Beaza said.
Beaza enjoys the volunteering and interactive aspects of the internship because it provides an opportunity to connect with athletes on a patient-physician level while also building friendly relationships. This experience allows her to gain insights into the patient-physician dynamic while learning about the specific needs patients have to receive the best care for an injury or diagnosed condition.
“Not only will I have an immense amount of anatomical knowledge, but I will also be able to take the skills from talking to patients and diagnosing injuries,” Beaza said. “This is beneficial for my future because I believe I will be ahead in the game when it comes to patient-to-physician communication, lessening my stresses in an already stressful field.”
Beaza has learned various treatment methods and diagnostic techniques during this internship, demonstrating her commitment to pursuing a medical career. The Sports Medicine internship teaches students valuable lessons and quick decision-making skills, such as how to handle injuries like sprained ankles or concussions. BVH senior and volunteer, Madison Legaspi expresses her experiences of attending sports games and managing injuries that occur during the event.
“[In taking care of athletes,] I definitely learned to problem solve and to act fast. You are definitely always going to have to stay focused and be paying attention when you’re on the job because you never know what is going to happen,” Legaspi said.
Legaspi has learned to take initiative in situations where athletes are hurt or are in critical condition. Forcing her to be vigilant in situations where a person gets mineraly injured or seriously injured. Legaspi speaks on what she deals with at the hospital and how she believes it will help her in the future.
“This internship definitely gives [one] a lot of experience. [Once] working with kids so it is definitely nice to understand how to act professionally. One can see things that one does not normally see like a dislocated elbow or blood, [it helps] get used to seeing that sort of stuff,” Legaspi said.
Legaspi values the knowledge and experience gained through the internship, as the skills learned will aid her future studies in the medical field. Similarly, BVH volunteer and senior, Giselle Delgado appreciates the internship for the same reasons.
“[Due to] the school internship, [we get the opportunity to] volunteer at games for numerous sports and if anyone is injured, [we] help them out [which is why this internship will help me in the future when I am committed to the medical field],” Delgado said.
Delgado believes that this internship will help her with her nursing career in the future. The program has many opportunities to learn new things like treating injuries and learning from different mentors. Delgado talks about what she has learned from mentors and what she has done to treat injuries on the field.
“I have learned the basics of what an athletic trainer does such as taping and first aid,” Delgado said. “[We can also] go to games with [Lafi and other mentors] and they’ll explain to us some of the injuries they have seen on the field or court before.”
Delgado loves to learn about how to treat athletes and the basics of how to deal with these miscapes alongside her fellow interns. Internships like these have you learn from students and have them bond with one another. Beaza describes the perk of doing the internship with her friends.
“My friends [volunteers and seniors] Valeria [De La Fuente] and Chloe[Helfers] have been an amazing factor in making memories and getting the most out of this internship. We always sign up for games and events together and even volunteer at the same hospital,” Beaza said. “Being able to have friends who are enduring the same hardships and triumphs that you are is just an added benefit to being in an experience like this and I am so grateful for them.”
Beaza enjoys working with her friends and likes the fact that they are working through the same lessons and hardships as she is, having their bond become closer. Even with her busy schedule she still finds time for the internship due to flexibility of it. She explains both the goods and bads that follow when taking on this specific internship.
“The pros [are that you] have an opportunity to learn about the injuries and how to treat them. You can be on the sidelines of all of the games which is so interesting, especially because you can see a new perspective on the logistics of each game, especially during popular sports like football,” Beaza said. “The only con that I can think of is that at some moments it can be time-consuming.”
Beaza enjoys all aspects of this internship, because of the lessons she’s learned, the techniques she’s learned and the advice that she’s gotten . Meaning that this guidance in a stressful environment makes this experience worthwhile. Beaza speaks on the benefits of this internship and how it is compatible with students schedules.
“We are so lucky to have such a strong sports medicine program at BVH. Lafi and [BVH athletic trainer and sports medicine I teacher Alexis] Ramirez have done an amazing job at designing this program because it is organized and flexible with your schedule. If you already have ten extracurriculars or zero, this internship will work with you and be one of the best experiences you can have in high school,” Baeza said.
