For students interested in the medical field, Bergan Mercy Hospital has a volunteer program. Freshman Reese Rhyner is involved in this program and is learning many new things about her dream occupations.
“I have definitely learned a lot more people skills, and how systems and procedures inside a hospital work,” Reese said.
The volunteering program allows many different opportunities for Reese to work around the building. She does many enjoyable tasks to help throughout the hospital.
“My favorite thing, is probably either gift shop or wheelchairs. I think it’s fun because you get to visit all the different floors and you can see everything that’s happening,” Reese said.
While working in the gift shop Reese gets to help people pick out gifts, and answer phone calls. In the wheelchairs station Reese gets to go around the hospital to return the chairs to where they need to go back to.
Through helping staff around the hospital, the program hopes to raise interest in careers throughout the field. Reese hopes this will work for her as well.
“Once I get older, I’ll be able to do more tasks. So maybe I’ll see something happening and be like, maybe I want to do that,” Reese said.
After being in the program for longer, Reese will be able to go to all the floors and perform tasks for nurses, stay in a specific area that she is interested in and complete various jobs. This opens many more doors for interests and opportunities to watch how the hospital functions.
One other freshman, Nadia Aboeata has also started volunteering at Bergan with Reese. They both have similar responsibilities around and sometimes get to work together.
“I love working with Reese,” Nadia said. “Sometimes we’ll be in the same station or rotation, other times I just go visit her and I can ask her questions.”
Overall this program offers many opportunities for volunteers to get involved and learn many new things.
“I think it is a good way to be exposed to the way things work in a hospital,” Reese said. “I am excited to see how this will shape my future.”
