Sunspring Ranch in Provo - Ivy

Ivy Chatwin

Sunspring Ranch

            Hey, everybody! I’m excited to tell you about the fantastic internship I just completed at Sunspring Ranch in Provo, Utah. They board horses, teach riding lessons, and run a dairy goat operation. I wanted to get outside more and spend time getting hands-on experience with animals, and this internship more than met my expectations. I spent most of my time working with horses, and I loved it! I plan on continuing to volunteer at the ranch for the remainder of my time in Provo. There's still so much to learn and experience! Just yesterday I got to hold the first baby of the season: a tiny, fuzzy, sweet baby goat. She was actually one of a set of triplets born New Year’s Eve!

I feel like this internship has helped me achieve much more than the goals outlined in my introduction interview. I was able to burn off stress and connect with the animals in ways I hadn’t expected, and I always left feeling tired but refreshed and calmed down inside. I don’t know what path my life will follow, but the experiences and lessons from this internship have helped me develop as a person so I feel more calm and confident in my ability to handle any situation that might arise.

Technically, Sheri Goodman was my internship provider, but I spent most of my time working with her daughter Josi. Josi is a busy, cheerful undergraduate at the University of Utah. In addition to her homework, she teaches riding lessons, coaches equestrian vaulting, participates on a vaulting team, works at a restaurant on the weekends, and cares for six ponies, five horses, several dozen goats, and a handful of barn cats.

Like her mom, Josi has been riding and showing horses her entire life. She welcomed my help and provided patient instruction and many opportunities to stretch my limits during my time at Sunspring. Her cheerful laugh and careful but fun attitude always lifted my spirits, and I learned a lot just from watching her as she exercised horses and taught lessons. She’s thanked me profusely every night; sometimes she is so busy that she hardly has time for her homework, let alone her horses and barn duties.  I was more than happy to be able to help her out. This whole internship was definitely a win-win situation.

My Personal Goal was to increase confidence in working with animals. I especially wanted to improve my self-talk and get into better shape physically. I am surprised that I was able to meet this goal so thoroughly in such a short amount of time, but I really have changed for the better throughout this experience. At first, I was timid around the horses, unsure of how to use the equipment and find my way around the facilities, and shy around new people. I struggled to even lift a saddle and battled self-defeating voices in my head. Chores like mucking stalls and moving hay were difficult at first, but repetition has strengthened those muscles. An independent horse used to pull me around by the lead rope, but now I have a firm and strong grip, even if the horse decides to pull away or buck. My happiness level rose significantly as I connected with the beautiful animals, broke a sweat working, and witnessed beautiful sunsets in the open air. Those negative voices have no place when I am living in the moment, concentrating fully on the animal in front of me (horses demand that you live in the moment or else you will be ignored or get hurt). Now, I praise a well-behaving horse, rub his neck or hug his big shaggy head, and the feel-good chemicals flow through my brain. 

My confidence increased significantly as I grew comfortable with the equipment and got the hang of grooming and exercising horses. I know how to read horse body language much better, how to move predictably and cue them to move for me, and I have learned to be more assertive. Tonight it all came together: I took the big shaggy red half-draft horse Oslo out of his pen to give him a workout, and Josi told me that we do so well together that I can come work with him whenever I want to. I felt proud and accomplished. He’s the biggest horse at the facility, but I no longer feel intimidated by him. I can tell that he trusts and listens to me a lot more now than when I first started. And sometimes when he decides to test me and act up, I know what to do. He is a professional vaulting horse taking time off to recover from an injury. Early on in the internship, Josi explained his condition and showed me the ropes in his physical therapy routine. By now I have become quite adept at reading the slightest tilt of his head or shift in weight that could signal discomfort, and I adjust the routine accordingly. I love lunging him: it’s therapeutic for both of us. 

My Professional Goal was to be a hard worker and contribute well to all aspects of the organization. I met this goal as I helped Josi work horses, but I also cleaned stalls without being asked, filled water tanks, picked rocks out of the arena, swept or raked up dropped hay, moved horses around from field to field, helped clean tack, and accompanied Josi on her rounds to feed all the animals. I pride myself on being a hard worker; I like the feeling that comes from using my muscles and accomplishing something meaningful and noticeable. I picked up the rhythm of the ranch and learned about all the things that go on behind-the-scenes or in between riding lessons. I learned about three different types of hay: normal alfalfa for most of the horses, high-quality alfalfa for the goats, and grass hay for the Arabians (they’re a high-strung breed and don’t need the extra sugar in alfalfa hay; it would just make them hyper). Ponies and horses need between one and three flakes of hay, twice daily, unless they’re really big or it’s really cold (Oslo got 4 ½ flakes tonight!). One flake of hay will feed four little goats or three big goats, but on cold days all the animals will need more so they can stay warm. I learned about different kinds of feeders, how to keep a hose from freezing, about water troughs with heaters that keep ice from forming, how to tie a rope halter, how to tack up a horse in both English and Western styles, how to pick hooves and brush out mud or ice from fur, and so many other details that combine to make one great whole. 

These are useful skills for being around animals, but I know that the real value of this internship is in the transferable things. The ability to work hard, the commitment to details, the willingness to get my hands dirty, the patience to try again, the gift of laughter on a hard day, the knowledge that I need exercise and fresh air to stay sane—these are things I will take from this internship and use throughout my life. I am grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow and serve at Sunspring. I plan to continue volunteering there next semester; Josi’s taking Organic Chemistry and Physics, so I know she’ll welcome the help!

Provo, UT; Y Be Fit - Jocelyn

For my internship I worked at Y Be Fit as a health coach.  Y Be Fit can be found on the BYU campus in the Richards Building just kitty corner from the information desk.
At Y Be Fit I had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities.  I got to meet with clients on a weekly basis to help them on the path to health and wellness, perform body composition tests, various fitness tests (including a treadmill test to estimate VO2 max), as well as interpret blood work results for each client.  I had the opportunity to discuss all of the test results with each client at the beginning of their journey with Y Be Fit and again at the end so they could see the progress they made.
I also had the opportunity to learn more about coaching psychology, incorporate different styles of learning into my daily work, and work with other brilliant interns who all brought different ideas and perspectives to the table that provided many insights and tools that helped everyone learn and grow as a health coach.

Provo, UT; Utah State Hospital Physical Therapy Clinic - Phillip

My internship at the Utah State Hospital has been a great and unique experience. I have had patient responsibility and been able to work directly with several patients. After the Physical Therapist evaluates a new patient, he will create a treatment program for them. It is then my responsibility to help the patient through their treatment program each day. This includes exercises and modalities that focus on recovery as well as improving strength, endurance, and flexibility. Having already taken classes at BYU in Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, and Psychology, among others, helped prepare me for this experience working with patients.

Patients of all ages come to the physical therapy clinic (there are units with pediatric, youth, adult, high-risk forensic, and geriatric patients). Each patient is very different and deals with physical difficulties as well as mental illnesses of varying degrees. Because of this, I have learned to be adaptable in many different situations. I have developed greater patience and care for others. It is challenging to work with those who are struggling, but also very rewarding to know that I am making a positive difference in their lives.

Overall, my internship at the Utah State Hospital Physical Therapy clinic has been a wonderful experience. I’m sure I will remember these experiences for the rest of my life.  I have become more aware of mental disorders and I have become more kind and understanding. I also feel more prepared for my future in the health care industry where I will be working with patients on a daily basis.

Murray, UT; Intermountain Healthcare Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center - Keith

Being pre-med, I was a little hesitant at first to apply for a pre-PT internship, but even so I found that the center is certainly unique and provided an experience that gave me skills that will definitely benefit me and translate to useful life skills no matter what your professional goal. The staff there are simply incredible individuals and they really put a lot of effort into making the center a friendly environment for the benefit of all those who pass through.
Jay Grove is the internship mentor and is very use to training and having interns in the center. He showed me how to do things once and then left me to be pro-active and motivate myself to work. This internship involves a LOT of interaction with people, mainly patients. One of the most valuable skills I gained from this experience is learning how to project confidence in such a way that the patients (many of them two or three times my senior) could be comfortable with me taking their vitals and trust me to know what I was doing. I would definitely recommend this internship to anyone considering going into a health-related field. Internships give you hands-on experience you can't get anywhere else. I had my doubts as to whether or not I would get accepted for the internship because it wasn't geared towards my career goal, but I got it and you can too! Give it a try.

Idaho Falls, ID -Chase LfSci 199R Summer Experience

I spent the last six weeks participating in the lifescience 199 class by interning for one of my local physical therapists. The experience was very rewarding, despite all of the new learning techniques there are these days, there is still nothing better than hands on experience. Especially for people like me who are still mulling over career decisions, the opportunity to get in an actual clinic and watch therapists do day to day work is extremely helpful in making decisions about the future. A lot can be learned in a classroom setting but there comes a time where the real life experience is extremely vital. this class provides an opportunity to do some real experiencing and receive credit for it. it is and excellent program and definitely worth the time.

For more information visit  http://www.ellisphysicaltherapy.com/.

Debre Zeit, Ethiopia: Engage Now Africa Internship -Logan

I completed an internship with a nongovernmental organization called Engage Now Africa. The internship was based in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. Debre Zeit is located about an hour south of the capital of Ethiopia. My duties in the internship included gathering data concerning the humanitarian projects completed in the villages, volunteering and shadowing at the local hospital, and teaching English at a local school. It was a very engaging and interesting internship that helped me develop understanding of foreign health care and aid.

            My wife and I arrived in Ethiopia and were trained by Diana Bingham who is the country director of Engage Now Africa (ENA) in Ethiopia. We were introduced to the local staff and situated into our housing. After a day of training, Diana left to go back to America and we went to work. It was difficult to get started at first due to the Ethiopian staff. We immediately learned that the Ethiopian culture is very laid back in meeting deadlines. We would often plan our day full of activities and only accomplish a handful due to Ethiopian culture. ENA has built schools, sanitary wells, and health posts throughout the villages surrounding Debre Zeit. It was our job to travel to these projects and collect data, testimonials, and pictures that could be utilized to produce results for the donors of ENA. We were able to travel to a lot of projects and collect a lot of data and pictures. It was great to see all the good that has been done due to ENA’s efforts. There were many villages that had gone without a school until ENA came and built the school. After the school was built it was handed over to the government, which would then higher teachers to run the school. Thousands of children are now able to attend school thanks to ENA. Wells were also dug by ENA, which has helped decrease the amount of disease due to unclean water. ENA drills for water and then sets up a pump and caps the well to prevent contamination. ENA also has set up health posts throughout the villages, which brings medical help to the people. Villagers can travel to these health posts and receive basic healthcare that would normally cause death without care.

            My wife and I were also able to teach English at a local school in Debre Zeit. The national language in Ethiopia is Amharic. The villagers rarely speak English but they need to know English in order to be employed in Ethiopia. We were able to teach English at a school. The children were more than willing to learn the language to get ahead in life. We did a lot of exercises and played a lot of English learning games. By the end of the internship the children were able to carry out a basic conversation with someone on the street. Hopefully this spark of learning will motivate them to continue to learn the language and get ahead in life.

            I am a premedical student, so I wanted to get some insight on the health care system in Ethiopia. I was able to arrange with the Debre Zeit hospital a shadowing and volunteering opportunity. Every day I would spend a few hours in the hospital shadowing different doctors. I saw a lot of typhoid, HIV, and malaria. There were also a lot of car accidents, fighting injuries, and abuse. I saw a lot of cases that I would not be able to see in America. I was also able to clean parts of the hospital and make lots of gauze. The doctors are educated and employed by the government. The government pays the doctors very little to work at the hospitals. To make more money the doctors usually work at a private practice and spend little time at the hospital. Due to this issue, the nurses see most of the patients at the hospital. I feel the health care system can be improved in Ethiopia by training the doctors, donating new equipment, and helping reform government health care services.

            This internship helped me get a better perspective of the world. I enjoyed meeting different types of people along the way and learning from their strengths. I learned that there is much good that can be done throughout the world. There are basic needs that every human should have met and I feel like there are many people not getting the necessities. 

If you are interested in Engage Now Africa, here is the link: http://www.engagenowafrica.org/

Italy -Jarom Bridges 2010

"I finished the internship last week. The first few weeks I spent most of my time just becoming familiar with the clinic and patients and all the different exercises they do for different types of rehabilitation (upper body vs. lower body injuries) as well as comparing different modes of therapy like ultrasound, laser therapy, one called Tecar (similar to ultrasound, but different wavelengths), electrostimulation therapy, and massage. 

In my last week and a half I did a study with as many patients as I could get, which turned out to be about 20 (it's not a very big clinic, and a lot of the patients come 3-5 times per week, so there's a lot of overlap). Anyway, I asked them questions to find out what type of injury they had: chronic or acute, bone v. muscle v. tendon/ligament injury, what sort of situation they were injured in, etc. Then I asked them questions regarding what exercises they were assigned, which ones they found most and least effective, and whether they did exercises at home in addition to their treatments at the clinic. I also asked them about the intensity of pain they felt at the time of injury (or if a chronic injury or post-op, how much pain they felt prior to beginning therapy), compared that with their current level of pain on a typical day at their respective stage of rehab, and then asked if a session of treatment increased or decreased their immediate level of pain. 

In summary - and this is probably all you really need to know - I asked them detailed questions about their manner of treatment, levels of pain at different stages of treatment, and perception of the effectiveness of each of their prescribed exercises/modes of treatment. I haven't compiled all of the results for a specific analysis yet, but that will all go into my paper for Dr. A-Y when I get back. It might be interesting for people to know that I found the style of treatment here was almost exactly the same as what I've seen in the US, and in some cases it even seemed that they were advanced in their variety and technology of treatments. So while the language and the culture were of course different, the science of physical therapy remains the same in practice. Anyway, I had a great experience, met a lot of people and made some new friends, and now I have a great international experience to put on my grad school applications and help me stand out from the rest of the crowd. Plus, they told me when I left that if I'm ever back in Italy and I'm looking for work, I should be sure to contact them because they'd love to have me back. So not only was it a great educational experience, it's also opened a possible door for a career pathway as well, which I would guess is often the case with student internships."

ITALY:  Medical Fisio Gym (through Societa Dante Alighieri)
For more information visit: http://www.dantealighieri.com/

Murray, UT; Intermountain Medical Center (IMC); -James Tollefson

I had a wonderful experience while interning in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center of the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. I loved working along with exercise therapists helping patients recover from heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, open heart surgeries, angioplasty, and other heart and lung procedures. We helped them by closely monitoring their blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and heart rhythms before, during and after exercise. I also was able to work in the intensive care unit where we would take patients out to walk after their heart and lung operations. This was especially eye-opening as I was able hold all of the different wires and tubes that were connected to patients as we would walk around the hospital floor. I learned about the procedures that were performed and why they needed them. I felt sorry for the patients who had spent weeks in the hospital and were anxious to leave.

For more information visit: intermountainhealthcare.org.