I liked my internship at CHIA. Since healthcare is so integrated across payers, providers, and patients, it’s interesting to consider the viewpoints of health insurance agents and hospitals providers. I’ve been on calls with both insurance actuaries and representatives from health insurance payers, and it's interesting to hear how they calculate and evaluate their utilization metrics My coworkers and supervisors were all very welcoming and supportive. I also found working at the “hub” of Massachusetts health informatics interesting because you can see the healthcare game from a more birds eye view.
What I wish was different
Sometimes the project requirements that I am assigned seem a little vague and it’s up to me to figure out exactly what I’m supposed to do. My best approach is to just ask questions from my coworkers for guidance. Also, I try to do my own research on the background information so I can formulate my own strategies first and that further allows me to ask better questions. MA health insurance can also be very confusing so again looking things up and using your resources, both personal and electronic, can be very helpful. Also, although I am intrigued by the economics and data science aspects of the CHIA job, I also still yearn for more patient interaction and more aspects of STEM fields.
Advice
One piece of advice that has stuck with me is the idea that you should never be afraid of asking for clarification. If you ever don’t understand something, find a mentor that you trust, and have an honest conversation with them. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn by getting out of your comfort zone. And of course this can take multiple forms. I personally struggled with networking opportunities such as asking for informational interviews. I struggled to get out of my comfort zone in this regard. But even if things may seem difficult or daunting, never be afraid of connecting to your coworkers and even asking that occasional stranger for help.
