Reagan Ginsberg is completing a for-credit internship with the Western Berks Ambulance Association. Her profile was written by Avery Burke, a communications intern for the Exeter Township School District.
Reagan Ginsberg is a senior at Exeter Township Senior High School and is the leader of Exeter Mini-THON. Outside of school she is enlisted as a member of the Army Reserves. Reagan is interning at the Western Berks Ambulance Association.
Q: Why did you choose your internship program?
A: I chose this internship because I will be trained as a Combat Medic this summer with the Army, so this internship is allowing me to become accustomed to medical terminology and build lasting connections in the field.
Q: What are some of the major projects you have worked on so far?
A: I am an observer on the truck while they respond to advanced life support (ALS) calls and sometimes basic life support (BLS) calls. ALS calls are for paramedics when people need advanced skills to handle them: think traumas, cardiac arrests, or serious allergic reactions. BLS calls are for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT), and this is when the patient is stable and just needs a ride to the hospital. Along with observing, I start flushes, attach leads or blood pressure cuffs, and really anything that my mentor is comfortable with me doing. I have seen patients of many age groups, socioeconomic backgrounds, races, and genders.
Q: What have you learned so far during your internship?
A: Seeing the trauma patients allowed me some confidence with going into the military. Because of my internship, I know I can handle the sight of blood, needles, and open wounds.
Q: What has been your favorite and most challenging part of this internship?
A: My favorite part of this internship is expanding my own knowledge about our surrounding communities. I am also very glad that I had the opportunity to surround myself with intense situations that the typical high schooler may not witness. A challenge at this internship was the hours. Many are unaware of how hard our EMTs and paramedics work for us. The minimum length of a shift is 12 hours, with many going until 18 hours. I have completed two 12 hour shifts, one being overnight, and it was certainly a challenge to adjust to.
Q: What career do you hope to have one day? Is this something you have always seen yourself doing?
A: When I get out of the military, this is absolutely something I could see myself doing. I thoroughly enjoy every shift I am able to complete and look very much forward to it as a future career. Ultimately, I would like to be an emergency medicine physician for the military, but this internship, and potential career, is a significant stepping stone on my way to that career.