Junior Internships at Ashley Hall

MOLLY RUDOLPH ’19 | MARINE SCIENCE

| Our World

Interning with the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center was unlike any experience I have ever had, and I never could have expected the ways in which it would affect my life. I worked with biologists, veterinarians, and volunteers to care for sick and injured sea turtles and learned how to clean their tanks, feed them, and nurse them back to health. In addition to educating the public about how to prevent sea turtle injuries, I assisted the veterinarian with several surgeries, which was an opportunity that I will never forget. As I was resuscitating a sea turtle injured by a boat strike, I realized that there was so much that I could do to prevent things

like this from happening to these incredible creatures.

I was invited to assist in a sea turtle release at Folly Beach, where I helped set free six turtles that I had seen through the full recovery process. Seeing the full circle of recovery and carrying the sea turtles out to the ocean was unbelievable. Watching them jet through the water was absolutely worth all of the hardship and effort that it took to get them there.

This internship drastically changed what I want to do with my life. After witnessing the amazing things being done at the Aquarium, I have shifted my goals to ocean conservation. The variety of jobs at the Aquarium showed me the endless possibilities that I can have in the field. My Senior Thesis is on ocean acidification and the effects that it will have on marine ecosystems as well as on humans. This experience drove me to recognize my love of the ocean for what it is—a passion that can be cultivated into a lifelong career. I am so excited to see what this field has in store for me.

VIRGINIA JONES ’19 | MEDICINE

For my Junior Internship, I shadowed the pediatric surgery team and nurses at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Children’s Hospital. Last spring, my lung spontaneously collapsed, and during several weeks at MUSC, I fell in love with the nursing profession and was fascinated by everything happening inside the hospital. Dr. Robert Cina, a pediatric surgeon and father of two Ashley Hall girls, was kind enough to accept my request for an internship, as were two of my nurses from the seven east unit, Abby Cross and Grayson Lambert. MUSC allowed me to come back to the hospital where I had been just two months prior, but this time I was in scrubs instead of a hospital gown. I was able to follow the pediatric surgery team on their rounds, witness pediatric surgeries in the operating room, and learn about patient care with the nurses.

Dr. Cina was insistent that I should pursue surgery but kindly indulged my interest in nursing and took me to visit each nursing unit in the hospital. On this tour I was able to hear about the different aspects and learn what qualities drew the nurses to their units. My favorite memory was witnessing a Swenson procedure to correct Hirschsprung’s disease in an infant. In this operation, Dr. Hollinger detached the colon from surrounding

tissue laparoscopically and took samples to be sent to pathology. He then removed the unhealthy portion of the colon, which in total was almost the length of the baby’s body.

As a profession, nursing appeals to me because of the patient and family interactions. During my experience as a patient and on the other side as an intern, I saw the importance of not only providing excellent care but also of supporting patients and their families. I plan to study nursing in college, and my week at MUSC solidified this decision.

Photos by Kelly Grace Photography