Your task is to, over the course of the semester, reach out to some person or some organization in the healthcare system. That could mean contacting someone at Florida Hospital (or a hospital closer to you),

Throughout class, we will talk about ways to launch your healthcare career and that one of the primary actions you could do to help your own career was to build your network. Your task is to, over the course of the semester, reach out to some person or some organization in the healthcare system. That could mean contacting someone at Florida Hospital (or a hospital closer to you), an office manager at a private practice physician's office, an administrator at a health insurance company, etc. As long as they are related to health services administration, they are fair game.

I know…some of you are thinking "How could I possibly do that!?!" I know it seems a little intimidating. But- getting you out of your comfort zone is one the most important features of networking. If we only ever talk to people we know, we never meet anyone new or challenge ourselves. Plus, while some of you have worked in healthcare already, the vast majority of you do not yet have experience in the healthcare industry. Before you get too deep into this program, we want to make sure that you know exactly what you are signing up for. One of the most important things you can do in college to prepare for a career in healthcare is to actually get into the field and see what it's like. You don't have to wait until your internship later in the program to do that.

This doesn't have to be a long involved thing- you don't have to sign up as a volunteer or anything (although you certainly can if you'd like). All you need to do is get out there in some way- schedule a tour, an interview, an informational lunch, anything like that. You will be surprised how many people are receptive to this type of request from students. Will you probably hear a few no's? Will a few people never get back to you? Of course. But don't be discouraged! Ask the office manager at your own doctor's office or at one near your house. Maybe your dad's best friend is a doctor that you could ask for help. Think about the connections you already know and how you can use them. Ask them about what they do, how they do it, why they do it, what resources they have, what resources they need. Take advantage of your time to really get a sense for what the healthcare industry in the United States in 2024 is like.

Here is what is expected from this interview in terms of the actual paper you will turn in:

· A 2-3  (this means minimum two full pages of writing, maximum three full pages of writing) page paper, following APA formatting

· Address the following:

· How did you find the person/organization you contacted?

· What was the experience of finding someone to talk to like?

· Why did you choose this type of organization or position?

· What did you learn about the healthcare system from this person or experience? Positive and negative!

· Is this the type of person or organization you could see yourself pursuing as a career? Why or why not?

· Did this experience make you more or less excited about working in the healthcare industry?

· What did you learn about networking from this project?