Dankmeyer's summer intern program is well sought after. Angie Bryl, CPO, Clinical Director, runs the annual program. Generally, the purpose of prosthetic/orthotic intern programs is to provide students early access to the profession. Angie was recently interviewed for an article in the May 2017 issue of O&P Almanac about industry efforts to provide grade school and high school students this exposure to prosthetics and orthotics. The growth of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in many schools provides a number of students who are interested in STEM related professional explorations.
According to the article, more than 90% of millennials like using their professional skills to benefit a good cause. O&P offers an environment that embraces technology combined with patient care. As part of Dankmeyer’s intern program, Sean would have shadowed staff, received hands-on training in the fabrication of devices, conversed with patients, and gained general knowledge about O&P. Additionally, as the students learn from O&P professionals, the pros can learn from the students. As Angie says in the article, “We can get stuck in our ways at times, and students often bring fresh ideas… They bring other things that they learned in the classroom or from their experiences to our work.” Both intern and professional stand to benefit from the exchanges that occur in these programs.
As Sean prepares to graduate from high school, we will also be preparing to welcome a new batch of summer interns. We are so happy for Sean and this well deserved honor and wish him the best of luck as he continues his education!
If you would like to know more about learning experiences with Dankmeyer, send an email to info@dankmeyer.com.