The Best Internship, Ever: Social Media Meets Health Care

Tasha Edwards

As the Social Media Intern at Henry Ford Health System, I had the opportunity of working in the two areas I love, new media and healthcare. The internship of my dreams. Sadly, the internship has come to an end, but the memories will last forever. The fact that I was able to practice exactly what I thought was my dream career, in and of itself, made for a great internship. Interning within the Marketing/Web Services Department, I was able to learn so much about marketing and internet marketing in the hospital environment. It was truly a great educational and professional development experience.

My internship preceptors were excellent at assigning me projects that they thought would be beneficial, as well as allowing me to develop my own assignments to hone my social media skills. All of the  individuals that I worked with in Marketing, Public Relations, and Communications were very hardworking, uplifting, and team oriented. As many people know, coworkers are just as important in overall job satisfaction as the actual work itself. (Side note: They even helped me the day my car was towed when I went to the dentist downtown on my lunch break. Life savers.)

Some people my say, “Oh, you interned in social media? So, you created a Facebook page. LOL.”

And to those people I say, “I am so happy you think that way. Here’s my card. You can call me in the future when the competition is passing you, because you do not understand the power of social media.”

Seriously, social media in the corporate environment is marketing, social responsibility, public relations, health communication and so much more. (Just check how many twitter accounts the CDC has created.) Practicing social media in health care is writing marketing strategies, developing communication plans, creating innovative campaigns, and pioneering Public Health Internet Applications. And if it is done correctly, a solid social media strategy can serve as a serious point of differentiation.

I love that I had the chance to intern in an area that joined social media and health care. They are two areas that bring me so much joy. I never feel as though I am working when the two come together.  Harnessing the power of social media for the good of Public Health, and health care in general, is now my solidified career goal. That is why my Henry Ford Health System Social Media intern experience was the best internship ever!

One Ford Place

Tags: communications, facebook, graduate school, Health Care and Social Media, Health Ford Health System, health management, health management and policy, Health System, Henry Ford Hospital, HMP, hospital internship, Hospital Social Media, internship, internship in social media, Marketing Internship, new media, Public Relations Internship, School of Public Health, Social Media Intern, social media internship, Twitter, University of Michigan, web 2.0, Web Services Internip, youtube