Maddie Ennis

The medical field has fascinated Maddie Ennis, 2020, ever since she was a young girl and would listen to stories from several physicians in her family. This summer, she had the opportunity to experience firsthand what a career in medicine would be like through a three week internship in a surgical oncology unit at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her responsibilities included checking on patients throughout the day and helping the nurses with tasks including restocking supplies, answering the phone, organizing the unit, and making a bulletin board on fall risks to educate patients and their families. Maddie also had the opportunity to shadow physicians in the emergency room, observe several procedures in the operating room, including a complicated surgery for mastectomy reconstruction (for 7 hours!), and meeting patients from around the world in the international clinic.

 

Throughout her internship, Maddie perceptively noticed differences between various medical careers and specialties and is grateful for these insights that will help her determine what career path to pursue. One thing Maddie knows for sure: as she went on her daily rounds, she most enjoyed the relationships she built with the patients and their family members. Reflecting on her experience, Maddie said, “I enjoyed talking to the patients which made it even more clear to me that in the future I want to work in a position where I have the chance to connect with people, no matter how small that connection may be.”