Each summer, interns make meaningful contributions to ZSFG as they explore healthcare careers, build connections across disciplines, complete patient-centered projects, and present their work to department leaders. This year, ZSFG was proud to partner with two programs. 

In collaboration with the DPH Office of Equity and Black2SanFrancisco.org, a group of students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities were welcomed into a six-week paid internship that included off-site training and enrichment experiences. 

These interns shadowed a range of clinical and operational areas, including quality management, clinical lab work, biomedical engineering, respiratory therapy, clinical nutrition, pharmacy, medical-surgical and IR nursing, medicine and palliative care, cancer navigation, and psych treatment. 

From this student cohort, intern Ariss Rushing joined the psychiatry team, where she worked alongside a registered nurse with the Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) to observe and support patients and their behavioral health needs. She also contributed to a number of quality improvement projects.

Intern Tamara Harris learned about pharmacy operations, counseling processes, and assisting with medication deliveries. She conducted patient pre‑consultation interviews and collaborated with fellow interns on a patient‑centered project.

Interns Courtney Casimere and Dariona Freeman learned about the various roles and care areas in healthcare settings. They conducted patient surveys regarding their experience with patient education and pre-consultation interviews focused on diabetes health coaching. Through these efforts, these interns gathered valuable data and offered support to our patients through motivational interviewing techniques.

Finally from this group, Aalaya Burney learned about psychology in healthcare settings, including in neuropsychiatry, neurology, and pediatrics. She conducted patient experience surveys using motivational interviewing techniques to learn more about patient perceptions regarding access to Specialty Care and help address identified barriers.

ZSFG additionally hosted interns from the Achieve Program, an academic enrichment and scholarship program for students from underserved communities.

Intern Precious Offu engaged directly with patients, offering companionship, and taking part in and leading activities. Her experience offered rich exposure to multidisciplinary teamwork across nursing, medicine, rehab, and social work.

Intern Norzin Lhadon completed her internship in the neuroscience department, gaining broad exposure to the continuum of neurological care, interdisciplinary collaboration, research, and patient education. She also spent time observing in the emergency department and in the neuroscience lab. For her capstone project, she adapted stroke patient education materials to improve accessibility.

The enthusiasm and curiosity of these high school and college students bring a fresh perspective to the teams at ZSFG. In return, the mentorship and encouragement from ZSFG staff provided a meaningful learning experience while helping inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals.