Career Fair, Books and Upcoming Events

One of my first stops at the career fair was Children's Hospital Boston's table.  (I thought this would be a good start since it's hard to feel intimidated when one of my "employers" on my resume matches one out of the many institutions represented at the fair.)  After approaching the table, I greeted one of the representatives and explained that I had been a volunteer at CHB for close to 5 years, and my goal was to become a Child Life Specialist.  He learned through my responses to various questions that I had applied twice to the Master's Child Life program at Wheelock, but was denied.  I also told him how I was advised by the career education center at Simmons to gain some administrative skills because that would help me a great deal in the job market.  (I forget the sequence of events exactly because I was rather nervous since this was my first career fair.)  He asked me more questions and inquired about my roles and responsibilities as a seasoned volunteer on the inpatient unit.  When he asked if I had applied to jobs at CHB before, I told him I had, but never got further as far as an interview was concerned.  He offered to look over my resume even though they were not accepting them to see if he could offer me any suggestions.   After a careful look over, he handed it back and told me it looked very strong, strong enough in fact for an Administrative Associate I position, a step or two above an Administrative Assistant I.

I was pleasantly surprised.  After submitting so many resumes and applications to CHB without response, I thought I was worthless as far as employment goes.  It took a lot for me to contain myself and not cheer, but only smile and and say thank you.  I felt like I had been hired on the spot.  After learning the physical location of CHB HR, I made a mental note to visit tomorrow.  (I have always called, assuming they were in the main hospital.  I have also never had a real reason to visit the department in person until now.)  

I called my supervisor at CHB yesterday and left a message on her cell hoping to meet with her sometime this week, but it looks like it will have to be next week because she will not be in on Friday when I volunteer.  I really need to talk to her and pick her brain about Child Life practicums/internships and if I could do something independently at CHB.  


Also, another section was created for the online Medical Terminology course at BCCC so I am now registered.  Initially I though it began on the 1st (today), but thankfully it begins on the 6th so I have some more time.  I have the book from the last time I attempted to take it so I don't need to worry about rush delivery of a textbook.  


Speaking of books, I just received Child Life in Hospitals: Theory and Practice and Create Your Own Blog: 6 Easy Projects to Start Blogging Like a Pro.  I ordered Child Life because I have heard it is the "bible" for Child Life Specialists.  I also ordered Blog because I really want to make the most out of this.  I could have ordered the Kindle format, but when it comes to textbooks and manuals, I prefer to have the actual book so I can highlight and tab to my heart's content.  I also recently started Eat, Pray, Love although I have yet to finish The Female Brain.  I guess I really need to step up the reading if I hope to hit my goal of 10 books before summer's end. 

On Sunday, the UMDF (United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation is having a float at the 4th of July parade in Chelmsford.  I have a voice lesson on Monday and hope to meet a mito friend friend from Ohio who is seeing a doctor at Tufts.  I will be going home on Wednesday because Allie will be in NC July 8th-15th.  I also need to stay infection and Advil/Motrin free from Wednesday on in preparation for the Baclofen trial on the 12th.  Technically, the trial is the 13th, but I will be admitted on the 12th for baseline observation, and then I should be discharged on the 14th after the trial works its way through.  I will receive 50mcg of liquid Baclofen and the idea is it will relax my muscles better than oral Baclofen ever could without making me sleepy.  However, Baclofen delivered through the spinal fluid can cause other problems since it does not exclusively target my muscles.  It can affect other organs like my bladder and intestines, but obviously there is no way to know what the effects will be until we do it.  If there is no response whatsoever, my doctor and I will try 100mcg at a later date.    

Back in Boston

I returned to Boston last night after about two weeks at home in PA. While it was nice to be home, it was a reminder that I am not a suburbia type of girl. That said, I need to find a way for me to stay in Boston, which means a job. Finding a job is rather daunting, especially in these times and my lack of paid job experience. I have been volunteering and in school for the past five years.

Perhaps the first thing I should do is update my resume to include my new membership into the Child Life Council. I also need to pick up my degree from Simmons College. I feel rather lame for still not having my hard earned diploma after graduating over a year ago. I also need a copy of my unofficial transcript so I can look up my GPA and start looking at Child Life practicums/internships.

I also need to find an apartment because alas, my current made-for-me-studio was only a one time deal since it is too expensive for me to keep for another 12 months. My lease ends 8/31 and I will truly miss my first apartment because it is in the same area I lived in when I was at Simmons.

Yesterday I finished Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. The ending was not as depressing as I thought it would be. I could have finished the book last week, but I thought I knew the ending based on her previous books and I did not want to finish it for fear the ending would depress and enrage me. I was pleasantly surprised and proud of the author for not ending it in the way she had My Sister's Keeper or in the way I thought. This book does not count toward the 10 I aim to read this summer since I started it long before summer began. This book was however the first of many I will read on my Kindle.

This afternoon I looked through The CLC Directory of Child Life Programs and found 8 Child Life practicums from Boston to DC.  The hospitals offering practicums are Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (CT), Children's National Medical Center (DC), Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children (DE), Shriners Burn Hospital Boston (MA), Joslin Clinic (MA), Floating Hospital for Children (MA), Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (PA) and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (PA).  


Internships are more common than practicums because the hours count towards certification, but my plan is to    complete a practicum, then I will have a stronger resume and be more well rounded when I apply to internships the following "semester".  Unfortunately, I have to email most of the institutions because they don't provide enough if any information on their website.  


I also need to look at jobs at the same time, because I need to have a purpose if I am going to stay in Boston.    The deadline for the winter "semester" is September 5th so I need a job so I have something to do if I don't get into a practicum.  

Arizona Tomorrow...

Today was spent mostly lying around the house with a rather large knot in my intestines. Tomorrow my mom and I are flying to Arizona for the Child Life Conference and for whatever reason, I am nervous. I attended the conference last year when it was held in Boston and had a great time, but I guess perhaps it is the circumstances surrounding this conference that make it more important than it was last year. This year, I hope to get my name around and distribute some resumes. Depending upon who I meet and come in contact with could, in essence. define my plans for next year.

My mother called a friend of hers, which led her to call and speak with the Child Life Director at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. After a brief conversation with the director about my educational background, the director decided a good next step for me would be a practicum, which as far as I understood it, between a volunteer and an intern. Unfortunately, practicum hours not count towards certification, only internship hours count. Eh, I'm not complaining as long as I am stepping foreword and in the right direction. My mother and I will meet in person with the Child Life Director at St. Chris's next Tuesday. In Boston, I have the CLC's Directory of Child Life Programs which is essentially the bible if you are looking for practicums or internships and are not currently involved with an educational program for Child Life. The next deadline for practicum applications is Sept 5th for January start. I will likely at the very least apply to the child life practicum program at St. Chris's and CHOP (The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). As far as I know, Children's Hospital Boston (CHB), where I have volunteered for nearly five years does not offer internships/practicums to those not in an educational program, but I will learn soon enough.

Tonight, I went to my best friend Allie's house to watch Glee with a bunch of friends I went to elementary and middle school with. It was so nice to hangout with them because it seems like no matter how much time has passed between when we last saw each other it is really easy to pick up right where we left off :). About four of them, Allie included, will be moving to Boulder CO in August and I am really considering joing them, provided I can find some sort of work/child life related activity for me to do out there. If I have success in that realm, I will then need to investigate the medical care and the feasibility of obtaining it out there since I will obviously need to uproot 90% of my care should I move. Oh, the complications of having something chronic...

I am feeling the winds of change... I just wish they were blowing me more strongly up north back to Boston instead of swirling around my home town... Only time can tell....