This is the third decade of the joint Rhodes and Methodist Hospital chaplaincy internship program. This program is designed to assist students in experiential learning about patient care and interpersonal pre-professional relationships. Each year from 1 to 12 students work with 2 or more Methodist Hospital chaplains to learn the basic skills of listening to patients and family members. Students are assigned to a specific clinical area at Health South Rehabilitation Hospital and Methodist North Hospital and visit patients for 3 hours per week. In addition to close chaplain supervision, students gain from peer learning opportunities through small group seminars focused on patient care issues and needs.
Interns work alongside Methodist nurses, therapists, and technicians.
Where possible, the program is tailored to the individual learning needs of students. Over 100 Rhodes students have benefitted from this unusual learning opportunity. Many former interns now serve as physicians, physical therapists, psychologists, counselors, and clergy persons. As graduate health care institutions increasingly seek students with diverse backgrounds and experiences in the humanities and clinical environments, the internship can be a strong building block for students' admission to graduate and professional schools and future professional effectiveness.