Career Update with Canary Ly ’17
Major: Neuroscience
Minor: Secondary Education Studies
Tell us about life after Middlebury. After Middlebury, I worked for a year as a Medical Assistant at a gynecology office in Vermont while taking prerequisite courses for graduate school. I was accepted to a few schools and chose UMass Medical School, Graduate School of Nursing to pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), in which I am currently a second year student. The program includes an accelerated year of studies after which I was eligible to receive my Registered Nurse license. Upon passing my board exams, I started working part time at a community health center and per diem at a local hospital, both of which I balance with school. Only 2.5 more years for the doctorate!
Where are you working? I currently work as a Registered Nurse (RN) in 2 locations: Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center and UMass Memorial Medical Center Marlborough Hospital.
How did you find your job(s)? Networking! When I initially moved to Shrewsbury, MA, I put my name out as a babysitter on a Facebook community forum, and started sitting for a few doctors in town. Once I passed my boards, they were able to put in a good word for me at the hospital.
How did CCI help you find this opportunity? When I was at Middlebury I worked as a Front Office Assistant at CCI. After working with such a great group of people there, I saw the benefits of branching out and not being afraid to ask for help. It never hurts to ask!
What advice do you have for Middlebury students looking for an internship? Push yourself to do the most you can. Network, be yourself, and never forget that you have a great community of resources at your fingertips. You just have to use them!
What is the most rewarding aspect of your work? The most rewarding part of working two different jobs is that I get to see the best of both worlds: seeing families and getting to work with kids in the outpatient setting, and then being a part of the treatment team and caring for sick adults in the inpatient setting!
What do you wish you knew before interning that you would like to share with Middlebury students? Don’t doubt your ability to learn on the job–it’s not always about knowing everything in the books! Also, no question is a dumb question.
If you want to network, you can connect with Canary via Midd2Midd!
Are YOU interested in being in the Alumni Highlights? Tell us about your post-Middlebury experience here.