As a former intern in the Joey O’Donnell Cystic Fibrosis Center at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), MHA student Colleen Daly is determined to gain relevant industry experience and expand her professional network before she graduates.

One of Daly’s biggest accomplishments as an intern was the development of the Volume 1, Issue 1, of the Cystic Fibrosis Newsletter, published on April 1, 2012. As the project leader, she designed the newsletter template and was responsible for all of its content.

“Creating the newsletter has been a very valuable experience because it draws from so many different areas. I got to meet many different people, research what is important in newsletters, write the articles, and interview patients,” Daly said.

She also worked closely with clinical research coordinators and helped compile information into the cystic fibrosis registry, which tracks the demographics, health, and treatment of patients.

Daly even had the opportunity to observe a physician interacting with some of his patients. “Seeing the doctor interact with adult patients who have been with him since they were born (when their life expectancy was around 10 years) has been the most rewarding aspect of the internship,” she said.

Throughout her internship, Daly also served as a part-time administrative assistant in the Endocrine Department at MGH. She worked closely with her supervisor and MHA alumna Liz Geagan.

She recently accepted a position at Winchester Hospital in Massachusetts. She heard about the position through Suffolk Healthcare Programs Lecturer Gerry O'Neill, who is the director of finance at the hospital.

Daly credits her professional success to Suffolk’s Healthcare Programs. “The professors all come from the healthcare world, and they really know what is important to learn and what tools we'll need to have in the field. I also really like how networking is a key aspect of the programs because it will be extremely beneficial in the long run,” she said.