Written by Abigail Aubuchon, University of Southern Indiana Student
I am currently majoring in Health Administration, and I am hoping to go into long-term care administration with my career. I chose this subject because I have always been interested in the healthcare field. When I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor, but, as I got older, I became more interested in administration. I know it is a long shot, but I really want to try to make a change to some of the broken parts of our healthcare system.
When my grandparents heard I was going into healthcare, they jokingly said how I should go into geriatrics to take care of them. I didn’t think much of it at the time; however, after taking the Intro to Global Aging in Healthcare class, I realized how underserved the older population is, and how they deserve better quality care. It made me think back to what my grandparents said, and how I want them to be able to receive the proper care when the time comes. That sparked my passion for wanting to help older adults. I want to help older adults have a better quality of life, and I want to ensure they have the best quality care possible.
I became interested in the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program after hearing both Dr. Katie Ehlman and Dr. Kevin Valadares discuss the program in my class. One of my good friends is a part of the AIT program this year, and she kept telling me about all of the amazing things she was able to experience. After more research on the program, I was very excited to apply. It seems like a great opportunity to help jump start my career and provide me with experiences that will make me become a better administrator.
By participating in the AIT program, I hope to learn more about the requirements it takes to be an administrator and how to ensure residents are receiving quality care. I want to see what the typical work is like and learn about both the good and bad aspects of the job. I want to learn what it takes to be a good leader and how to work with older adults. I hope that the AIT program ignites my passion even more, and I can’t wait to see what I will learn from it.
I believe my experiences at USI will help benefit me in my future career. If I am accepted into the AIT program, the training I would gain would not only provide me with great experiences, but also make me stand out. Throughout my classes, I have learned about how to be a professional and good leadership qualities. I believe my dedication to my studies will show future employers my determination to become a young professional, and I will be well prepared to join the workforce.
Abigail Aubuchon of St. Louis, Missouri, will graduate in May 2024 with a degree in Health Administration.
