Brianne Buletko '14 - Cleveland Clinic

Name: Brianne Buletko
Class Year: 2014
Major: Psychology & Religion Double Major
Hometown: Canton, OH
Internship: Behavior Modification Counselor at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Summer Treatment Program and Undergraduate Research Assistant with The Cleveland Clinic
Location: Cleveland, OH

Internship Responsibilities:
As a counselor, I worked with a group of children with ADHD in order to monitor and modify their behaviors. Summer Treatment Program is set up as a day camp and runs Monday through Friday. I was also responsible for the program’s data each day. I recorded each “behavioral point call” on the data sheets daily, and coded the data into excel. The computer data was then printed and logged in a data binder by each counselor. At the conclusion of the summer I wrote two individual treatment summaries which included recommendations for future physicians, clinicians, and teachers. The report noted behaviors that showed improvements based on the program, behaviors resistant to treatment, recommendations for future therapies and trend graphs.
Check out the STP website here.
As a researcher, I worked as an assistant for a graduate dissertation. I had the opportunity to work more closely with clients, conduct clinical 1-1 interviews, and code and transcribe data from the interviews.

What I learned: 

I learned that working with children in the clinical setting is exactly what I want to do. That’s the beauty of internships! When you invest yourself in the opportunities they offer, you gain a sense of understanding that simply cannot be learned in the classroom. The real-world experiences I’ve had in different internships have allowed me to discern what I am best at and most enjoy. While Otterbein offers so many opportunities and tons of assistance in helping you find out what career may fit you best, being an intern with different programs truly allows you to get a glimpse of what you will be doing once you’re in the field and out of school.

Advice about searching for an internship: 

Do not be afraid to reach out to people. Not only should you contact friends and professors from Otterbein about their connections, but you should do some online researching yourself. If there is some place specific you’d like to intern then check out their website and reach out to them. Even if there isn’t a specific position created, many internship sites are very receptive to initiative! If it is a large organization such as the Cleveland Clinic then be sure to find specific people to email and include why you are interested and what drew you to their program.

Advice on how to make the most of an internship experience: 

Be someone they will remember! Employers can tell when you are genuine – so be sincere. Ask questions if you have them, do more than what is asked of you, get involved in each opportunity that is offered, and have a great attitude. These tips will help you succeed in your internship. Each place you intern is an important connection to establish and maintain so make a good name for yourself. Also, remember to enjoy the experience and utilize the experience to discern your call to your future career.