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Intern steps out of comfort zone while in PR by Chelsea Futterman Public Relations My summer internship in the Office of Public Relations at MUSC was not your typical filing and running errands that most interns experience. My internship was unique, because I was doing work that requires skill. I was the only undergraduate intern (there was one graduate intern) in the office, which consists of eight employees. Because of the small environment, I was not completing mindless tasks for other people; rather, I was creating work of my own.   Chelsea Futterman In fact, my first assignment, which I received on my second day on the job, was to write an article for The Catalyst on the Governor’s School summer program at MUSC.   I knew I would be writing for The Catalyst when I took on this internship, but it did not hit me until I was given that first story assignment. After spending four months abroad in Italy, traveling, relaxing and having the time of my life, I was not mentally prepared for this kind of work. Moreover, since I had very little professional writing experience, I was nervous about writing articles for a weekly publication.   Everyone in the office was extremely helpful in giving me tips on how to go about getting all the facts for my story and how to conduct an interview, but the actual process was up to me. Since I am a business major, not a journalism major, conducting interviews is new territory for me. I was out of my comfort zone.   I consider myself a sociable person, but I am not as outgoing as I would like to be when around people I have never met. During my internship, I attended events for stories I was doing and had to approach people, introduce myself, interview them, and sometimes take their picture. This made me anxious.   After conducting my first couple of interviews at a Governor’s School event at MUSC, I realized my worries were needless. Everyone was very willing and happy to talk to me, which in turn made me excited about my job. I realized I was meeting a different person almost every day and learning something new at the same time. This definitely beat sitting in an office filing all day.   After completing my interviews, I spent a lot of time writing and perfecting my article. Once I finished writing, I got that uneasy feeling again. I was nervous about submitting my first article, because I was not sure what my editor would say. I felt inexperienced and unsure about my work.   To my surprise, I got great feedback. I learned that I really am a great writer, not just in my mother’s eyes, but in the eyes of an editor of a publication. This was a real confidence booster.   The best part about my internship was seeing my work in print for the first time. I was very proud. I sent copies of the paper to everyone in my family. I felt like I made a true contribution to something. I was ready to do more.   My internship also involved taking pictures for the paper. The most exciting photography job I did was for the candy stripe volunteer story. I got to follow young volunteers around for the day and see firsthand how they impact the lives of employees, staff and patients. It was a memorable experience.     Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.