Medical Social Worker
(Female, Age 28) from Salt Lake City, UT
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 28 who works as a Medical Social Worker in Salt Lake City, UT. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
Job Title | Medical Social Worker |
---|---|
Salary | $15,000 |
Other Compensation | None Set |
Hours/Week | |
Company Size | (not answered) |
Location | Salt Lake City, UT |
Years Experience | 3 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
Years in Career | 0 |
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Education | (not answered) |
Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a Geriatric health clinic based in a Hospital. The hospital employes several thousand employees but our clinic is made up of only about 10 inividuals
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I provide support and counseling for Seniors and their families. I also provide resources and referals to outside services.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
401k, limited paid vacation
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work closely with the doctor and other profesionals and clinic staff. I also have direct patient interaction which I enjoy greatly. I am treated as a professional and a valued part of the team.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 5
Benefits: 8
Hours: 1
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 7
Level of Responsibility: 6
The Actual Work: 4
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
5am to 6am | |
6am to 7am | |
7am to 8am | |
8am to 9am | |
9am to 10am | |
10am to 11am | Arrive at the office at 11:00 in time to prepare for the weekly team meeting. I prepare the agenda and review the cases that we will discuss. |
11am to 12pm | Our multidisiplinary team meeting starts at 11:30. We discuss all of our currently active patients and clinic business. I help direct the meeting and take notes as to assignments given and plan of care. |
12pm to 1pm | The meeting goes until 1:45. After the meeting I take a short break to get lunch, often bringing it back up to my desk. |
1pm to 2pm | At 1pm we have an initial intake interview with a new patient and their family members. We discuss the concerns that brought them into the clinic and assess level of functioning and needs. |
2pm to 3pm | The new patient will visit with the medical profesional while I speak and counsel with the family members. Following the interview I write my assessment notes in the computer chart. |
3pm to 4pm | After charting I check in the clinic to see if there are any patients in clinic that the Physician would like me to see. Often I will discuss advanced directives with the patients and provide contact information for comunity resources. I also put together a resource book for the upcoming feedback session. |
4pm to 5pm | Direct a family and Patient in a family feedback session to discuss a new diagnosis of dementia. This is an education session that often lasts 2 hours. |
5pm to 6pm | Continuation of the family feedback session. |
6pm to 7pm | Following the meeting with the family I write my notes in the electronic patient chart about the feedback session and make 1-2 phone calls to patients and family memebers to address concerns that they call in with. I also review resouce materials online and search for additional family education materials. |
7pm to 8pm | I organize the written materials in my office and answer e-mails and messages. I go home around 7:30 |
8pm to 9pm | |
9pm to 10pm | |
10pm to 11pm | |
11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
I was an intern at the hospital and the intern placement was aranged through my University as part of my program.
What was the application process?
I filled out an electronic application for the hospital and a paper application for my University
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I had a brief interview with the supervisor to see if it was a good fit for both of us. I was known to the supervisor as I had worked with her as a student so when an opening became available after my graduation she offered me the possition informally.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
I was asked my availablity for work and goals I would like to fulfill in this position.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
I do feel well prepared and oriented to the position. Over time my position has evolved and I had a lot of input in molding my current possition.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
I received a Masters Degree in Social Work with a Health emphasis. I had two years of practical internships. Following graduation I had one-on-one supervison time with an experienced Social Worker for two years in order to qualify for my advanced licensure.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
I feel the Health focus of my Masters program was very helpful for what I am doing now. Many of my professors had worked in health care settings and could provide real world examples as part of the education.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
My internship was vital in giving me the foundation to do my current job. It allowed me to see several aspects of medical social work and to network with a large group of other hospital based social workers. I still benifit from this network today.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
It requires a masters level degree in Social work and preferably an internship or other work experience in a hospital or another medical setting.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
The ability to multi-task and come up with many solutions to a problem because one of the main tasks of a medical social worker is to help find solutions when the system breaks down for a specific patient. It is also important to be caring but to set boundaries otherwise it is easy to burn out if you are always trying to take on yourself the burdens of others.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
A masters level education is an important preperation for this level of job.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Don’t be afraid to admit if you don’t know something but always be willing to help the person find the answer. Also help guide people to find their own solutions instead of just handing them your pre-packaged answers.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
It is a big part of my career plan and I plan to stay here for the forseeable future.
What are your current career goals?
I would like to become an expert in Geriatric issues and counseling. I would like to continue to become well versed in Dementia care and its best practice standards.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Not that I can think of.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
Prior Job 1 | Case Manager | 2 years | 20000 | I provided case management services to Spanish speaking individuals without health insurance. I assisted them in accessing local donated health care services and addressed barriers to care. |
Prior Job 2 | Care Coordinator | 2 years | 30000 | I helped coordinate Healthcare for Spanish speaking children and their families. Many of the children had disabilites and limited access to resources. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.4
GPA | School | Degree | |
College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.5 | University of Utah | B.S. Psychology |
Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.2 | University of Utah | Masters of Social Work |
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