If I were to pick two big highlights of the experience to expound upon:

1. The job gave me a much more realistic handle on the ever-expanding logistical considerations of the healthcare industry. The involvement I had in matters both clinical and of business maintenance helped me to better comprehend and speak professionally on the dynamic policies and protocols of the health insurance industry. It provided a firsthand experience of the procedural interplay between insurance and provider that is seldom taught in the classroom.

2. The opportunity for patient interaction was arguably unparalleled. The administration of neuropsychological exams necessitates an intensity and duration that not only sharpened my technical skill at the exams but further gave me a chance to hone my patient rapport beyond what could be accomplished through a shadowing experience or routine clinic visit.

My first day here, I was thrown into the deep end, out of necessity. Faced with the rather novel experience of having to learn everything about my job and its workings empirically, I’d say that I gained much more from my time here than I would have otherwise. While my primary interest has generally been the administration of tests, I cannot deny that having learned billing and scheduling will be an invaluable tool in my arsenal when I seek to start a practice of my own. Additionally, as new employees have joined on, I have gained valuable experience in instructing others on the workings of the practice as well as overseeing their transformation from new hires to veterans of the practice. In short, I have found my time at this clinic to be invaluable in supporting my goals for the future and in developing my professional skillset.

I graduated from KU in 2021 with degrees in Human Biology and Spanish and obtained a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science at Kansas City University. Working at Blessing Neuropsychological Services was a fantastic experience in which I learned a lot and spent meaningful time with patients. I learned about the complexities of insurance and running a successful practice, as well as the complexities of different conditions that neuropsychological testing has the capability to diagnose. I had the privilege of spending several hours with each patient I tested, giving me the opportunity to learn about them as individuals. I am excited to utilize the skills I have gained at BNS in my future career and am thankful for the time I spent working here.

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas in 2021 and I am currently a graduate student at Kansas City University pursuing a PsyD in Clinical Psychology. When applying to graduate programs, schools were emphasizing the need for clinical experience. Blessing Neuropsychological Services not only provided me with the clinical experience I needed for my applications, but also gave me valuable insights into the logistics of conducting a clinical practice. During my time working for Dr. Blessing, I gained experience scoring and assessing neuropsychological tests, learned the intricacies of billing through insurance, and got the opportunity to observe the clinical experience of clients from start to finish. My time spent scoring neuropsychological tests and transcribing Dr. Blessing’s client reports provided me with insight that placed me ahead of the curve compared to the rest of my graduate school cohort. Additionally, Dr. Blessing was generous in giving advice from a professional perspective and he provided me with a glowing letter of recommendation for my school applications. In sum, my time spent at Blessing Neuropsychological Services was invaluable to setting up my future as an academic as well as a future clinician.

I graduated from KU in 2021 with a degree in Finance and currently attend Kansas City University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. My biggest takeaway from working at this position was the freedom and support of Dr. Blessing to pursue one’s interests and learn a diverse amount of information in a medical setting. Each team member has a hand in all aspects of the medical practice which allows for knowledge of the intricacies of billing insurances to being attentive to patients that are undergoing testing. This is a position that gives employees the opportunity to get out what they put into it and can accommodate those from various backgrounds due to the number of opportunities and responsibilities it provides. I will be able to take my knowledge of billing insurances, handling cases with litigation surrounding them, exposure with patients, and handling financials into my career in medicine which I believe will make me a more rounded and informed physician. It is, overall, a great opportunity and culture to begin to understand one’s interest in medicine.