In the final year of Drake University’s undergraduate Health Sciences program within the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, each student completes a Senior Internship Experience designed to integrate and apply classroom knowledge within a professional setting. Students are placed in a variety of environments; including clinical care, pharmaceuticals, hospital and healthcare administration, rehabilitation services, and nonprofit organizations. These placements provide valuable exposure to prospective career paths such as dental care, optometry, pathology, public health, and long-term care. Three Health Sciences seniors, Ella Bloom, Isabella Ansani, and Rose Lee shared more about their internship experiences from the Fall 2025 semester.
Ella Bloom’s Internship at Can Play, West Des Moines, IA
For her senior year internship, Ella Bloom, a Public Health major with a concentration in Global and Comparative Public Health; has been interning with Can Play, where she works closely with children in their adaptive program. In this role, Bloom coaches a variety of sports and has assisted in developing new inclusive programming to help support participants with their varying abilities, strengths, and challenges.
“I think it’s so important to meet each child where they are,” said Bloom.
By learning to adapt activities to individual needs, Bloom helps foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for all of the participants she assists. Her favorite part of the internship has been working directly with children, witnessing their excitement during activities and watching their confidence grow through sports.
Bloom’s experience has not only strengthened her professional skills, but has also confirmed her passion for helping others. She reflects that working with children of different abilities has reinforced her goal of pursuing a career in healthcare, where she hopes to continue to support individuals in improving their overall wellbeing and independence while also making a meaningful and intentional difference in their daily lives. Bloom was able to continue her internship with Can Play this spring semester, as well.
Isabella Ansani’s Internship at Drake University Sports Medicine, Des Moines, IA
Senior Clinical and Medical Sciences major Isabella Ansani’s internship experience was with the Drake University Sports Medicine team, where she worked closely with the athletic trainers in a variety of ways, such as treating athletes in a clinical setting, wrapping injuries prior to games and practices, setting up for games, and distributing water. This hands-on experience gave Isabella many opportunities to learn about injury assessment and treatment while also giving her a chance to practice specific skills like taping ankles and wrists.
“As someone who is going into the field of physical therapy, getting firsthand experience in evaluations, exercises, and manual treatments has definitely allowed me to expand my knowledge of clinical assessment and treatment prior to entering my future profession,” said Ansani.
Ansani most enjoyed home football games and getting to support the team in a different capacity than normal, as well as observing real-time injury assessment during competitions. The time she spent in the clinic exposed her to a wide range of injuries with various treatment plans and strategies, which has been a valuable way to kickstart her career.
Rose Lee’s Internship at Prevent Blindness Iowa, Des Moines, IA
Rose Lee, a Clinical and Medical Sciences major, completed her senior internship with Prevent Blindness Iowa, through which she gained meaningful and hands-on experience in vision health. Her responsibilities were split between screening days; where she traveled to local schools to conduct vision screenings for children, and office days; where she spent her days organizing paperwork, updating information and managing volunteer sheets.
On screening days, Lee worked with a wide range of students aged pre-kindergarten through middle school. She learned to use a Spot Vision Screener tool and became more comfortable with this skill by the end of her internship. The office aspect of her internship allowed her to better understand the administrative coordination that goes on behind the scenes to support large community health initiatives.
As an aspiring optometrist, Lee shared that she feels fortunate to be in an internship that aligns so closely with her future career goals. She describes her experience as both rewarding and impactful and is grateful for the opportunity to gain real world experience.
“I think I got really lucky because my internship revolves around vision health and the field I want to go into is optometry, so I was really fortunate to be placed in an internship that benefits my future plans,” said Lee. “I would say this experience has been great and I am so glad that CPHS has offered me the opportunity to work with Prevent Blindness Iowa.”