Last week, I had the fantastic opportunity to sit down with Tufts
aluma Carolyn Matheson A08, an aspiring nurse practitioner and true career-star in the world of public healthcare. Read on as Carolyn discusses her exceptional years at The Barbara McInnis House, her ambitious long-term goals, and the steps she took to boot up her professional career.
1. How did you become interested in the healthcare industry?
I came to Tufts not knowing what I wanted to do at all. I grew up in Costa Rica, and came to the states for school. I didn’t even know what a nurse practitioner was. But I was always interested in community service, health, and nutrition. I quickly found the Community Health program at Tufts. This, in conjunction with the Tisch Scholars program gave me the opportunity to get meaningful hands-on experience [in the field]. I have Tufts to thank for exposing me.
2. Did you have any prior work experience in healthcare?
Through the Tisch Scholars program, I worked with immigrant provider groups for health. I even got to do a project on intestinal parasites in Nicaragua. And it was trough my community health internship and the Scholar’s project that I ended up at Healthcare for the Homeless. I had an internship there as a case manager. Since I spoke Spanish, the nurse practitioners there also asked me to help translate. I got a lot of exposure to different aspects of healthcare that I didn’t even know existed.
5. Can you think of any one experience, or a specific client, that particularly sticks out to you?
I came to Tufts not knowing what I wanted to do at all. I grew up in Costa Rica, and came to the states for school. I didn’t even know what a nurse practitioner was. But I was always interested in community service, health, and nutrition. I quickly found the Community Health program at Tufts. This, in conjunction with the Tisch Scholars program gave me the opportunity to get meaningful hands-on experience [in the field]. I have Tufts to thank for exposing me.
2. Did you have any prior work experience in healthcare?
Through the Tisch Scholars program, I worked with immigrant provider groups for health. I even got to do a project on intestinal parasites in Nicaragua. And it was trough my community health internship and the Scholar’s project that I ended up at Healthcare for the Homeless. I had an internship there as a case manager. Since I spoke Spanish, the nurse practitioners there also asked me to help translate. I got a lot of exposure to different aspects of healthcare that I didn’t even know existed.
3. How did you land your job at Barbara McInnis House?
It’s a good example of networking. All of the jobs I’ve gotten are through people I know or have worked with. I first worked with Healthcare for Homeless in Jamaica Plain my senior year. I just loved the organization, and I always stayed in touch with them. I would send people Christmas cards, and I continued to email employers. I knew I enjoyed that organization, and that I could see myself working there.
4. Can you describe your work experience at Barbara McInnis? What were you day-to-day responsibilities?
Barbara McGinnis House is an impatient respite facility under the Healthcare for Homeless umbrella, and it [services] about 110 people. I see all kinds of different people—everyone from those with frostbite to people with terminal cancer. As a case worker, I was responsible for
helping people get access to public benefits and food stamps, [filling out] housing applications, helping people get into halfway houses, and so on. I had 26 patients at a time on my caseload. I would do a psych social evaluation of each patient, which covers their family history, substance abuse history, sexual history, and more. It’s to get an idea of how we could best be working with each patient.
It’s a good example of networking. All of the jobs I’ve gotten are through people I know or have worked with. I first worked with Healthcare for Homeless in Jamaica Plain my senior year. I just loved the organization, and I always stayed in touch with them. I would send people Christmas cards, and I continued to email employers. I knew I enjoyed that organization, and that I could see myself working there.
4. Can you describe your work experience at Barbara McInnis? What were you day-to-day responsibilities?
Barbara McGinnis House is an impatient respite facility under the Healthcare for Homeless umbrella, and it [services] about 110 people. I see all kinds of different people—everyone from those with frostbite to people with terminal cancer. As a case worker, I was responsible for
helping people get access to public benefits and food stamps, [filling out] housing applications, helping people get into halfway houses, and so on. I had 26 patients at a time on my caseload. I would do a psych social evaluation of each patient, which covers their family history, substance abuse history, sexual history, and more. It’s to get an idea of how we could best be working with each patient.5. Can you think of any one experience, or a specific client, that particularly sticks out to you?
I worked for a while with a 21-year-old man, who was from an abusive family and had cancer when he was young. He was born in Boston, moved to Puerto Rico, but came back to Boston when he relapsed at 15. He was found living outside the prudential center. When he came into my care, I started calling around and going back and forth with him to Homestart, who finally came through with an emergency voucher. Bridge over Troubled Waters also opened up and took him in, so now he is living around people his own age.
He is one of my favorite success stories. He now has an interview with the admissions director at Tufts. Mayor Menino has offered to help him with his tuition. I even contacted the Globe, and there’s an article about him in the paper. Through my interactions with some of these patients, I realize that you don’t need to have some advanced degree to make a difference. All it takes is someone to advocate a little bit for someone else.
7. What inspired you to change your career path and pursue your interest in nursing?
Being a nurse practitioner allows you to combine public health with direct patient care. Like a physician, I’d be able to prescribe medication and diagnose [patients]. But I like the nursing model more than the medical model because it offers a more holistic view of a person.
Being a nurse practitioner allows you to combine public health with direct patient care. Like a physician, I’d be able to prescribe medication and diagnose [patients]. But I like the nursing model more than the medical model because it offers a more holistic view of a person.
8. What is your graduate program like?
I’m at Northeastern, in a four-year program for people who already have a bachelor's degree. I have a 
shift at Brigham Woman’s Hospital on Thursdays, which I really love.e. It’s a really diverse group of people in terms of age and background. It’s really hands-on, and many classes have a clinical component.
shift at Brigham Woman’s Hospital on Thursdays, which I really love.e. It’s a really diverse group of people in terms of age and background. It’s really hands-on, and many classes have a clinical component.10. What advice do you have for undergraduates, especially seniors, about to embark on the job-search process?
Network. And I know that people don’t like to hear that, but you need to keep the contacts alive with people that you’ve worked with, including professors. It’s important to put in an effort to keep up relationships.
Network. And I know that people don’t like to hear that, but you need to keep the contacts alive with people that you’ve worked with, including professors. It’s important to put in an effort to keep up relationships.
As for me, I didn’t know anyone in DC. So one day I went online and found a study that was trying to [recruit] participants. I emailed the head of the study and asked to meet with her. She ended up forwarding my resume to every principal investigator and head of research. Before I knew it, I had 5 interviews. So even if people don’t have a job for you, you might as well meet and interact with them. It helps if you are just willing to talk to someone, and it always helps to just think outside the box.
