From Undergrad to Internship: A reflection on the internship experience thus far

Written by: 

Lizzy Davis, Music Therapy Intern
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I distinctly remember the anticipation and anxiety I felt doing my interviews for PMT. The fears of “What if my skills aren’t up to par?” or “What if this doesn’t work out for me” swam in my brain, but I did what I could to ignore those fears and keep pushing towards my goal. I spent so much time in my undergrad practicing repertoire, studying music therapy textbooks, and doing my practicum work all to prepare for an internship: the final step before taking the CBMT exam and becoming board certified. 

    I was elated when I found out that I had been accepted to intern here. That was a huge relief for me to finally feel grounded in what my next steps would be. I said my goodbyes to SUNY Fredonia in NY and moved down to the warm and sunny Charlotte, NC. While moving away from my home state was difficult, I became excited to start something new and finally practice music therapy full-time. Everything I studied for in college all came to this, and I was ready for it.

    Before my first day interning here, I still had many self-doubts about my capabilities as a new intern. The new fears became “What if I don’t meet their expectations” or “What if I mess up profoundly or don’t make any connections?” However, my first day of interning extinguished those fears quickly.  I observed many group and individual sessions, met many amazing people, and saw the business side of music therapy. The staff here at PMT are so kind and were willing to answer any question I had, and slowly but surely I have started to feel settled into this new routine. What I observed from the staff here is that the most important skill or quality one can have is the ability to connect with people and listen to their needs or wants. It became clear to me that I wasn’t expected to be “perfect” in any way shape or form, but it was expected of me that I show up with positive intentions and a willingness to be flexible. 

What I’ve learned from interning here thus far is that ultimately, showing up with kindness, compassion, and a willingness to learn and grow are what matter the most. While I don’t want to discredit the importance of having good music skills, professionalism, and therapeutic knowledge required by the AMTA Competencies, I now know that I probably was more prepared than I thought I was. For those of you reading this who may be starting an internship soon or even just starting something new, my only advice would be to be open to different experiences and be willing to listen and learn.

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