Partnering with Overlook Medical Center
January 2025 – Several Drew Theological School Master of Divinity (MDiv) students seeking vocation pathways in chaplaincy are gaining critical hands-on Clinical Pastoral Experience (CPE) through internships at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, New Jersey.
CPE is a program of clinical training for individuals interested in developing their skills as pastoral caregivers.
“CPE is an essential component of understanding how you use your own intersectionality and marginality in the service and ministry of God’s children,” said Stephen Fuller, CPE clinical educator at Overlook Medical Center, who serves as a mentor to Drew interns.
The Theological School’s program is designed to assist clergy and future clergy to get to know themselves as pastoral caregivers in a more substantial way. We spoke with four Drew students regarding their internships at Overlook Medical Center. This is what they had to say.
Janice Marie Beauchamp T’26
How is your internship complementing your class studies?
This internal assignment gives me hands-on and practical experience in a setting that may be where my vocation will formally begin. I am on a path to do the “work of a chaplain.” Everything I learned and experienced from Drew, Overlook, and my ministry give me an opportunity to apply a kind heart, an open ear, and consultation.
What is your favorite part of the internship?
My favorite part of the internship is group training and therapy. Chaplain Stephen Faller brings 30+ years of experience from a number of medical facilities. An expert in his field of vocation, he provides an unbelievable perspective on how to do the ‘work of a chaplain.’ In these sessions, we share our consults, our experience, and things we want to do better. Group learning is powerful because we are dealing and praying for humanity and we learn from each other.
How will your internship help prepare you to achieve your future vocational goals?
My goal is to be a chaplain in an urban area and focus on children, young people, and seniors for an underserved community. This is similar to my community where I grew up—poor, black, and rich with people leading with love and training to provide skills. As things have changed in many communities, some people are still there supporting, but predominantly through the church. These churches within the community need some help and support to lift up the next generation of children and youth. I want to provide support to those communities—a ministry without walls and helping hands!
Daekyung Ko T’25
How is your internship complementing your class studies?
My CPE internship has become an invaluable component of my ministry, deeply enriching my understanding of pastoral care and enabling me to connect with a broader spectrum of people. It has complemented my class studies by providing a practical context in which I can apply theological principles and pastoral insights. Engaging with patients and families in their most vulnerable moments has offered lessons that no textbook or lecture could fully impart.
What is your favorite part of the internship?
One of the most meaningful parts of this internship has been the privilege of listening to people’s stories, walking alongside families during times of grief, and holding sacred space with them through prayer and tears. There is a unique beauty in being present with a family at the bedside of a loved one who has passed, offering comfort, compassion, and a sense of God’s abiding presence. These moments remind me of the privilege of ministry—the opportunity to witness and participate in God’s work in the midst of human suffering and hope.
How will your internship help prepare you to achieve your future vocational goals?
My mentor once told me, “Not every pastor is a chaplain, but every chaplain is a pastor.” This wisdom has profoundly shaped my perspective during this internship. While my calling is clearly to serve as a pastor, the experiences I have learned through CPE have expanded my capacity for compassion, deepened my pastoral sensitivity, and an ability to navigate complex emotional and spiritual situations. Engaging in hospital ministry helped me become a better listener, a more empathetic presence, and a more prayerful leader. It has given me a profound respect for the resilience of the human spirit and the presence of God, even in the face of life’s greatest challenges.
This internship is not just a step toward fulfilling my vocational goals—it is transforming me, grounded in love, faith, and a commitment to walking with others in their journeys, no matter how joyful or painful those moments might be.
Jennifer Lundberg T’25
How is your internship complementing your class studies?
My CPE experience at Overlook Hospital has made many of the learning from my classes come to life. In particular, the pastoral care classes and medical humanities classes have been very influential on my chaplaincy. These classes taught me how active listening is key to the ministry of presence. And, they showed me how important it is to help people tell and make sense of their own stories.
What is your favorite part of the internship?
Meeting with patients and their caregivers is very rewarding. People have been very gracious with sharing their stories with me and allowing me to be present with them during times of loss, anxiety, uncertainty, or recovery. I am honored to be able to accompany them on their spiritual journeys.
How will your internship help prepare you to achieve your future vocational goals?
My internship has helped me to develop myself as a religious leader. Through the support of my classmates and supervisor, I have been able to reflect upon my chaplaincy work and use this to help me hone my skills. These skills help me develop myself as a chaplain in order to better minister to the patients and families. And, I will take these skills with me into my chaplaincy no matter what the context might be.
Alex Matlins T’25
How is your internship complementing your class studies?
My studies at Drew have allowed me to move forward in the process of solidifying the foundations of my theological framework/beliefs. This kind of growth and discernment has made a big difference in my openness and confidence when doing the clinical work associated with my current CPE unit. Having a stronger sense of the foundations of my faith allows me to better serve others in theirs. Additionally, Drew has exposed me to different ways of seeing the world, introducing new lenses and perspectives which I have been able to utilize as a hospital chaplain.
What is your favorite part of the internship?
I appreciate having the opportunity to hear people tell their stories and give voice to what they have experienced and believe is true. I also love connecting with and supporting my fellow chaplains. Pastoral care providers need to support each other in providing perspective, a listening ear, and understanding.
How will your internship help prepare you to achieve your future vocational goals?
The work at Overlook Medical Center is real-time pastoral and clinical learning with patients, families, and health care workers. It is exactly the kind of experience I need to prepare myself for the work that lies ahead. Spiritual care that occurs outside the physical church is a ministry that is relevant and very much needed today.
