Before starting this internship I had no idea of what I wanted to do, I had a general idea of a specific field but I couldn’t decide where the best place in the field would be for me.
From my time here at my internship I’ve gained significant experience in animal research and clinical research. With my previous experience in a laboratory dealing with cells and cell culture I feel now i can make a bit more of an educated decision on what my career plans would be.
I really like research, so much so that its challenged my medical school aspirations significantly. Yet, despite that, I still really enjoy the surgical and clinical side of what I do here; still more than research. I am surrounded by professionals in these fields and I have gotten an abundance of advice from all of them.
So far plans haven’t changed too much, I plan to continue my work here throughout the school year, resume research at my previous lab, and keep exploring the field. However, in the long run I’ve learned of so many more ways to proceed with my education. There’s the Med school, PhD programs, and MD-PhD programs; I’ve even gotten advice on how to pursue each of these paths from doctors, PI’s and peers. I’ve got so much still to explore and learn and I still have quite a bit of time left to decide.
