Internships are learning experiences, but I bet most people would agree that you do not learn what you expect. Yes, interning for a Neuroendocrine research unit has taught me about different neurological functions and hormone pathways but that is information anyone can find in a text book or biology course. The most important things you learn from internships should be what you cannot gain in a college classroom setting, making the internship truly worthwhile. I learned mostly through osmosis this summer. While screening patients for medical histories I learned that many personal stories come up and it is important to listen and be sympathetic while maintaining a professional attitude. I learned that nothing is simple in research and paper work is unavoidable so it is necessary to find light in hours of entering data or checking spreadsheets. Additionally, in clinical drug research everything moves slowly. In one of the studies for depressed women, the researchers are not expecting a quick answer in how to treat all women, but in the end of the study more information will be available than before and that moves the research community one step closer to helping women overcome their struggle with depression. The same can be said for all the ongoing studies in this unit. I am so glad that I took this internship despite being worried that I did not know enough about Neurology because I discovered a new appreciation and interest in clinical research and in endocrinology. I discovered that I do not want to go straight to graduate school or medical school after college because I would like to work on clinical research for awhile before moving onto the next academic step in my life.
Newcomb Interns
Newcomb Internships and Experiential Learning