I am a little more than half way through my summer internship with a neurosurgeon. I have finished 5 weeks and have 3 weeks to go! I have been working on my research poster, observing surgeries, and meeting more patients. I know I am learning a lot because I am starting to answer more of the questions my mentor asks me. These questions range from patient care to clinical research to parts of the brain. This fast-paced form of learning has taught me how to think very quickly on my feet! This is a skill that will be useful in classes, as well as my future career.
For my poster presentation in August, I have chosen my research topic to be, “The effect that sex-specific hormones have on the prevalence of meningioma in females.” Meningioma, a type of brain tumor, is twice as more common in females than in males. My research will focus on uncovering the reasons for this disparity.
This past week, we got two high school interns, and I am in charge of training one of them. This job reinforces my role as a leader and gives me the opportunity to teach everything I have learned so far.
Last Wednesday, the neuroscience lab had a journal club. This means that every researcher in the lab reads a specific paper from a published journal and we review/discuss it together. My fellow interns and I were in charge of presenting it.
Even though I still have 3 weeks left, I wish I could have more time with my mentor. This internship has exceeded my expectations, and I could not imagine a better experience to prepare me for my future career as a physician.