The purpose of this blog is to share some cool internship opportunities, provide a place for students to ask internship questions, and make a space for past interns to share their experiences. We hope you take advantage of this website and that you become more familiar with internships!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Welcome!
Hey this is a new idea that we are going to try out. Please feel free to give us feedback by either posting it here or sending us an email at lifesciences@byu.edu. Thanks!
Hello, I had the wonderful opportunity to go on an internship to Ghana, West Africa this last fall semester. I am a public health major, emphasizing in health promotion. In Ghana, I was able to see health care in a developing country first-hand. I had studied about international health here at BYU, but actually going to a different country to study health was an entirely different experience. I worked with a volunteer organization that helps sponsor a non-governmental organization in a rural village in Ghana. The NGO is working to break the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. While I was there, I was able to shadow doctors working in various clinics in the hospital there. I saw patients with Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Elephantitis, and many other tropical diseases. I was able to see how the health care system works in this developing country. They are making progress, but sure have a long way to go. Before I left, I was a little hesitant to go. I was scared for my safety, but upon arriving, I thought back on how silly it was to be scared. I immediately made friends with many of the welcoming Ghanaians and other volunteers from America and some European countries. This experience was the opportunity of a lifetime and I would go back in a heartbeat! I cried almost the entire plane ride home because I was so sad to leave all of the friends I had made during my 4 month stay in Ghana. If you’re interested, I kept a blog while I was there. You can find it at marindamorgan.blogspot.com
Greetings from Gale Larson! As the current Internship Coordinator for students earning credit with LfSci 199R (job-shadowing or work experience related to your major)or LfSci 399R (research involving the use of the scientific method), I am excited to have this blog started! We wanted a forum where FUTURE Life Sciences interns could learn from, and connect with PAST Life Sciences interns. The growth I am privileged to see in our student interns from the beginning orientation meeting to the ending exit interview is real, poignant, and most definitely important career preparation. Were there processes, paperwork, and extra efforts required? Absolutely, and that is a good portion of the growing, learning experience. We urge you to seriously consider doing an internship, and remember: From the moment you begin searching for your internship, YOUR INTERNSHIP HAS BEGUN!
Hi everyone, I had a great time this spring doing internship in Nepal. It was a life time experience. I would recommend every one to have this experience during the college life. My internship has helped me solidify my career about working in the clinical field. Dealing directly with the patients, getting to help them, learning about their health conditions, running their sample tests, understanding and interpreting their results has built my confidence about the clinical lab sciences program. As I am about to enter the program this fall, I believe that I have extra benefits over other students. I have been in the real world, faced challenges and gained much more knowledge about the profession and how I can contribute to promote a better society. The best part was getting to do a research in my own village. I was able to work between the villagers and come up with an idea that needs to be seriously addressed to raise the health status of the people. As I plan on doing Physician Assistant program in the future, this research will directly help me when I return because I now know the areas that needs to be focused . I have developed an understanding about what measures can be taken to lessen the burden of my villagers.
Hey to all you future interns! I had the opportunity to be an intern at Nu Skin for the last six months, and it has been the experience of a lifetime! It has been incredible preparation for a possible future career at Nu Skin, or in similar business, and also just good preparation for further schooling and life in general. I am an Exercise Science major and a Chemistry minor, which I thought would be somewhat unrelated to what I was doing, but I was able to see a lot of application of skills and principles I had learned in school coming out in the work place. I loved seeing all of the innovative science and research being done, and I was a small part of that. I've been able to meet and work with a lot of amazing people and to work for an amazing company. I learned many new skills and grew so much as a person. The opportunities this internship has brought me are endless! Some of my favorite experiences were getting to meet people in the industry from around the world and also meeting the CSO of the company. Internships are so worth it because of the unique experiences they provide. I now have real work experience to put on my resume and skills that I will use the rest of my life!
Last summer I had the opportunity to work as an intern for the Centro de genómica nutricional agro acuícola in Chile. It was a fantastic experience. Working in the lab full time helped me to enhance my research skills and also gave me an insight into how biology advances in a more commercial setting. I left Chile feeling more confident in my understanding and capability in regards to both the principles and the techniques. In addition the opportunity to leave Provo, and live in a foreign country, provided me the opportunity to learn about a new culture as well as to make new friends. I feel like my world-view was enhanced through this opportunity and I am sure that it is something that I will never forget. Plus, I am pretty sure as grad schools have looked at my applications, an internship in Chile was something that helped me to stand further apart.
During the summer of 2010 I lived in a tiny rural village in Guanajuato, Mexico as part of a Mexico Field Study. I developed and carried out a research project on barriers to rural Mexican healthcare. It was truly and amazing experience as I was able to live as these people did while being able to learn a ton about myself and the culture. Although I had to put in a lot of work beforehand to be able to do the Field Study, it was worth it!
I was delighted to see that several of our past Life Sciences interns were showcasing their internship at the "Strut Your Stuff Internship Showcase" last Friday! Some were awarded prizes and all were enthusiastically engaged in talking to students about their life-changing experiences with their internships. Great Job, LifeSci Interns!
In case you're not aware, if you are going to do an internship that is research-based, and you are approved to enroll in LfSci 399R, you can apply for an award to assist you with your travel expenditures. Most of the students that are qualified for approved research-based internships, receive some grant monies toward their travel expenses. Come see us in 380 WIDB to learn more, and be sure to check out the resources on our website, http://lifesciences.byu.edu/studentservices/MentoredExperiences/Internships/InternshipsDatabase.aspx
As a job-shadowing intern, I have had a marvelous experience learning more about the medical profession. I have been shadowing a physician who specializes in Internal Medicine. Not only have I learned about what this job entails, but I have also learned about the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, and how positive, personable interaction can make the difference. The physician that I shadow happens to be a female. I feel like I lucked out here because there aren't too many female physicians in the Valley. I shadowed a male physician last year, and it has been interesting to compare and contrast how each doctor takes care of their patients. The doctor I shadow currently is always looking out for me, which I appreciate. She is good at taking time to explain things to me. I learn something new each time I am in her office. I am grateful to her for this experience, and I am not looking forward to it ending. In the future, I hope to be the kind of doctor she is.
This last spring I have had the great opportunity to work at the Lethbridge Research Centre in Alberta, Canada as a paid co-op student on the topic of cattle behavior and welfare. The current trials involved the transportation of beef cattle and castration of bulls. While most of the actual handling of cattle and data collection had occurred prior to my arrival, it was my assignment to analyze the video and specimens gathered, to compile results, and then perform further analysis on the results we obtained. I became very proficient in video analysis, ELISA’s and other data analysis. I was also able to help supervise and train other co-op students on various experiments. It was a very rewarding and satisfying experience to be involved in a research environment, and it ultimately led me to change my career choice to doing research instead of medicine. This was a great place to get started in research especially since there were so many other scientists working on other projects in agriculture. And if you’re like me and agriculture really isn’t your thing, know that the experience and techniques I gained there transfers right over to the oncology lab I’m in right now. It was a great summer internship!
I recently graduated as a Genetics & Biotechnology major and had the opportunity last summer to travel to Temuco, Chile to do an internship at the Centro de genómica nutricional agro acuícola (CGNA). It was a great opportunity both to travel and to gain lab experience working at CGNA. While in Chile, I was able to live with an LDS family in the area, eat local food, see volcanoes at Villarica and Pucon on the weekends, and had a great time meeting people and learning the local culture and language. I was able to grow personally during my time there by learning to live outside my comfort zone. During my time at the CGNA lab, I studied Canola, an important crop grown worldwide and used to produce Canola oil. I performed a molecular marker study which helped to determine which types of Canola were the most diverse and should be used in future breeding of this crop. I was able to gain more experience using the lab skills I had learned at BYU as well as gaining valuable new skills. I was also able to learn how these lab skills can translate to almost any kind of research. Although I studied plants as an undergraduate, I am now using the same skills for human research in graduate school. For those who haven’t had lab experience, internships are a great place to start! It is a great way to gain experience and confidence to prepare for a job, graduate, or medical school. It’s also a great way to build your resume and personally gave me an advantage over others in applying and being accepted into graduate school. I would encourage everyone to look for internship opportunities and see what you have to gain!
This semester I've had the chance to do an internship with Vistacare Hospice. I am currently preparing to apply to medical school and I'm very interested in going into geriatric medicine, either in a primary care setting or as a hospice physician myself. This internship has been amazing for me because it has included both volunteering with hospice patients and the opportunity to shadow Vistcare's hospice physician, as well as their social worker. I feel like I've been able to see first-hand what it would be like to work in these professions, especially in the difficult settings sometimes associated with end of life. The most rewarding part of the internship, however, has been working with the hospice patients themselves. For one woman I have had the chance to give her companionship and help her compile her personal history. It is amazing how visiting her for just an hour or two a week can make such a remarkable difference in both of our lives. By now I am calling her "Grandma" and I feel a great love for this wonderful lady. I have also had the opportunity to stay with a patient who was actively dying. I felt so blessed to be a support to the family at this difficult time-even playing with toy cars with the kids made such a huge difference to the family so they could discuss important end-of-life decisions without interruption. I have made life-long friends as I’ve been able to minister to the needs of patients with physical symptoms, coma, etc. and I have felt so blessed to take part in this process. I feel that his internship is really helping me gain a vision of what is most important to me in caring for patients and the relationships I want to develop with my patients when I am caring for them in the future. I recognize that my internship is unique in many ways, which is what has made it so great for me. I hope everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to do an internship and customize the experience to best prepare them for the future career and life. What an amazing opportunity to do this through BYU, the connections they have and relationships they’ve gained with so many organizations really opens up doors to us! Take advantage of this chance, you may never get to be involved with so many possibilities and opportunities! Wes G
Last summer, I did an internship through BYU Field Studies to East London, South Africa. I am a public health major, and international development minor, and I have always been fascinated by the scope of the global HIV problem-- the fact that one of the deadliest epidemics is the result of a virus that is not particularly contagious, and a disease that is largely (if not entirely) preventable. Through the course of my undergraduate studies, I also became very interested in maternal health, especially in populations where women do not receive equal access to healthcare. Going on a field study and participating in a learner-owned and self-directed educational opportunity gave me the chance to blend all these passions into one experience: I spent three months in South Africa conducting an original research project on women’s perceptions of breastfeeding with HIV and the social and cultural factors affecting their perceptions. I worked with two primary organization, Siyakhana and Ikhwezi Lokusa, to conduct interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. In addition, I volunteered at these organizations, primarily the latter one, in conducting HIV and TB education, developing community health programs and events, writing grants for new projects, attending health conferences, and other various activities. This experience was particularly beneficial in two ways. First, I had the opportunity to live, work, and interact with people in a new culture and setting. While the public health activities were very educational and informative, the most rewarding thing for me was the relationships I developed with the people, and learning how to function in and appreciate a new cultural paradigm. The skills I gained from these interactions will undoubtedly benefit me in whatever I end up doing with my future. Second, since this project and experience was largely planned, developed, and implemented by myself, it was a great opportunity to work my strengths and build on my weaknesses. The field study approach to research and cross-cultural experiences, although perhaps a little less structured and guided, allowed for me to develop valuable skill such as independence, collaboration, making difficult decisions, patience, being comfortable with ambiguity, confidence, etc. Overall, this experience strengthened my passion for public health, was the motivating factor for my post-graduate plans of getting a Masters in Public Administration, and will forever change my perception of the world.
This past summer I had the opportunity to participate in a Biotechnology Internship at the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. This was a three week internship where we spent two weeks at Jiao Tong University and one week touring the University of Nanjing and various Biotech Companies in the local area. While at Jiao Tong University, we were exposed to current research being conducted at the university and assigned to work in research labs. Due to the short time we stayed at the university, the lab we participated in was limited but, it was a unique experience to see how Chinese researchers are approaching various Biological problems relevant to China itself as well as the world. It was a great experience to work with undergraduate students in the Biological field and exchange different ideas and cultural perspectives. Our tour of the various Biotech Firms provided our group with a business and technology application developing within China. We were fortunate to tour significant cultural areas within Shanghai. This internship provided me with a different perspective on the research process and helped to expose me to a different problem solving approach within my field of study.
Internship can teach you 2 things: Give you hands on experience in your field of study OR make you realize some things that you don’t want to do for the rest of your life. My experience at the University of Wyoming as a Bioinformatics intern lead me to believe that protein docking wasn’t going to be my pursuit. I did a lot of protein docking studies at the Jessica Liberles Lab there using various programs available. Over the period I realized that protein docking wasn’t fun for me. I wanted to write programs, create new things rather than use already written programs to do things. So after I came back, I switched my major to Computer Science w/ Bioinformatics Emphasis and now I am learning about how to do what I wanted to do, write programs. This also opened a new window of opportunities for me. I would encourage everyone to start early looking for internships and do as many as you can. You might find a lab that is interesting to you and where you want to pursue you graduate program as well.
My internship experiences have been rather unique from the others listed because I am on the Bio-Business track as a Genetics and Biotech student. I went to the Marriott School Undergraduate Association Internship fair and talked to employers there looking for interns over the summer. I was interviewed by the Chief Operating Officer at a real estate investing company called Property23 and was accepted for an internship that actually started about two months before the semester ended. It was a business analyst internship position. Granted, it had nothing to do with science, but the business principles I had been learning about in my classes in the Tanner building were extensively applied during my internship.
I learned about the importance of marketing, and observed firsthand the intricacies in the relationships between the Sales team and the Marketing team. In many companies, there is a disconnect between these two functions--the sales team feels like marketing doesn't really do real work; and the marketing team feels like they are superior in intellect to the sales team. I learned that the most important indicator of effectiveness is whether the material produced by the marketing department was beneficial to the sales team and used by them consistently.
I also observed office dynamics and went through the experience of having a company split into two different directions due to a difference in leadership styles. I went with the COO to a new company called R1 Real Estate, and experience anew the startup environment. It is fascinating to be in a startup culture because the company is young, everyone is working really hard and there is an excitement in the air when new things happen and strides are made. I have focused all my internship experiences in young companies as a result of enjoying that atmosphere. Business principles are easy to learn in a class, but require much more effort and flexibility in application, and I was able to experience that firsthand in this internship.
I did my internship over Fall 2011 Semester in Tampa, Florida with an organization called Big Cat Rescue (BCR). It was an amazing 3 month experience. I'm a Biology major with an interest in large carnivores. I plan on working with mammalian predators (specifically felines) and wanted some experience working with them, and I found BCR who offers an animal husbandry internship. The facility is an active educational sanctuary for exotic cat species, ranging in size from the tiny, 4 lbs. Geoffrey Cat to Tigers. Level one interns complete a 3 month curriculum, learning to care for the smaller species (Lynx and smaller). BCR offers level 2 and 3 as well, but require an extra 3 months each (so 9 months for level 3). The nice thing about the internship was that they require no previous experience. I went in as a novice and started at the bottom, building up the knowledge and skill to help care for the cats. It requires a lot of manual labor outside, with long work days. Interns are heavily relied on and a part of daily life on property, which means that we got to see and participate in some amazing opportunities that volunteers that are there for years have yet to experience. It can get exhausting, but the work is rewarding and worth it. Our duties varied each day, but generally stayed routine. Consistent duties were daily cleaning of enclosures (you pick up a lot of poop and other messes, so a strong stomach is required), daily chores, observing cats for changes in behavior which often indicates health problems that need to be addressed, giving tours of the facility to the public, diet preparation (for the cats and the few omnivores), feeding, and assisting in the gift shop. Some inconsistent duties included maintenance on enclosures, lots of building projects, painting, enrichment (handing out toys and goodies to the cats), landscaping, picking up debris, observing or assisting the vet, and random projects by necessity. Overall, it's a wonderful internship. It is unpaid because BCR is a non-profit run almost exclusively by volunteers. The people are great and the cats are phenomenal to work with. Since interns are on property (with several fences between us and the cats), we often got to sleep to roaring lions and tigers. Just being around the creatures was awe inspiring. If you're not used to non-LDS environments it could come as a bit of a shock to be around the volunteers since most of them have rough personalities, but they all mean well and they're incredible people who devote so much time to caring for these cats. I loved the opportunity and would have stayed the full 9 months if I didn't have to finish school. I gained valuable knowledge and experience that helped me form a plan for my career path. It is definitely a worthwhile program. I got hands-on experience (it is a no-touch facility, so no petting, not that you'd want to...) and it was an excellent way to get my foot in the door in the field of animal husbandry of exotic animals. I'd recommend considering it!
Hello All! I had a fantastic internship this past summer! I really could not have asked for a better experience. As a pre-professional student I knew it was absolutely important to be involved in hypothesis based laboratory research, and this is exactly what I found at my internship. I worked on a specific project involving the pathogenesis of endometriosis that included a myriad of lab techniques that I now feel very confident in. These techniques included: Isolating Genomic DNA, Real time relative quantitative PCR, Immunohistochemistry, Frozen sections, Western Blots, Cell culture, Fluorescent microscopy, Figures and Manuscript Preparation etc. We were able to complete a paper, on which I was second author, that was presented at the Armed Forces District scientific meeting and will later be published in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. More valuable than the lab techniques I learned was the experience of working with absolutely brilliant physicians and researchers, many of whom I still remain in contact with. It was unpaid which made for an interesting time paying for tuition this semester, however if given the opportunity again, I would most definitely take it! If you are contemplating an internship, I would highly recommend it! The time i spent in that lab is irreplaceable, an I know the things that I learned there will carry through to medical school, residency, and even into my career. Good luck and make sure to have fun wherever and whatever your internship may be. --Ryan Mann
I'm currently doing an internship with the American Heart Association. I'm workingwith the Hispanic community in Utah to prevent cardiovascular disease-the leading cause of death in the US. It is very exciting to work with them as we help them make behavior changes in their nutrition and physical activity. We also try to evaluate their risk factories and connect then with other community resources to improve their health.
For three weeks during the summer of 2011 I went with a small group of BYU students and faculty to the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China for a Biotechnology internship. It was easily one of the best experiences of my life. During our first week at the university Chinese professors delivered fascinating lectures on a wide variety of topics. Each unique lecture reflected their general approach to research, starting with the big picture then working down to the molecular level. The second week we were assigned to work in labs where we collaborated with the Jiao Tong students on their projects. I worked around brilliant students and learned new techniques for protein isolation. The students there spoke English well and it was pretty fun trying to learn some Chinese words while we waited for the chromatography or centrifuges. On the third week we had the chance to tour a few biotech companies in neighboring cities and got an understanding of how that industry is growing in China. Throughout the internship we saw beautiful gardens, museums, and historical sites that helped me better appreciate and love the Chinese culture and people.
My favorite part of the internship was getting to know everyone there. I loved the instant friendship between students from BYU and Jiao Tong. When we weren't working in the lab or studying we played sports together, got food, sang karaoke, and went into Shanghai. I loved getting to know the professors better as well, there was a great connection between all of us and I plan on keeping in touch.
What an incredible way to learn more about my field and how to succeed. The students and professors shared new insights on how to approach research and learning. I find myself reflecting on this experience quite a bit. It motivates me to do the very best I can in my field and reminds me how cool people are.
This past Fall semester (2011), I had the great opportunity to perform a field study in the Ashanti region of Ghana and to work with the Seventh-Day Adventist hospital there. I volunteered with one of the only physical therapists in the region as well as the maternal and child health clinic there. As part of my field study, I conducted a research project addressing the affects of cultural tradition on westernized medicine in rural areas of Ghana. I was blessed to be able to interview many physicians and patients, learning from them in the process. I was also able to work with the physical therapist in advocating physical therapy as a viable form of medicine. There isn't a lot of support for physical therapy (from the government or the public), as it is a relatively new system in third-world countries. I plan to use my research and the experiences I have had to further my education in international development and health promotion so that someday I can return (or travel elsewhere) to establish physical therapy clinics and outreach programs in rural areas of Africa.
I was able to shadow an orthopedic surgeon during fall semester. It was really a great opportunity to see how a successful (and very busy) medical practice is run. The doctor I got to shadow is in the forefront of foot and ankle specialists and is the only surgeon in Utah to perform full ankle replacements (with the star prosthetic) and many other surgical techniques. I got to see and participate to some degree in many procedures and I learned all the different things that a specialist will have to deal with. Patient interaction I found to be very important, and a little more complicated than I thought. This opportunity was great and definitely reinforced my desire to go into the medical field.
I had a wonderful experience while interning in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center of the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. I loved working along with exercise therapists helping patients recover from heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, open heart surgeries, angioplasty, and other heart and lung procedures. We helped them by closely monitoring their blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and heart rhythms before, during and after exercise. I also was able to work in the intensive care unit where we would take patients out to walk after their heart and lung operations. This was especially eye-opening as I was able hold all of the different wires and tubes that were connected to patients as we would walk around the hospital floor. I learned about the procedures that were performed and why they needed them. I felt sorry for the patients who had spent weeks in the hospital and were anxious to leave.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI had the wonderful opportunity to go on an internship to Ghana, West Africa this last fall semester. I am a public health major, emphasizing in health promotion. In Ghana, I was able to see health care in a developing country first-hand. I had studied about international health here at BYU, but actually going to a different country to study health was an entirely different experience. I worked with a volunteer organization that helps sponsor a non-governmental organization in a rural village in Ghana. The NGO is working to break the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS. While I was there, I was able to shadow doctors working in various clinics in the hospital there. I saw patients with Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Elephantitis, and many other tropical diseases. I was able to see how the health care system works in this developing country. They are making progress, but sure have a long way to go. Before I left, I was a little hesitant to go. I was scared for my safety, but upon arriving, I thought back on how silly it was to be scared. I immediately made friends with many of the welcoming Ghanaians and other volunteers from America and some European countries. This experience was the opportunity of a lifetime and I would go back in a heartbeat! I cried almost the entire plane ride home because I was so sad to leave all of the friends I had made during my 4 month stay in Ghana. If you’re interested, I kept a blog while I was there. You can find it at marindamorgan.blogspot.com
Greetings from Gale Larson!
ReplyDeleteAs the current Internship Coordinator for students earning credit with LfSci 199R (job-shadowing or work experience related to your major)or LfSci 399R (research involving the use of the scientific method), I am excited to have this blog started! We wanted a forum where FUTURE Life Sciences interns could learn from, and connect with PAST Life Sciences interns. The growth I am privileged to see in our student interns from the beginning orientation meeting to the ending exit interview is real, poignant, and most definitely important career preparation. Were there processes, paperwork, and extra efforts required? Absolutely, and that is a good portion of the growing, learning experience. We urge you to seriously consider doing an internship, and remember: From the moment you begin searching for your internship, YOUR INTERNSHIP HAS BEGUN!
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI had a great time this spring doing internship in Nepal. It was a life time experience. I would recommend every one to have this experience during the college life. My internship has helped me solidify my career about working in the clinical field. Dealing directly with the patients, getting to help them, learning about their health conditions, running their sample tests, understanding and interpreting their results has built my confidence about the clinical lab sciences program. As I am about to enter the program this fall, I believe that I have extra benefits over other students. I have been in the real world, faced challenges and gained much more knowledge about the profession and how I can contribute to promote a better society. The best part was getting to do a research in my own village. I was able to work between the villagers and come up with an idea that needs to be seriously addressed to raise the health status of the people. As I plan on doing Physician Assistant program in the future, this research will directly help me when I return because I now know the areas that needs to be focused . I have developed an understanding about what measures can be taken to lessen the burden of my villagers.
-Binod
Hey to all you future interns! I had the opportunity to be an intern at Nu Skin for the last six months, and it has been the experience of a lifetime! It has been incredible preparation for a possible future career at Nu Skin, or in similar business, and also just good preparation for further schooling and life in general. I am an Exercise Science major and a Chemistry minor, which I thought would be somewhat unrelated to what I was doing, but I was able to see a lot of application of skills and principles I had learned in school coming out in the work place. I loved seeing all of the innovative science and research being done, and I was a small part of that. I've been able to meet and work with a lot of amazing people and to work for an amazing company. I learned many new skills and grew so much as a person. The opportunities this internship has brought me are endless! Some of my favorite experiences were getting to meet people in the industry from around the world and also meeting the CSO of the company. Internships are so worth it because of the unique experiences they provide. I now have real work experience to put on my resume and skills that I will use the rest of my life!
ReplyDelete-Anna
Last summer I had the opportunity to work as an intern for the Centro de genómica nutricional agro acuícola in Chile. It was a fantastic experience. Working in the lab full time helped me to enhance my research skills and also gave me an insight into how biology advances in a more commercial setting. I left Chile feeling more confident in my understanding and capability in regards to both the principles and the techniques. In addition the opportunity to leave Provo, and live in a foreign country, provided me the opportunity to learn about a new culture as well as to make new friends. I feel like my world-view was enhanced through this opportunity and I am sure that it is something that I will never forget. Plus, I am pretty sure as grad schools have looked at my applications, an internship in Chile was something that helped me to stand further apart.
ReplyDeleteDuring the summer of 2010 I lived in a tiny rural village in Guanajuato, Mexico as part of a Mexico Field Study. I developed and carried out a research project on barriers to rural Mexican healthcare. It was truly and amazing experience as I was able to live as these people did while being able to learn a ton about myself and the culture. Although I had to put in a lot of work beforehand to be able to do the Field Study, it was worth it!
ReplyDeleteI was delighted to see that several of our past Life Sciences interns were showcasing their internship at the "Strut Your Stuff Internship Showcase" last Friday! Some were awarded prizes and all were enthusiastically engaged in talking to students about their life-changing experiences with their internships. Great Job, LifeSci Interns!
ReplyDeleteIn case you're not aware, if you are going to do an internship that is research-based, and you are approved to enroll in LfSci 399R, you can apply for an award to assist you with your travel expenditures. Most of the students that are qualified for approved research-based internships, receive some grant monies toward their travel expenses. Come see us in 380 WIDB to learn more, and be sure to check out the resources on our website, http://lifesciences.byu.edu/studentservices/MentoredExperiences/Internships/InternshipsDatabase.aspx
As a job-shadowing intern, I have had a marvelous experience learning more about the medical profession. I have been shadowing a physician who specializes in Internal Medicine. Not only have I learned about what this job entails, but I have also learned about the importance of the doctor-patient relationship, and how positive, personable interaction can make the difference. The physician that I shadow happens to be a female. I feel like I lucked out here because there aren't too many female physicians in the Valley. I shadowed a male physician last year, and it has been interesting to compare and contrast how each doctor takes care of their patients. The doctor I shadow currently is always looking out for me, which I appreciate. She is good at taking time to explain things to me. I learn something new each time I am in her office. I am grateful to her for this experience, and I am not looking forward to it ending. In the future, I hope to be the kind of doctor she is.
ReplyDeleteThis last spring I have had the great opportunity to work at the Lethbridge Research Centre in Alberta, Canada as a paid co-op student on the topic of cattle behavior and welfare. The current trials involved the transportation of beef cattle and castration of bulls. While most of the actual handling of cattle and data collection had occurred prior to my arrival, it was my assignment to analyze the video and specimens gathered, to compile results, and then perform further analysis on the results we obtained. I became very proficient in video analysis, ELISA’s and other data analysis. I was also able to help supervise and train other co-op students on various experiments. It was a very rewarding and satisfying experience to be involved in a research environment, and it ultimately led me to change my career choice to doing research instead of medicine. This was a great place to get started in research especially since there were so many other scientists working on other projects in agriculture. And if you’re like me and agriculture really isn’t your thing, know that the experience and techniques I gained there transfers right over to the oncology lab I’m in right now. It was a great summer internship!
ReplyDeleteI recently graduated as a Genetics & Biotechnology major and had the opportunity last summer to travel to Temuco, Chile to do an internship at the Centro de genómica nutricional agro acuícola (CGNA). It was a great opportunity both to travel and to gain lab experience working at CGNA. While in Chile, I was able to live with an LDS family in the area, eat local food, see volcanoes at Villarica and Pucon on the weekends, and had a great time meeting people and learning the local culture and language. I was able to grow personally during my time there by learning to live outside my comfort zone. During my time at the CGNA lab, I studied Canola, an important crop grown worldwide and used to produce Canola oil. I performed a molecular marker study which helped to determine which types of Canola were the most diverse and should be used in future breeding of this crop. I was able to gain more experience using the lab skills I had learned at BYU as well as gaining valuable new skills. I was also able to learn how these lab skills can translate to almost any kind of research. Although I studied plants as an undergraduate, I am now using the same skills for human research in graduate school. For those who haven’t had lab experience, internships are a great place to start! It is a great way to gain experience and confidence to prepare for a job, graduate, or medical school. It’s also a great way to build your resume and personally gave me an advantage over others in applying and being accepted into graduate school. I would encourage everyone to look for internship opportunities and see what you have to gain!
ReplyDeleteThis semester I've had the chance to do an internship with Vistacare Hospice. I am currently preparing to apply to medical school and I'm very interested in going into geriatric medicine, either in a primary care setting or as a hospice physician myself. This internship has been amazing for me because it has included both volunteering with hospice patients and the opportunity to shadow Vistcare's hospice physician, as well as their social worker. I feel like I've been able to see first-hand what it would be like to work in these professions, especially in the difficult settings sometimes associated with end of life. The most rewarding part of the internship, however, has been working with the hospice patients themselves. For one woman I have had the chance to give her companionship and help her compile her personal history. It is amazing how visiting her for just an hour or two a week can make such a remarkable difference in both of our lives. By now I am calling her "Grandma" and I feel a great love for this wonderful lady. I have also had the opportunity to stay with a patient who was actively dying. I felt so blessed to be a support to the family at this difficult time-even playing with toy cars with the kids made such a huge difference to the family so they could discuss important end-of-life decisions without interruption. I have made life-long friends as I’ve been able to minister to the needs of patients with physical symptoms, coma, etc. and I have felt so blessed to take part in this process. I feel that his internship is really helping me gain a vision of what is most important to me in caring for patients and the relationships I want to develop with my patients when I am caring for them in the future. I recognize that my internship is unique in many ways, which is what has made it so great for me. I hope everyone will take advantage of this opportunity to do an internship and customize the experience to best prepare them for the future career and life. What an amazing opportunity to do this through BYU, the connections they have and relationships they’ve gained with so many organizations really opens up doors to us! Take advantage of this chance, you may never get to be involved with so many possibilities and opportunities!
ReplyDeleteWes G
Last summer, I did an internship through BYU Field Studies to East London, South Africa. I am a public health major, and international development minor, and I have always been fascinated by the scope of the global HIV problem-- the fact that one of the deadliest epidemics is the result of a virus that is not particularly contagious, and a disease that is largely (if not entirely) preventable. Through the course of my undergraduate studies, I also became very interested in maternal health, especially in populations where women do not receive equal access to healthcare. Going on a field study and participating in a learner-owned and self-directed educational opportunity gave me the chance to blend all these passions into one experience: I spent three months in South Africa conducting an original research project on women’s perceptions of breastfeeding with HIV and the social and cultural factors affecting their perceptions. I worked with two primary organization, Siyakhana and Ikhwezi Lokusa, to conduct interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. In addition, I volunteered at these organizations, primarily the latter one, in conducting HIV and TB education, developing community health programs and events, writing grants for new projects, attending health conferences, and other various activities.
ReplyDeleteThis experience was particularly beneficial in two ways. First, I had the opportunity to live, work, and interact with people in a new culture and setting. While the public health activities were very educational and informative, the most rewarding thing for me was the relationships I developed with the people, and learning how to function in and appreciate a new cultural paradigm. The skills I gained from these interactions will undoubtedly benefit me in whatever I end up doing with my future. Second, since this project and experience was largely planned, developed, and implemented by myself, it was a great opportunity to work my strengths and build on my weaknesses. The field study approach to research and cross-cultural experiences, although perhaps a little less structured and guided, allowed for me to develop valuable skill such as independence, collaboration, making difficult decisions, patience, being comfortable with ambiguity, confidence, etc. Overall, this experience strengthened my passion for public health, was the motivating factor for my post-graduate plans of getting a Masters in Public Administration, and will forever change my perception of the world.
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ReplyDeleteThis past summer I had the opportunity to participate in a Biotechnology Internship at the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. This was a three week internship where we spent two weeks at Jiao Tong University and one week touring the University of Nanjing and various Biotech Companies in the local area. While at Jiao Tong University, we were exposed to current research being conducted at the university and assigned to work in research labs. Due to the short time we stayed at the university, the lab we participated in was limited but, it was a unique experience to see how Chinese researchers are approaching various Biological problems relevant to China itself as well as the world. It was a great experience to work with undergraduate students in the Biological field and exchange different ideas and cultural perspectives. Our tour of the various Biotech Firms provided our group with a business and technology application developing within China. We were fortunate to tour significant cultural areas within Shanghai. This internship provided me with a different perspective on the research process and helped to expose me to a different problem solving approach within my field of study.
ReplyDeleteInternship can teach you 2 things: Give you hands on experience in your field of study OR make you realize some things that you don’t want to do for the rest of your life. My experience at the University of Wyoming as a Bioinformatics intern lead me to believe that protein docking wasn’t going to be my pursuit. I did a lot of protein docking studies at the Jessica Liberles Lab there using various programs available. Over the period I realized that protein docking wasn’t fun for me. I wanted to write programs, create new things rather than use already written programs to do things. So after I came back, I switched my major to Computer Science w/ Bioinformatics Emphasis and now I am learning about how to do what I wanted to do, write programs. This also opened a new window of opportunities for me. I would encourage everyone to start early looking for internships and do as many as you can. You might find a lab that is interesting to you and where you want to pursue you graduate program as well.
ReplyDeleteMy internship experiences have been rather unique from the others listed because I am on the Bio-Business track as a Genetics and Biotech student. I went to the Marriott School Undergraduate Association Internship fair and talked to employers there looking for interns over the summer. I was interviewed by the Chief Operating Officer at a real estate investing company called Property23 and was accepted for an internship that actually started about two months before the semester ended. It was a business analyst internship position. Granted, it had nothing to do with science, but the business principles I had been learning about in my classes in the Tanner building were extensively applied during my internship.
ReplyDeleteI learned about the importance of marketing, and observed firsthand the intricacies in the relationships between the Sales team and the Marketing team. In many companies, there is a disconnect between these two functions--the sales team feels like marketing doesn't really do real work; and the marketing team feels like they are superior in intellect to the sales team. I learned that the most important indicator of effectiveness is whether the material produced by the marketing department was beneficial to the sales team and used by them consistently.
I also observed office dynamics and went through the experience of having a company split into two different directions due to a difference in leadership styles. I went with the COO to a new company called R1 Real Estate, and experience anew the startup environment. It is fascinating to be in a startup culture because the company is young, everyone is working really hard and there is an excitement in the air when new things happen and strides are made. I have focused all my internship experiences in young companies as a result of enjoying that atmosphere. Business principles are easy to learn in a class, but require much more effort and flexibility in application, and I was able to experience that firsthand in this internship.
I did my internship over Fall 2011 Semester in Tampa, Florida with an organization called Big Cat Rescue (BCR). It was an amazing 3 month experience. I'm a Biology major with an interest in large carnivores. I plan on working with mammalian predators (specifically felines) and wanted some experience working with them, and I found BCR who offers an animal husbandry internship. The facility is an active educational sanctuary for exotic cat species, ranging in size from the tiny, 4 lbs. Geoffrey Cat to Tigers. Level one interns complete a 3 month curriculum, learning to care for the smaller species (Lynx and smaller). BCR offers level 2 and 3 as well, but require an extra 3 months each (so 9 months for level 3). The nice thing about the internship was that they require no previous experience. I went in as a novice and started at the bottom, building up the knowledge and skill to help care for the cats. It requires a lot of manual labor outside, with long work days. Interns are heavily relied on and a part of daily life on property, which means that we got to see and participate in some amazing opportunities that volunteers that are there for years have yet to experience. It can get exhausting, but the work is rewarding and worth it. Our duties varied each day, but generally stayed routine. Consistent duties were daily cleaning of enclosures (you pick up a lot of poop and other messes, so a strong stomach is required), daily chores, observing cats for changes in behavior which often indicates health problems that need to be addressed, giving tours of the facility to the public, diet preparation (for the cats and the few omnivores), feeding, and assisting in the gift shop. Some inconsistent duties included maintenance on enclosures, lots of building projects, painting, enrichment (handing out toys and goodies to the cats), landscaping, picking up debris, observing or assisting the vet, and random projects by necessity. Overall, it's a wonderful internship. It is unpaid because BCR is a non-profit run almost exclusively by volunteers. The people are great and the cats are phenomenal to work with. Since interns are on property (with several fences between us and the cats), we often got to sleep to roaring lions and tigers. Just being around the creatures was awe inspiring. If you're not used to non-LDS environments it could come as a bit of a shock to be around the volunteers since most of them have rough personalities, but they all mean well and they're incredible people who devote so much time to caring for these cats. I loved the opportunity and would have stayed the full 9 months if I didn't have to finish school. I gained valuable knowledge and experience that helped me form a plan for my career path. It is definitely a worthwhile program. I got hands-on experience (it is a no-touch facility, so no petting, not that you'd want to...) and it was an excellent way to get my foot in the door in the field of animal husbandry of exotic animals. I'd recommend considering it!
ReplyDeleteHello All!
ReplyDeleteI had a fantastic internship this past summer! I really could not have asked for a better experience. As a pre-professional student I knew it was absolutely important to be involved in hypothesis based laboratory research, and this is exactly what I found at my internship. I worked on a specific project involving the pathogenesis of endometriosis that included a myriad of lab techniques that I now feel very confident in. These techniques included: Isolating Genomic DNA, Real time relative quantitative PCR, Immunohistochemistry, Frozen sections, Western Blots, Cell culture, Fluorescent microscopy, Figures and Manuscript Preparation etc. We were able to complete a paper, on which I was second author, that was presented at the Armed Forces District scientific meeting and will later be published in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. More valuable than the lab techniques I learned was the experience of working with absolutely brilliant physicians and researchers, many of whom I still remain in contact with. It was unpaid which made for an interesting time paying for tuition this semester, however if given the opportunity again, I would most definitely take it! If you are contemplating an internship, I would highly recommend it! The time i spent in that lab is irreplaceable, an I know the things that I learned there will carry through to medical school, residency, and even into my career.
Good luck and make sure to have fun wherever and whatever your internship may be.
--Ryan Mann
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI'm currently doing an internship with the American Heart Association. I'm workingwith the Hispanic community in Utah to prevent cardiovascular disease-the leading cause of death in the US. It is very exciting to work with them as we help them make behavior changes in their nutrition and physical activity. We also try to evaluate their risk factories and connect then with other community resources to improve their health.
For three weeks during the summer of 2011 I went with a small group of BYU students and faculty to the Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China for a Biotechnology internship. It was easily one of the best experiences of my life. During our first week at the university Chinese professors delivered fascinating lectures on a wide variety of topics. Each unique lecture reflected their general approach to research, starting with the big picture then working down to the molecular level. The second week we were assigned to work in labs where we collaborated with the Jiao Tong students on their projects. I worked around brilliant students and learned new techniques for protein isolation. The students there spoke English well and it was pretty fun trying to learn some Chinese words while we waited for the chromatography or centrifuges. On the third week we had the chance to tour a few biotech companies in neighboring cities and got an understanding of how that industry is growing in China. Throughout the internship we saw beautiful gardens, museums, and historical sites that helped me better appreciate and love the Chinese culture and people.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the internship was getting to know everyone there. I loved the instant friendship between students from BYU and Jiao Tong. When we weren't working in the lab or studying we played sports together, got food, sang karaoke, and went into Shanghai. I loved getting to know the professors better as well, there was a great connection between all of us and I plan on keeping in touch.
What an incredible way to learn more about my field and how to succeed. The students and professors shared new insights on how to approach research and learning. I find myself reflecting on this experience quite a bit. It motivates me to do the very best I can in my field and reminds me how cool people are.
This past Fall semester (2011), I had the great opportunity to perform a field study in the Ashanti region of Ghana and to work with the Seventh-Day Adventist hospital there. I volunteered with one of the only physical therapists in the region as well as the maternal and child health clinic there. As part of my field study, I conducted a research project addressing the affects of cultural tradition on westernized medicine in rural areas of Ghana. I was blessed to be able to interview many physicians and patients, learning from them in the process. I was also able to work with the physical therapist in advocating physical therapy as a viable form of medicine. There isn't a lot of support for physical therapy (from the government or the public), as it is a relatively new system in third-world countries. I plan to use my research and the experiences I have had to further my education in international development and health promotion so that someday I can return (or travel elsewhere) to establish physical therapy clinics and outreach programs in rural areas of Africa.
ReplyDeleteI was able to shadow an orthopedic surgeon during fall semester. It was really a great opportunity to see how a successful (and very busy) medical practice is run. The doctor I got to shadow is in the forefront of foot and ankle specialists and is the only surgeon in Utah to perform full ankle replacements (with the star prosthetic) and many other surgical techniques. I got to see and participate to some degree in many procedures and I learned all the different things that a specialist will have to deal with. Patient interaction I found to be very important, and a little more complicated than I thought. This opportunity was great and definitely reinforced my desire to go into the medical field.
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful experience while interning in the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center of the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. I loved working along with exercise therapists helping patients recover from heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, open heart surgeries, angioplasty, and other heart and lung procedures. We helped them by closely monitoring their blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and heart rhythms before, during and after exercise. I also was able to work in the intensive care unit where we would take patients out to walk after their heart and lung operations. This was especially eye-opening as I was able hold all of the different wires and tubes that were connected to patients as we would walk around the hospital floor. I learned about the procedures that were performed and why they needed them. I felt sorry for the patients who had spent weeks in the hospital and were anxious to leave.
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