So far I feel confident while working at my internship. I have begun preforming tasks on my own successfully. When there has been failures, my supervisors work with me to understand what could have gone wrong, and what can be altered for next time. I appreciate when I am given constructive criticism and feedback from my supervisors. They are encouraging my development and want me to succeed.
I am currently working on knowledge gaps that I find when speaking with my supervisors. For the most part I understand experiments and ideas, however I am not always sure of new language used or the importance behind the work. I plan to read more scientific papers related to my internships research to help with my understanding.
My internship has helped me understand some of my coursework this semester, especially when it comes to genetics. I have completed labs relating to gene identification which has helped me relate to information I've been taught in lecture. Overall, the skills I am gaining align with my major and my interests.
Since the fall, I feel even more confident than I did before thanks to the support of the supervisors and new Spring courses (particularly Immunology, Microbiology, and Cell Biology). My supervisors have never been judged me for getting information wrong, they have always encouraged me to learn on my own and reach out when I am confused. Courses have helped me understand my internship well, and find that I have been making connections between the internship and classes.
I appreciate that my supervisors have given me opportunities to work alone, and I acknowledge that the failures I've faced have given me opportunities to grow. There have been times where I forget a procedure and don't immediately ask for help, instead I look back in my own notes to remind myself what is happening. Additionally, when microscopes malfunction, I have taken the time to problem solve on my own. I believe I have learned the best from these kinds of mistakes, and working them out alone has shown me my own knowledge. I am getting used to failing and seeing it as a chance to grow, and not a downfall.
I would like to continue pushing myself with increasing my vocabulary by introducing myself to new books. I enjoy reading in my free time and hope that adding academic material helps improve my understanding even more. While the material doesn't have to be strictly related to Type 1 Diabetes, I can use it as a starting point and discover more interests.