Professional Goals

Internship Goals

I want to strengthen my communication and interpersonal skills to overall create a better sense of teamwork.
I aim to become a more organized planner to be able to take on more responsibilities than I have had previously.
I want to try to think outside of the box more often and work to make my ideas more creative while still remaining practical.

Learning Goals

Learning Goal #1: Strengthen communication skills to collaborate more wholly with a team

To achieve this goal I have already began asking questions about concepts I am confused about, as well as listening to my research team. I plan to compile shared data with other team members once I begin collecting. I also want to offer my own ideas and concerns during meetings and provide feedback to others.

Learning Goal #2: Build stronger data analysis skills in order to develop logical conclusions

I have currently read a lot of articles discussing proper research habits. Additionally, I have overviewed the teams research method, so I understand the data we are trying to collect and analyze. In the future, I will actually begin recording and dissecting the data of patients' charts myself.

Learning Goal #3: Develop better time management skills to take on more responsibilities at once

I have already begun scheduling ahead of time when during the week I have time to work on my research and when I should study. I have made my internship work a priority and have not tried putting it off for later. As the internship progresses, I will work to communicate with my supervisor on when I need more to work on or if my workload is too much.

In addition to the skills listed above I also will need to learn how to manage stress better. I am taking on more responsibilities than I have ever had in my college career. This means that I will need to understand that when I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed I should take some time to calm down and address it. Otherwise, I will not be able to complete my work to the best of my abilities, and I will be constantly distressed.

Career Goals

I would like to ultimately pursue a career in genetic counseling. To do this, I would first like to complete my undergraduate degree in biology. I aim to graduate a semester early, then attend graduate school to earn my masters in genetic counseling. These goals line up closely with things I enjoy such as working with people, staying organized, and working for a greater good. Genetic counseling would allow me to not only work closely with other medical professionals but also with patients personally. I would have to remain organized to follow through on this path of interest. Organization would allow me to be on time to work with patients and help me to be prepared with all the possible resources they may need. Lastly, through genetic counseling, I believe that I can be contributing to a greater good. I will get to truly help people live their best possible lives in one way or another. It will be incredibly rewarding to know that I am helping to make a difference in another person's life.

I am currently pretty set on this career option, but I am not sure what area of genetic counseling I want to work in yet. I am still open to other ideas, but this currently seems like the best fit for me as it ties together my interest in genetics with helping people. I am reassured that this career is a good fit by continually being interested in the genetics and always wanting to learn more about it. Additionally, patient-centered care is a great concern of mine, and I want to help to work towards this kind of health care through my career. To explore this path of genetic counseling, I plan to shadow a genetic counselor to experience what a day in the life is like. I also would like to learn more about the graduate program offered here at IUPUI for genetic counseling to better understand what I will be learning in the future.

How to Reach my Goals this Semester

Continue to seek out new opportunities in relation to my future career
- Look for health science fall internships
- Reach out to genetic counselors for shadowing opportunities
Find informative resources to learn more about genetic counseling and other similar careers
- Talk with professors with a background in genetics
- Search the web
Continue working hard in school and at my internship site
- Work 10 hours a week at my internship site
- Engage myself in class, especially in laboratory
- Study course materials
- Read biology related articles on my own time

Assurance of Career Goals

If anything this internship has made my career goals less solid. However, I do not view this as a bad thing. I think it has been very helpful to open my eyes to all the different options I have as biology major. My specific research site has piqued an interest in research. I am still very much exploring my options, and still am very interested in my pursuit in genetics and genetic counseling. Overall, this internship has reassured me that there is something in the health science field that will be the perfect fit for me!

Next semester, I will continue along my biology degree map and will get to enroll in genetics lecture and lab. I think this will be the biggest experience that will help me decide if my planned career is something I am truly interested. I also am very eager to job shadow a genetic counselor either over the summer or next semester to ask all the questions I have about their day to day lives.

Page updated

Report abuse