Professional Goals

Career Goals

My current professional goal is to go to graduate school and work within global health. This goal matches my top 5 strengths that I've identified.

  1. Deliverer: I am able to take responsibility within being working within global health because I intend to practice within an research and team setting, which means that I will potentially be responsible over my own team and what goes on within my environment.

  2. Empathizer: Working in medicine requires professionals to be empathetic and understanding of others' emotions.

  3. Coach: One of the reasons I decided to work in pediatrics is because of the impact I can have on a person's life. With the proper foundations, a person can do so much in the world, and I want to help build that foundation.

  4. Time Keeper: Working in medicine is a constant interaction with timelines and deadlines, and I am ready to be in that position.

  5. Problem Solver: Working with children and people of different cultures can be difficult because of communication problems, but one of my strengths is problem solving, and I will be ready to deal with obstacles as they arise.

I've wanted to work in global health for years now because of the profound impact that I can have on others' lives. I think it is extremely interesting to be able to change a person's life so deeply, and I would love to be able to be a positive influence. This year, I am able to explore this pathway in a different way, as I am more involved in research, rather than actual practice. I am able to see how certain forms of care, family support, and other factors can change a child's life, which will help me with helping future patients. In the rest of my time at IUPUI, I intend to volunteer and intern within different organizations that work with vulnerable populations so that I can learn what global health issues are the most prominent.

Find a career that allows me to set my own hours and follow my passion

In the January workshop, I was able to explore and identify exactly what I wanted in a career setting. Before the workshop, I was under the impression that going to medical school was the best route for me, but the workshop was able to solidify my thoughts that a different career path may be better. I thought more deeply about it and found that global health fits all the desires I have for a future goal, and I will still be able to pursue pediatrics specifically. Also, this is a better career choice for me as it involves more topics that I am passionate about and enjoy, while being a faster track to actually getting into the field.

future plans

After making changes to my future career path, my current plan for the summer and next semester is to ensure that all my research is done in order for me to go into graduate school. I need to figure out what specific subsection I am most interested in in order to find schools that offer that specialty and the education that I'm looking for. Looking into future internships, volunteer experiences, and classes to take will be the most important task for me to prepare myself for the rest of my undergraduate years and my time in graduate school.

Compare and explore different healthcare profession options

At this internship, I will be within an office area that employs people who work in different areas of healthcare, but still working in the same kind of field. As someone who is exploring global health careers, being in an area with other doctors and medical professionals who have worked in this field for a while will give me the opportunity to ask questions and think about different career paths.

Understand and analyze scientific findings and research

The two major parts of this internship are qualitative analysis and systematic review. For qualitative analysis, I have the opportunity to read and understand scientific papers and findings while learning about global health. In terms of systematic review, I will be able to browse articles for certain information and use information to be included in reviews. On top of this, I will be able to be included as a co-author on abstracts and manuscripts over my time here.

I have already begun data verification and interacting with information about the study that is being done over in Kenya. Through reading interview guidelines, transcripts, and the background of some of the people working on this project, I have gotten a better view of exactly what I will be doing further down the line.

Experience and handle real life healthcare questions and situations.

Although I won’t be directly working in a hospital with patients, I will be able to be around professionals who do so, not in the United States but in Kenya. Because a lot of the work that is done is based on research done in Kenya, I will be able to read and hear about real life questions and situations that is actively being looked at.