Goals & Learning

Goals

At my internship this year (August 2023 - May 2024), I will work toward the following goals:

Learning Goal #1: Learn more about pediatric diabetes and insulin resistance through my research at this internship

How does this goal fit into my career journey or prepare me for the future? 

A long-term goal that I would love to accomplish in the future is getting into dental school. Being a part of this research will not only allow me to gain knowledge and new skills, but it will also allow me to get into new research, which I can show to dental school when applying

What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will I do to meet this goal?

1. Conduct research on and off of my internship site about pediatric diabetes and insulin resistance 

2. Talk to my supervisor and team members about the research to learn more about it 

3.  Connect the work that I am doing at the internship site with the computer research I do 

Progress Update:

My first semester of working at this internship site consisted of me working in the EMR and the pediatric type II diabetes registry. In the current, second semester, I conducted in-depth research about how gestational diabetes affects the child. For my final project I am pulling data from the registry to see how the child's HbA1C and BMI differs with a mom that had gestational diabetes at birth and a mom that did not. 

Learning Goal #2: Develop the skills I already obtain and gain new ones

How does this goal fit into my career journey or prepare me for the future? 

As a student, I will go through many experiences, some that are different and some that are the same. The skills that I gain through my opportunities will help me as a professional in various situations. 

What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will I do to meet this goal?

1. Put my best foot forward

2. Continue to step outside of my comfort zone 

3. Take any opportunities that come my way 

Progress Update:

I will continue to do all the tasks I have listed above in order to continue fulfilling this goal. Moreover, I have learned to take initiative and have the confidence in myself to take bigger steps towards not only my internship, but my career as well.

Learning Goal #3: Grow as a professional

How does this goal fit into my career journey or prepare me for the future?

Throughout my career, I will have many different experiences in which I will have to have the skills to act as a professional. An experience like LHSI will start my journey into becoming a professional.  

What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will I do to meet this goal?

1. Follow my supervior’s directions and do what is asked of me

2. Respect my supervisor, colleagues, and the people around me 

3. Always be proactive and ahead of all my work 

Progress Update:

Working through this internship has definitely set me up for future internships and jobs. Living up to expectations, weather that is dressing up in business casual wear, meeting certain goals, or even having a positive attitude and presence each day, I have learned how to remain professional as an intern. 

Current Career Goals:

As of now, I am studying biology on the pre-medicine track, projecting to get into dental school and becoming a dentist. I have these goals because I absolutely love helping others, taking care of people, and making sure that they are taken care of. Additionally, I have the passion for enhancing the public healthcare system through my capabilities as a health professional. Being an intern in a program like LHSI will help me in building my future career and accomplishing my future goals. Though I would love to achieve these goals, I always have to have a back up plan, as you never know what will happen in the time to come. To ensure that this is the right career path for me, I will shadow different doctors, do my online research, and seek out professional advice from on-campus (like PREPS) and off-campus resources. 

When I was beginning this internship, I was on the pre-medicine track, hoping to accomplish the goals of becoming a pediatrician. Learning new skills through LHSI taught me to step forward and truly understand what I really wanted out of a career. Thus, I changed my track to pre-dental and now I aspire becoming a future dentist. This change took a lot of thought and consideration, but I had to be truthful to myself and accept this change, which will make me happier in the long run. After making this decision, I feel a lot more confident about making career-related decisions in the future. 

In terms of the goal setting assessment I had taken earlier in the year, I have accomplished some of my smaller goals, and I am looking to accomplish the bigger ones soon as well. I took the initiative to update my resume and LinkedIn profile. I also have some internship opportunities that I have received, which I have not yet finalized for the summer, but that should be done shortly. Currently, I am also looking into some clinical jobs for the fall and spring semesters. This summer, I plan on taking two classes through IUPUI and also working in a research internship, as well as doing some shadowing and volunteering. I hope to take the DAT next year and apply right after. 

Learning

Fall Semester Updates: 

One skill on my fall self-assessment which I currently use is taking initiative and doing things independently. I try my best to problem solve on my own and accomplish my goals without the help of anyone. I will only ask for help if I am really stuck and cannot figure something out. For example, if I am stuck on where to find certain details for the pediatric type II diabetes registry, I will try my best to find it on my own and ask my coworkers for help first if I cannot seem to find it. 

One skill on my fall self-assessment which I would like to continue working on is being on time. Things I can do to improve this is keeping myself accountable by setting alarms and reminders on my phone. Another thing I can do is making sure I am at my internship at least 10 minutes before the start, so I have ample time to set up and clock in. 

I am building on my existing strengths as an intern by setting small goals for myself in areas I think I can improve on and also paying attention to small details, so that I can strengthen my already-built skills. Additionally my internship has helped me gain a deeper understanding of my major by helping me reflect on my strengths and weaknesses. It has helped me find a clearer view of what I need to work on in order to get to where I want to be. 

Spring Semester Updates:

I feel as though I have accomplished most of my smaller goals, and I have also completed and gone beyond my bigger goals. I helped complete the registry that I was working on and started working on the registry for the year after as well. Additionally, I did a lot of research on pediatric diabetes this semester. I am currently working on a project for the LHSI showcase, which should be complete in the next two weeks. 

Two skills I have learned to use at work more often are asking more questions and seeking help when needed and also taking constructive criticism. When I am stuck on how to analyze the data that is given to or if I am stuck on a problem, I always seek help and wither ask my coworker or supervisor questions after I have tried my best. Moreover, when I make mistakes and I am given constructive criticism, I always take it positively, looking at the feedback as an opportunity to learn from my mistakes and do better. This proves to both myself and my supervisor that I am capable of taking the initiative to rework my errors. 

I would still like to continue working on my punctuality when it comes to getting to work on time. Though I had times set of when I would come into work, my supervisor was okay with me coming in anytime I wanted during the day before 5 pm. However, I still do want to work on this because in the future all internships will not be this lenient. When I start my new internship, I will make sure to come in 10-15 minutes earlier than my start time to make sure that I have enough time to clock in and get settled. 

This year, I have definitely built on my previous strengths. I continue to try my best and work independently. I take initiative wherever I can, whilst still staying motivated and taking on responsibilities like school and clubs, along with LHSI. I have gone through many challennges and struggles within LHSI and outside of it. They gave me the ability to make my weaknesses my strengths and allowed me to continue working on them throughout this year.