Professional Goals

My first goal is to apply class material and problem solving skills to practically solve scientific problems in a lab setting. I will accomplish this by seeking research areas that relate to my current studies. The research I am taking part in is electrophysiology, and I am currently learning about electricity in my physics class. Biomedical engineers learn heavily about electrical principles, and I believe this research will help give me a broader view of these concepts.

I would also like to be a part of a scientific publication, whether that is writing, editing, or being involved in the research. I have already been a part of this process by working with my supervisor to apply for a grant. We created and edited a proposal together to submit to the grant application. I also am trying to work on projects that are on their way to a publication, so I get the opportunity to be a part of that process.

I want to complete meaningful research to further my knowledge and develop my scientific interests. This will take place everyday in the lab. I am excited every time I get to go and work in the lab. I am getting the chance to apply scientific principles and learn about how real scientific research is conducted.

I want to learn to communicate professionally with researchers and learn about the nonscientific parts of research. This goal will be helped through the pursuit of my goal to be a part of a publication. Trying to go through this process will teach me how researchers communicate and connect with each other. Also, talking and working with Dr. Obukhov is already teaching me how researchers speak and communicate. It is important to know the scientific terms to be able to communicate clearly with others in the science field.

My goal is to graduate with degree in biomedical engineering and to apply to and attend medical school to one day become a surgeon. One of my hopes is to work in a teaching hospital so that I will be able to teach future doctors how to treat patients. This would allow me to continue the teaching that I got to experience being a TA. Also being a doctor would allow me to develop relationships with my patients. I enjoy interacting with others and being able to comfort and reassure them. Additionally, it will give me a platform to be a comfort to others. People undergoing surgery are usually scared and nervous. I would have a chance to be a calming presence in their hospital experience.

I am committed to this goal. Right now, I am diving into my first year in biomedical engineering and trying to get a good base for my future years of study. Also, doing research will hopefully give me insight in to how much I enjoy the research side of medicine. I am also part of a premed club that has allowed me to interact with other future doctors and discuss my future plans with them.

Ways that I can further explore are volunteering in a health organization, taking part in clubs involved in medicine, talking with other students who are further along the path, shadowing doctors, and seeking extracurricular events that can give me more exposure to the medical field. Also, I want to seek out advice from other professionals on possible career paths that I could take. I want this semester to be one of exploration to make sure I am aware of all my options.

I am still exploring options for my future career. I am still very drawn toward medical school, however, being in biomedical engineering has really interested me, so I am also drawn to that field of study. I am hoping to talk to some of my professors as well as meet with people in the medical field to further explore my options. This internship has given me a in depth view of actual research. While I have enjoyed it, research doesn't seem to be my calling. I still would like to participate in research on a level, while it wouldn't be my full time job. I am beginning to get in to the bulk of my biomedical engineering courses and am really enjoying it, so I hope continuing in this course work will give me more clarity on what career path I will choose.

My goal for this summer is to hopefully be able to return to Dr. Obukhov's research lab. I would like to continue our electrophysiological experiments. I am hoping working only in research will provide significant progress on the way to a publication of our work. I would really appreciate the chance to be a part of a publication and learn more about how the process works. Throughout my next few years at IUPUI, I hope to get more involved in medicine and learn about different careers in the medical field. I also want to further my understanding of biomedical engineering and medical technology. My dreams as a doctor is to get to use both my engineering and medical training to integrate technology and medicine using my combination of the two disciplines.