Goals

Internship Goals

Learning Goal #1: Communicating effectively and professionally in the workplace

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

1. I will be helping with virtual home visits for the SHH study in collaboration with Purdue University. This will help me learn to communicate with the collaborators and the families. For this study, I will also be helping with the community advisory board. This will give me an opportunity to communicate in a professional way with various leaders in the community.

2. In lab meetings, I will help provide project updates for the SHH study. I will practice describing the study to my colleagues and informing my colleagues about what we have completed for the study and what the study’s next steps are.

3. I will also develop my communication skills through writing, both in emails and in project summaries over the course of LHSI. So far, I have been able to practice my written skills in emails to my supervisors.

Learning Goal #2: Building relationships with other professionals

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

1. I will build relationships with lab members through lab meetings, project meetings, and project assignments.

2. I will build relationships with research collaborators through project meetings and project assignments. So far, I have connected with different professionals from Purdue University.

3. I will also try to network with medical doctors – sleep physicians and pediatricians – who work closely with Dr. Honaker and Dr. McQuillan

Learning Goal #3: Apply problem solving and decision-making skills, both in the research team and during independent work

1. Some of my work in the lab will be independent assignments, and I will need to problem solve and make decisions independently to complete these tasks. I've been able to use my problem-solving skills when navigating through the REDcap database specifically.

2. I will especially have to use effective decision making when helping with the Spanish translation for the SHH study. So far, I have had to make decisions when translating transcripts for the K23 project on my own. Many times, I have had to decide what phrases were necessary to include, and which ones I could omit to make the transcripts clearer.

3. I will have to use problem solving in other teamwork tasks.

Career Goals

After graduating from IUPUI with my bachelor's in Exercise Science, my goal is to get into medical school. My dream school is the IU School of Medicine for its excellent program. When I first came to IUPUI, I wanted to go to a physical therapy school but after taking a class and learning about different health-related careers, I realized I wanted to go a bit further. Working with health and people has always interested me. I have had a curiosity about the human body and finding out what goes on inside of us since I can remember. I chose Exercise Science because I enjoy learning about the physical activity that our bodies can go through and how this activity can help us feel better. I hope I can use the knowledge I gain to help people in my community. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I saw many people working their bodies with physical labor like my father and uncles. I wanted to go into physical therapy to learn how to prevent injuries and help with rehabilitation. I leaned toward PT school because it would provide a shorter academic journey, but I realized I did want to study medicine so I came to terms that this would be a long journey. Ultimately, I hope to work in pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology because I like working with women and children.

I want to keep exploring health-related fields and exposing myself to research and clinical work to see if anything else sparks my interest. One of my Kinesiology professors told me it is good to explore different fields so that you know what you don't like to do. The Healthy Sleep lab is helping me realize I like working in research. Although there are not many hands-on experiences, this internship has been very helpful because I am getting a feel for working alongside medical professionals and real-world patients through zoom meetings. I want to go into pediatrics at some point, so this internship has been an amazing learning experience. I am learning about different sleeping disorders in children and teens and how these problems at night can lead to many problems during the day. I am also learning of preventive care methods that parents can follow to help their children. As I progress, I will keep looking for opportunities to work in research. I have been thinking of getting involved in one of my Kinesiology professor's research labs about active gaming as a form of exercise for the next school year; I have already completed his introductory research course so I wouldn't be unfamiliar to the field.

I am still pretty confident in my goal of attending medical school as of now. Participating in the LHSI program has gotten me a step closer to this goal and it has opened a door to future internship opportunities. I plan to continue working at the Healthy Sleep lab, but I also want to pick up more tasks to seem like a well-rounded candidate on my applications.

By the end of February, I will be volunteering at the Motor Activity Clinic (MAC) at IUPUI. The MAC offers physical activity programming for children with disabilities ages 3-16 both in the gym and in the swimming pool. My job will involve assisting a student with their client, and occasionally guiding a client through an activity plan on my own.

By the end of the spring, I will gain valuable communication skills in my current internship as I begin to interview Spanish speaking families. I will also develop my technical skills as I learn to how to translate surveys for the SHH 2.0 study on REDcap.

By this time next year, I will be preparing to the take the MCAT. I hope to keep ties with the Healthy Sleep lab, and I also plan to become an academic tutor for the Bepko Learning Center. I have already passed the first two years of biology with a good grade, so I will apply to tutor that subject. However, I am also currently enrolled in chemistry so if all goes well and I can get a high enough grade, I will apply to tutor chemistry.

Now that summer is approaching, I plan to volunteer at the Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities in my hometown. Volunteering will help me with my application to medical school, and I figured I'd volunteer at a place that I enjoy. Working with people with disabilities will also help me put into practice my knowledge about sports and modifications which is important for my current degree. I also plan to continue my work with the Healthy Sleep lab during the summer and most likely through the fall semester. By this time, I will have more tasks involving face-to-face time with study participants which will help me practice my interpersonal and communication skills.

My internship has confirmed my interest to work in the health field. I have learned about issues that affect minorities disproportionately that I didn't know about before- like obstructive sleep apnea. However, I know this isn't the only type of health disparity out in the world and that encourages me to keep going down this pre-med track. Overall, I am pretty confident in my self-knowledge to make decisions regarding my future career. I know I enjoy working with people and actively listening. I also know I enjoy hands-on experience rather than sitting at a computer for most of the workday.

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