Goals

Internship Goals

  1. Learn more about the medical field, specifically the research aspects of it.

I have already learned a lot about the medical field by working in a research lab and cadaver lab that is part of the school of medicine. I will further develop this goal by getting insight into the work that Dr. Deane does with the scans I produce, as well as sitting in on prosections, which is an opportunity that has been offered to me already.

  1. Interact with people from different backgrounds, fields of work, and degree paths.

In the cadaver lab, I meet people from a wide range of gradate programs and degree paths, such as medical students, anatomy PhD candidates, anesthesiology residents, and so on. Dr. Deane has also introduced me to post-docs and other researchers. I will continue taking opportunities to meet new people in the research department to increase my exposure.

  1. Learn skills and gain experiences that will make me a more competitive applicant for graduate programs like medical school.

Dr. Deane has already given me a wealth of information about the application process and the qualities or experience that admissions boards look for. I will continue pursuing this goal by adding my new research experience to my resume and ensure I bring attention to it during future applications, interviews, etc.

Career Goals

I have multiple different career goals that I could see myself committing to in the future, and I am pursuing courses and other opportunities outside of academics that will provide transferrable experiences or skills that can help me with whichever path I go down. Medical school, PA school, and a PhD are all appealing to me for different reasons. I could also see myself working for several years after I finish undergrad and seeing where that takes me before I go to graduate school. I consider myself to be good with STEM, and I am very passionate about helping other people. This is where the career goals relating to the medical field come from, because I feel that will be a great way to blend my passions with what I am good at doing.


To be honest, I am not really sure of which career path I will pursue. I could see myself being happy and successful in any of them, which is comforting but also does not help the decision making process. To help me decide, I have been talking to people that have gone down the various roads I am interested in, such as medical school and PhD programs. They have given me great inside into the pros and cons of the different graduate options.


I can continue to get exposure and insight into my career interests by shadowing people in the respective careers and spending more time reflecting on what kind of commitment I want to make to my education after I finish my undergrad. IUPUI has ample resources for connecting you with shadowing opportunities and career fairs, so I am hoping to participate in those options as well.


For the Spring semester, I just need to continue with the balance I currently have between school and my work with Dr. Deane. I am making steady progress with my assigned projects and doing well in my classes, so I look forward to maintaining what I already have.


When I first applied for this internship, my main goal was to get more insight into medical school and gain skills/experiences that would make me a more competitive applicant. However, this position has opened my eyes to the wide array of jobs I could pursue in STEM. Now, my goal is to learn as much as I can about the research world and let this guide me to my next step, whether or not that involves medical school.


If I were to continue to pursue medical school, there are many steps I would need to take to accomplish that goal. This month, I would begin figuring out my next professional experience to make me a better applicant. By the end of the semester, I would need to be doing as well as possible on my final exams to ensure I maintain a competitive GPA. By this time next year, I would need to have registered for my MCAT and be preparing for the exam.