Learning Goal #1: Gain skills/experience working in a science/lab-related setting
How does this goal fit into your career journey or prepare you for the future?:
It will help me gain the skills and experiences that I need for my career.
What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will you do to meet this goal?
1. I will start to work in a lab setting (I’ve started)
2. I will get familiar with the equipment in my lab (I’ve kind of done so)
3. I will further my interest in working in lab settings to strengthen my knowledge on equipment and processes conducted in a lab
Update: This was a very general goal, and I'm very grateful to have accomplished it. My site has allowed me to gain many skills/experience in a science research lab, which I'm very grateful for. I plan to continue doing research at another lab for next year and now that I have those experiences from LHSI, I hope to apply those skills at my new research lab.
Learning Goal #2: Improve my teamwork skills
How does this goal fit into your career journey or prepare you for the future?:
This is important because I’ll be working with people throughout my career
What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will you do to meet this goal?:
1. I will start to put myself out there and step out of my comfort zone (I already have so far)
2. I will start to voice my input with my graduate mentors (I’ve done this already)
3. I will present my own personal project to my lab peers related to the research in this lab
Update: Thanks to my time at my site, I've improved my teamwork skills to a great degree. In my research, I've had to interact with the masters and Ph.D. students at my site. I'm very grateful for these interactions because I've not only improved my teamwork skills, I've learned many valuable lessons from them. I now hold these improved skills that I plan to carry into my future professions because teamwork and communication is a very valuable and important skill.
Learning Goal #3: Understanding the research conducted in this lab and why it’s being done
How does this goal fit into your career journey or prepare you for the future?:
This will better help me understand the research that ties to advancements in healthcare that better society
What tasks, responsibilities, projects, or activities will you do to meet this goal?:
1. I will start to conduct my own research related to my lab (I’ve started)
2. I will ask my supervisor specific questions to help me gain an understanding of the work done in the lab
3. I will start to conduct my own project related to the research in the lab
Update: This is probably the most important skill that I've picked up, which took time, and honestly is still improving. Learning why we do what we do at my site is very important to me since I'm representing this site. Thankfully, I've learned a lot about the research we do, and my knowledge is still improving. I've now been able to voice my opinion in lab meetings because I understand what everyone is discussing.
Professional School Goals: As of now, I'm on a pre-dental track pursuing dental school. I'm a creative person and I have been interested in engineering for years because I like to fix and design things, but I want to pursue a career in healthcare because of my passion for helping people. Dentistry was the perfect option for me because I get to help people and use my hands to repair and create, which I love to do. If I successfully complete these goals, they will only solidify my decision in dentistry and help me pursue my passion to the highest degree and become successful throughout my academic career.
Update: My time at this site has helped me gain valuable skills that will carry with me to my professional goals. My main goal about my career was getting research lab experience to help assist me with professional school and other research opportunities that I come across, and I believe I've done just that with my time at this site. I'm very interested in research, and I plan to continue research throughout the rest of my undergraduate studies and professional studies. Communication was another aspect I've improved greatly, and I'm very glad I did, because communication with patients is a very important aspect of being a healthcare professional. I feel very confident to continue to pursue my career goals due to the skills I picked up at my site.
My goals on my initial LHSI application state that my time at my site will assist me in my professional goals of going to dental school because of my interest in diabetes research and its correlation to tooth decay. I also mentioned how I hope this opportunity will help me gain professional connections and improve my communication skills. Lastly, I mentioned how I hope I can help people in the realm of dentistry that suffer from food restrictions, because of my personal experiences. My goals have stayed the same, I'm very passionate about helping others and I still plan to pursue a career in dentistry. In my time at this lab, I wasn't working on the diabetes aspect. I was working on exercise research, which I'm much more passionate about. It hasn't significantly related to dentistry, but learning about anatomy and physiology have furthered my interest in advancing human health. This summer, I plan to continue to exercise and better myself, work as a dental assistant, and continue to shadow dentists and volunteer at hospitals and clinics.