Goals & Learning

Goals

Current Career & Academic Goals: 

My career goals for after undergraduate graduation include obtaining my Master’s degree in Public Health at the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI as well as going to MD/Ph.D. school to become a physician-scientist. This internship program will allow me to explore the research aspects of becoming a physician-scientist. I hope to gain laboratory experience and skills in combination with the clinical aspect of the medical field. This internship has confirmed my career journey as this was my first formal, research opportunity. I was able to explore challenges that may arise with research in the clinical setting. I believe that this internship program has provided me with real-life experiences working with researchers in the field of infectious disease, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Dr. Enane MD, MSc has given me guidance toward career paths and graduate opportunities that include networking with those of similar interests. Additionally, as a prospective MD/Ph.D. school applicant, this research provides a foundation for hypothesis-driven research like evidence-based medicine. The collection of the information learned from my research will enhance my understanding of medical literature, continued love for learning, and undergraduate study courses. I feel extremely confident in using my self-knowledge and preferences to make career-related decisions now based on my internship experience. 

Goal Progress

My goals haven't changed from a year ago, but I've made great progress in completing my goals. I've been progressively collaborating on a retrospective cohort study of children and adolescents with HIV, evaluating trends in HIV diagnoses before and after 2020, and identifying missed opportunities for prevention or earlier testing and treatment. I plan to continue working on this paper until it's published.  I have connected with my supervior, others involved in related pediatric and adolescent HIV research, and IUSM residents and fellows. Additionally, my focus in this internship has been to investigate implementation challenges in HIV testing and care for children and adolescents in this setting. In related work, I am also supporting efforts to increase adolescent HIV testing in the ED setting, and I have developed a set of educational resources for children, adolescents, and families affected by HIV and their providers. I plan on continuing my research to increase my knowledge and help create evidence-based recommendations based on the social determinants of health. 

Experiential Learning Plans

This summer, I hope to continue the pediatric and adolescent HIV research through the summer until my work is published. One experience that I am considering over the next few years to explore career options and gain transferable skills is studying abroad in Sweden, focusing on a comparative healthcare system. Studying abroad includes many benefits like studying my respective discipline from another perspective, traveling, sightseeing, and potential career opportunities abroad. It can also create a network of friends, professionals, and mentors. Studying abroad in Sweden would provide research opportunities and skill-based, hands-on education in the field of public health. Studying abroad will allow me to gain transferable, effective interpersonal skills, communication, and collaboration to make changes in public health and disease prevention. I believe my ability to create an inclusive, diverse group of peers dedicated to social issues in healthcare will contribute to my long-term goal of being accepted into graduate school. 

Jagathon: IUI's Dance Marathon & Pediatric Healthcare 

Additionally, over the next few years, I would like to continue to climb the leadership ladder of Jagathon: IUI’s Dance Marathon. This is my seventh year taking part in a dance marathon supporting Riley Hospital for Children, but I would like to use my passion and dedication to equity to continue the work of providing crucial funds for the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research. I would like to expand my involvement during college in healthcare availability. Socioeconomic status should not eliminate a patient from receiving the best care possible, which often occurs due to the financial stress of medical bills or lack of health insurance. I believe all children should have the ability to receive adequate healthcare. I have seen patients shuffled from one hospital to another due to financial or social concerns. I've learned that healthcare is one of the most essential, taken-for-granted necessities and an overlooked social justice dilemma in the United States. This experience contributes to my long-term goal of becoming a physician-scientist that focuses on social determinants of health that impact the health of patients every day. I believe creating outreach programs that provide access to vaccinations and screenings, nutrition education, and better healthcare services, in general, will benefit both children and adolescents as well as adults. 

Learning

Some skills on the survey I'm using so far are communication, teamwork, integration and application, independence, confronting challenges and failure, problem-solving and perseverance, and constructive criticism and feedback. I use appropriate and professional oral and written language when working independently or with Dr. Enane. My written and oral language would be considered exemplary as I didn't have errors in my messages, work, or emails. I'm respected by Dr. Enane and actively participate in all assignments. I'm highly independent and plan as well as perform tasks independently and arrange necessary help and resources with Dr. Enane. I'm very motivated, show ownership of my work, and overcome setbacks independently. I seek and welcome feedback in my weekly meetings with Dr. Enane. I critically reflect on feedback and use it as a starting point to propose alternatives and further discussions. 

Some skills that I would like to continue to work on are confronting challenges and failure and integration and application. I would like to independently adapt and apply previously understood information, concepts, experiences, and qualitative and quantitative techniques gained in one situation to new situations to solve problems or explore issues. I consistently use available resources to confront challenges during my internship; however, I do not take risks. I avoid situations that may lead to failure. Confronting failure means feeling worthless or embarrassing to me. In order for me to confront failure, I need to change my perfectionism mindset to be more flexible and open to the idea of growth and learning from mistakes. I think self-compassion is an important step in taking care of myself when you're coping with failure. I believe I need to acknowledge that I'm experiencing something that causes me destress, extend the same compassion I would often give to others, to myself. 

This spring, I'm more confident with seeking and welcoming feedback. I have been doing more critical reflections during my meetings with Dr. Enane and using it as a starting point for further discussion and proposing alternatives. Writing down notes on my computer during meetings has been a game changer for me because it's allowed me to word dump or write down questions as the meeting goes on. I would like to continue working on confronting challenges and failure. Sometimes I can shut down if more work feels too burdensome or if I run into a roadblock. I've been using the Pomodoro technique to not be as stressed and confront challenges. I will continue to use the Pomodoro technique to grow the skill of confronting challenges and failure after LHSI. 

I have used and built on my previous strengths and experiences this year by continuing to use my time wisely, keeping organized, communicating, and providing results. I keep an organized schedule and task list of everything that needs to be accomplished each day. This allows me to balance my time with extracurricular activities, volunteering, coursework, social time, and my job as a teaching assistant. Communication is an important component of community because it allows me to actively listen and provide both nonverbal and verbal feedback. Communicating effectively has allowed me to make minimal communication errors, learn from other’s perspectives, and remain tolerant of others' differences. I use timelines and deadlines to effectively turn in assignments before the deadlines and complete grading in an effective manner to provide feedback to students.

In regards to integration and application, there are some areas for improvement that I could make to help be more efficient. In my day-to-day internship work, application and integration of information means: 

• Application involves doing several hundred chart reviews to compare the year of HIV diagnosis with the parameters set for our manuscript, which is from 2009 onwards. 

  • Literature reviews to find quality improventts implemneted in Pediatric Emergency Departments

  • Pulling records from the EMR to determine patient inclusion versus exclusion principles

• Integration involves researching evidence-based recommendations via databases and literature reviews to implement into the Emergency Room at Riley Hospital for Children. 

  • Finding and researching ways to improve HIV testing in Pediatric Emergency Departments

  • Integrating my previous HIV knowledge and translating it into the clincal setting 

This internship has helped me gain a better understanding of my coursework and major because I'm learning about the Social Determinants of Health in pediatric HIV research and in a clinical setting. Social determinants of health are factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. These forces and systems include economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies, racism, climate change, and political systems. Riley Hospital for Children is the main provider of pediatric HIV care to children and adolescents living with HIV in Indiana. This work has included an emphasis on social determinants of health, and addressing quality improvement and clinical challenges that impact pediatric HIV testing and care. As a result of this work, the team at the Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Disease and Global Health hopes to better address needs in this setting to improve adolescent HIV testing and prevention and address challenges across the prevention and treatment cascades for perinatal and pediatric HIV. 

In the field of epidemiology, we do a plethora of assignments and discussions related to different research studies and types of research designs. It's a unique experience to collaborate in a retrospective cohort study of children and adolescents with HIV, evaluating trends in HIV diagnoses before and after 2020, and identifying missed opportunities for prevention or earlier testing and treatment. Tying the work in the classroom with the work at my internship has been beneficial for the application of knowledge and expanding on the foundations built in the classroom. Additionally, my focus in this internship has been to investigate implementation challenges in HIV testing and care for children and adolescents in this setting. In related work, I am also supporting efforts to increase adolescent HIV testing in the ED setting, and I have developed a set of educational resources for children, adolescents, and families affected by HIV and their providers. 

Curiosity & Critical Thinking

My curious nature in the different biological processes combined with my passion for learning would help me excel as a research scholar studying epidemiology with a focus on social health determinants. The critical thinking and analytical skills applied to research could improve my coursework as an undergraduate student. My participation in this internship will aid me in growing as a scholar as it will help me learn to balance both the collaborative and individual tasks of research. 

Mentorship

Mentorships with professionals can foster on-the-job training and experiences not otherwise taught in a classroom. Also, real-life experiences from Dr. Enane can give me guidance toward career paths and graduate opportunities. As a prospective medical school applicant, research provides a foundation for hypothesis-driven infectious disease research. The collection of the information learned from my research would enhance my understanding of social health determinants. This interdisciplinary work will increase my ability to be dependable and experienced in laboratory skills and a clinical setting. I believe the exposure to research would allow for exploration within the realm of medicine, confirming my desired career goal of becoming a physician-scientist. 

Time Management & Organization

One transferable skill I can continue to develop as an aspiring physician-scienist is my ability to stay organized concerning my time management skills. Both of these skills go hand in hand with me, I keep an organized schedule and task list of everything that needs to be accomplished each day. This allows me to balance my time with extracurricular activities, volunteering, coursework, social time, and my job as a teaching assistant. I use timelines and deadlines to effectively turn in assignments before the deadlines and complete grading in an effective manner to provide feedback to students. 

Communication

Another transferable skill I can contribute to the internship sites that I have listed above is communication. Communication is an important component of community because it allows me to actively listen and provide both nonverbal and verbal feedback. As a Teaching Assistant for the IUPUI Fairbanks School of Public Health in the Epidemiology department, I have communicated and collaborated with faculty to prepare learning materials. I also have experience with providing prompt and friendly feedback to students and faculty using different communication methods like in-person communication, Zoom, Canvas, and Outlook email. 

I've made progress in changing my communication style and preferences to fit my target audience. Additionally, my experience as the previous Director of Corporate Partnerships and current Vice President of Governance for Jagathon: IUPUI's Dance Marathon has enhanced my communication methods with the internal team to fulfill corporate partnership benefits and utilize best practices. By overseeing and coordinating five chairs, I often manage meetings to communicate upcoming agendas and events to my subordinates. As someone who initiated meetings and communications for potential corporate partnerships, it's important that I set an example for the Executive Board. 

Leadership

As a leader, I’m committed to diversity and inclusion where I contribute to Jagathon by breaking members into different groups based on their different talents or skills, and then we come back together as a group to execute upcoming event goals. My role as a leader in the IUPUI Honors College thrives on establishing groups of diverse people to welcome new students to campus, fostering empathy for incoming freshmen, and empowering others in the community by communicating and collaborating to share our different experiences.