Goals
INTERNSHIP GOALS
1) Collaborate with others working in the lab and listen/observe to learn the necessary skills to be comfortable working independently.
The main things I'll be doing to work towards this goal are understanding the differences between the many projects going on in the lab, observing others working and doing tasks so I can eventually feel comfortable doing things on my own, and being able to participate in group work since many tasks are done by multiple people.
FALL SEMESTER PROGRESS: I think the first part of this goal has been going great for me so far! I have done a TON of observing in the lab, and gained a better understanding on all of the different projects and tasks that happen. Additionally, I have come to feel very comfortable collaborating with people who work in the lab to complete tasks, such as helping with the drug trials in our mouse models, completing essentially x-ray scans of the mice, and dissecting/cleaning bones in order to collect cells. However, I think I still need to work on being more independent. The work can be very daunting sometimes, since I know the importance of it, but I need to be confident that I have been learning, paying attention, and know that I can do things on my own!
SPRING SEMESTER PROGRESS: I think I have fully completed this goal which makes me really happy! I have really gotten to a point where I can comfortably do things on my own and I also understand finer details about my own project and the work going on in the lab. On top of being able to work independently, I have also been able to make educated decisions on the ways I should complete certain tasks. Of course with newer things I still ask for help, but I'm proud I've been able to get comfortable enough with usual tasks to do them on my own.
2) Learn about the different tools, technology, and techniques used in the lab and understand why those things play an important role in research and science.
The main things I'll be doing to work towards this goal are working on "technique-oriented learning", exploring how these techniques apply outside of the lab to other experiences, and being able to remember things like quantities of reagents, how to set up instruments, and also having notes/records to refer to when necessary.
FALL SEMESTER PROGRESS: I think I have been able to accomplish this goal really well in the first half of the year! I have definitely had plenty of hands on opportunities and experienced the "technique-oriented learning." There are plenty of instruments I am able to use on my own, and I have many different procedures/lists compiled for remembering how to complete certain tasks. One thing my supervisor and I discussed is that I want to see a wider scope of different things they do in the lab that might apply more to my career goals, before the semester is over. This is something we're going to work on in the spring!
SPRING SEMESTER PROGRESS: I feel like this is a goal to constantly work towards, since it would be really hard to completely know about every technique or piece of machinery in the lab, but I have done a good job of asking questions about different things and learning as much as I can! I have also been able to assess the differences between different techniques and decide which would be better for completing a certain task, which also brings in that independence goal!
3) Learn about osteoporosis and osteopetrosis to an extent that allows me to come up with my own ideas about possible things to explore (project ideas).
The main things I'll be doing to work towards this goal are asking questions when I think of them, using knowledge from biology classes and other courses to make connections and build on what I already know about the diseases, and keeping a 'journal' on my knowledge to refer back to if I have questions or to add to when I learn something new.
FALL SEMESTER PROGRESS: This is the goal that I have definitely had to work the most on, but that I have also found the most success in, which I am really proud of! Obviously I'm not an expert, but I have gained a ton of knowledge, especially on osteopetrosis, and put extensive research into deciding on the direction of my personal LHSI project. Thinking back on it, when I started my internship, I barely knew what osteopetrosis was, and now I know a ton about this rare disease that not many people have heard of. It makes me happy that I can share information about it, and also understand why it occurs in people, and possible targets on the biological level for drugs that might lead to treatment strategies. My coursework has definitely helped me be able to understanding how the disease works and why people get the disease, which really helped me research for my project.
SPRING SEMESTER PROGRESS: As stated above, I think I have found the most success in this goal. Looking back at where I started, I came into the lab knowing basically nothing about either of these diseases. Now though, I feel like I can say so much about them and have a very deep understanding of how they work on a cellular level. Understanding osteoporosis and osteopetrosis were very key to coming up with a project idea, and I'm glad I was successfully able to do this!
Overall Internship Goal Progress & New Goals
Many of my goals for this internship that I describe when applying were focused around becoming more comfortable with working independently and learning scientific skills that would be transferable to my future career. I think as much as I still have these same goals, I have also come up with new ones, or gone more into detail on the specifics of these goals. One new one I have come up with is to get better at organizing information, especially for highly detailed experiences or projects, which is often the case in the world of science. When starting my personal LHSI project at my site, I easily became very overwhelmed with all the details and planning that went into it, and it wasn't until I worked on organizing the information that everything became a little easier. I think this is something I can keep improving on as I continue with my project the rest of the semester. With my goal of being able to work more independently, I think I've been able to get a little more specific on what I want to accomplish with that. Most of the time, it's not that I can't do tasks on my own, it's just that I'm nervous to mess them up, especially in a research lab where the work is very important. I really have been trying to work through this fear, and I have talked to my supervisor and the people in my lab about how it just takes me a while to get adjusted and confident in doing anything on my own. Outside of physical tasks, I also want to become more confident in my ability to explain things I have done and be verbal about questions I have. A lot of times for me, scientific terminology can just be daunting. I know I don't need to know everything under the sun right now, as I'm very fresh to the field of science and research, but I really want to get better at being able to explain the work I have done, as it shows I have a good understanding of what's going on. I think as the year continues on, I can get better at asking questions about terms I don't understand, and trying my best to rely on myself to explain things and not just look to other people.
CAREER GOALS
My current career goals are pretty up in the air and I'm okay with that! I'm majoring in forensic science and biology, and I'm really happy with how it's going! I love all of my classes and find everything so interesting, and I love seeing how my work at my internship relates to those classes and tasks I might have to do working in the forensics and biology field. I think there's a lot of pressure on college students to know so early on exactly what they wanna do in the future, but to me that's unreasonable and I'm just happy to be doing things I enjoy and figuring it out as I go! Right now, I really would like to end up being some sort of analyst for a crime lab at the state or federal level, or I think being in the field in something like crime scene investigation would be really cool. Any of these jobs can be done with a bachelor's degree, but I have always really enjoyed school and pursuing further education would only help me become a better candidate for these jobs! I have always said I wanted to go to graduate school, and I still hope to one day! As I previously mentioned, I find these career paths super interesting, but it's nothing I'm 100% set on! Part of why I wanted to do this internship program was to figure out if I liked lab work or not and if it would be something I could see myself doing at a job, and I think this is a good way for me to help narrow down my options for the future!
I think my internship position hasn't really changed my career goals, but more so solidified what I had already thought I wanted to do. I have definitely found that I like working in a lab setting, and the work that I've done has been really cool. This internship was my first experience with research, and I wasn't really sure how I would feel about it. As much as it's been interesting and I really have liked learning about and experimenting with the research process, I don't think the field of research as a whole is something that is right for me. It's been a very meaningful experience though, and has helped to further encourage me to pursue forensic science, and stick with biology as a more secondary interest! I feel sort of confident in making career-related decisions, and I only say sort of because I feel like most people my age still have those feelings of doubt hanging over their head. Obviously choosing a major or career path is a really big decision, and I think everyone has moments where they think "Did I make the right choice?". I have plenty of those moments, but I know as long as I keep trying new things and striving to gain new experiences, I will continue to feel more and more confident in my ability to shape my future.
Steps To Take
In The Spring: In the spring I want to continue to apply to scholarships so I can maintain the funding I have for my undergrad degree and be in a good place if I end up going to graduate school. I also want to make sure to look for more professional opportunities for next school year in order to keep progressing through what I've learned in my classes, this internship, and other experiences.
In The Summer: This school year, I've been very proud of myself for being able to handle the LHSI program on top of several other jobs, a full course load, and campus involvement. As much as I look forward to my next internship or career-related opportunity, I also don't think it's completely necessary for it to always be on a person's radar. At the end of the day, I'm still a sophomore, and I try to remind myself that I have plenty of time left for career exploration! Many internships and campus jobs don't pay very well, and as someone who has the responsibility of paying tuition every semester and rent every month, summer is really my time to save up for all of that by working a better paying job, even though it's not STEM-related. I look forward to what I can find in terms of opportunities for the fall, though!
By Next Year: By this time next year I'll be a junior, so I think I'll need to have a better idea of the process of applying to masters programs, what programs I might want to apply for, and what schools I want to look into. Right now this is still many years down the line, so I don't have to start too soon, but definitely by this time next year. I also want to continue applying for scholarships and seeking out opportunities for other jobs, internships, or experiences in the field of forensic science. LHSI has been super helpful in the biology realm of things and has helped me learn a lot, but on top of that I want to make sure I focus on forensics too.