Goals
Internship Goals
One of my biggest goals for this internship is that I would like to become more familiar with working with patients in a clinical research environment.
To accomplish this, I plan to watch my supervisor and other more experienced individuals interact with patients and will learn by watching them. Furthermore, I hope to become more familiar with the background information or research surrounding a given topic so that I am in the know before interacting with patients. Finally, I wish to have my own interactions with patients.
While I have not yet had patient interactions, I will soon be participating in phone screens and recruiting individuals to our study, which I thoroughly look forward to.
Secondly, I would like to learn how to write an academic research paper.
To accomplish this, I will read other research papers and participate in journal club. I will complete literature reviews to aid in the process of writing a research paper. Lastly, I will also work on a draft with my supervisor and learn from constructive criticism.
I have learned a lot about what goes into writing a research paper. I am currently in the process of completing a study, and I look to compose a research paper on it in the near future.
Finally, I would like to learn more about the field of psychiatry as a whole.
To accomplish this I will read other psychiatry research papers. I will try to complete some shadowing and potentially review MRIs, and I will complete clinical research in the field of psychiatry.
I have learned a lot about the field of psychiatry, particularly as it pertains to research and child psychology.
Career Goals
My current career goal is to attend medical school and become a physician. I have this goal because I have many family members in the medical field and they have long spoken highly of the fulfilling nature of having an occupation in which you can make an extremely positive difference in people's lives. I am passionate about learning what the newest science says about given topics and using that knowledge to make a positive change in the world.
I am quite sure that this is the career I wish to pursue. In order to confirm or deny this belief, I have not only applied to be in LHSI, but I am shadowing on a regular basis. I am also asking others who are in not only the medical field, but other fields as well, and seeing whether or not they endorse my decision to pursue medicine.
These goals are very similar to the goals I had set for myself as I was applying for LHSI, with some slight changes and additions. I sought to improve as a public speaker and communicator, and my lab meetings and interactions with my supervisor have helped me do so. The discussion boards also helped me make progress towards my previously set goal of increasing my self-reflection abilities.
Some of the discrepancies between my previously set goals and current goals include the fact that I was solely set on becoming a psychiatrist. My horizons have now expanded, and while I still aim to become a physician, I am weighing multiple different specialties. My research has aided me in this goal, as I now have invaluable experience and more research tools in my toolbox.
I had previously said that I wanted to become involved with VIDA, and I made that goal a reality. I have worked my way up to becoming the VIDA VP of Membership, and I thoroughly enjoy and gain fulfillment from my contributions to the organization. My final goal was to become a scribe at a hospital, and while I have yet to do so, I have since shadowed on multiple occasions.
Some tasks that I need to accomplish before I can become a physician is to succeed in my MCAT and apply to medical school. Some small tasks I can do by the end of this month and this semester is to begin my studying and research the application process. By the end of the year, I hope to have completed my application.
I plan to take my MCAT early this summer. Then, I will shadow multiple doctors in a variety of fields. Once I have completed both of these things, I will apply to medical school. Throughout the rest of my time at IUPUI, I will continue to be involved with VIDA and other on-campus organizations, while also working towards good grades and academic success. All of these steps should allow me to have the greatest chance at success in my career.
My internship has confirmed that I am deeply interested in psychiatry, and it has expanded my horizons and shown me the importance of research. I now plan to not only become a physician, but to simultaneously be involved in research. While I am somewhat confident in my own ability to make career-related decisions, that confidence is bolstered by my research on career decisions and the advice I receive from people I trust who have gone down similar paths to the one I am on.