Goals

Excited for my Experience!

LHSI Goals

Demonstrate a variety of basic office skills and apply those skills to other projects and situations with limited supervision

I used excel to analyze my data and learned to use Microsoft teams as a way of communication. Along with that, I utilized the Cerner electronic medical record. This goal helped build my office skills, so I can apply them when I go into the biomedical engineering industry. I plan on expanding my office skills to other projects. For example, I will be working on an biomedical engineering project over the summer. In the summer, I will be given goals to complete independently with due dates, so I plan on using various office skills learned in this internship.

Analyze scientific information and explore findings in detail

I did data extraction, analyzed papers, and explored backgrounds to gain knowledge about diabetes and patients. Over winter break, I analyzed papers to explore how diabetic ketoacidosis and diabetes mellitus are connected with one another. By analyzing papers, and exploring different backgrounds of patients, I was able to familiarize myself with medical terminology that could be used in the biomedical engineering industry. I researched the designs and constraints of biomedical equipment used in hospitals to gain a deeper understanding which can help in the biomedical industry as well. I will be doing a internship with Purdue University over the summer for 2 weeks which will be in a clinical setting, and I plan on using the research done about biomedical equipment to gain more insight into the biomedical industry.

Use professional practices in the workplace, and apply problem-solving skills.

I have used PubMed to learn more about the different antibodies related to diabetes such as the anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody. I used PubMed when necessary for learning about terminology and topics. I was unable to attend Journal Club to gain knowledge about research. Also, I couldn't go into the clinic and observe patients and medical professionals. This upcoming summer, I will be doing the 2023 IU Methodist Augustmester Program which will allow me to be in clinical settings, and apply problem-solving skills. The problem-solving skills gained can be applied in the biomedical engineering industry, and it's important to be able to use professional practices as well.

Learning Moment

As I was doing a literature review, I learned that people with type 1 diabetes are more likely to experience diabetic ketoacidosis. DKA can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes. When the body doesn't produce enough insulin to let blood sugar enter the cells for use as energy, DKA begins to develop. Instead, the liver converts fat into ketone-producing chemicals called ketones when it breaks down fat for energy. A medical emergency called DKA might include early warning signs like high ketones. Replacement of fluids lost through frequent urination and aid in reducing blood sugar levels are two ways to manage DKA. Additionally, electrolytes can be changed (minerals in the body that help the nerves, muscles, heart, and brain work the way they should). The electrolyte levels can be lowered by insufficient insulin. Also, taking insulin. the effects of insulin can help treat DKA.

Future Career Goals

My current career goal is to complete the five-years biomedical engineering master's program. I have this goal because I feel like this will better prepare me for the industry. As of now, I'm pretty sure this goal fits my strength and preferences because I enjoy my biomedical engineering classes, and I always learn applications that relate to the real world. To help me get into this program, I'm trying my best to maintain a high-standing GPA of around 3.8, and perform my best in all of my biomedical engineering classes.

Along with that, I would like to go into the industry after college. My plan is to work for a company in Indianapolis, so I can be near home. I would like to see how I like the industry as a biomedical engineer. I will find out if this goal fits my strength and preference by doing an internship for a biomedical company over the summer of my junior year. For now, I am focusing on my core classes.

For the rest of my time at IUPUI, I will strive to take as many opportunities as possible to expand my knowledge and understanding of the biomedical engineering field. The different opportunities will allow me to gain different and unique experiences which will help me decide my interests in biomedical engineering. As of now, I'm unsure of my depth area in biomedical engineering. I believe different internships and co-ops will allow me to think about what depth area best suits me.

Summer Plans

This summer I will have the opportunity to watch and evaluate cardiac treatment for two weeks in a clinical environment during the Cardiovascular Maymester. I plan to experience directly how biomedical engineering affects patient care while working with patients and clinical personnel, shadowing doctors, and networking with members of the biomedical industry. The program was established in 2014 and is made feasible by the close collaboration between the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and IU Health Methodist Hospital. I believe this program will provide me with biomedical engineering experiences such as familiarizing myself with biomedical equipment, the biomedical engineering (BME) design process, and the clinical setting. The BME design process will methodically guide me in identifying the important and unmet biomedical needs of today and developing effective solutions. Clinical exposure is important to me because it will validate my career interest. This will allow me to learn from clinical professionals in the field. It is key to understand Indiana’s healthcare challenges because the focus of BME is to improve health and health care for individuals. This program will help fulfill my goal of obtaining a career in medicine by exposing me to several aspects of BME such as the equipment, design process, and clinical setting.

Progress

So far, I have learned about diabetes mellitus particularly type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Along with that, I explored how diabetic ketoacidosis goes with diabetes mellitus. I believe this knowledge will help me with my career goals because diabetes is a major disabling and deadly disease that is important to understand in order to improve diabetes treatment. I feel like I could potentially do a biomedical engineering project on DKA and type 1 diabetes in the upcoming years with the knowledge I'm currently gaining from this internship site.

This winter break, I searched and applied for summer internships related to biomedical engineering. I plan on expanding my knowledge of biomedical equipment in radiology. This spring I'm currently participating in a peer mentor class for biomechanics. I help the students with homework, and questions that they have for that class. The peer-mentor class will help strengthen my communication and team-building skills to use in the biomedical industry. By this time next year, I will find an internship that I'm interested in for the school year. I want to find an internship that is related to biomedical engineering. I plan on applying using LinkedIn and Handshake. Along with that, I want to maintain a gpa of around 3.8 by this time next year.

My internship has confirmed my goal to stick to the biomedical engineering industry after completing the five-years master's program at IUPUI. I don't think I would be interested in doing research in biomedical engineering as a career. I feel like I like to work in a team and develop prototypes for biomedical engineering equipment. I'm pretty confident in using my self-knowledge and preferences to make career-related decisions because I feel like I would rather do what interests me in the long term. I have done several internships related to biomedical engineering that differ from clinical exposure to research, and now I believe the industry will be the best fit for my skills.

Professional Goals

I believe communication is the most important transferable skill to have that will contribute to my internship site and career. When mentioning communication strength, I’m referring to the oral, written, and visual aspects. I remember when I had to be the brave one last semester in calculus 2 to ask questions to my professor because I was confused with his answer compared to mine. After my professor went through the steps of solving the equation, I realized that my answer was correct, but it was more simplified. Asking questions, helped clarify my understanding of the chapter’s lectures. Along with that, at Target, I sometimes must reach out to my team leader in a written manner to adjust my schedule for work. I always remember to use appropriate and respectful language because I want the other individual to feel the same when I speak with them verbally.

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