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All About My Internship!
All About My Internship!
Pediatric and Adolescent Comparative Effectiveness Research
Pediatric and Adolescent Comparative Effectiveness Research
Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology
Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology
This research team researches type 1 and type 2 diabetes. My role is to confirm data. I analyze medical records of patients, and I pull certain data such as the A1C, type of diabetes, BMI numbers, and autoantibodies in diabetes. The goal is to treat and prevent high numbers of patients with diabetes.
Abstract
Abstract
My project showcases trends that were seen in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) relating to 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. My project encompasses patients who were admitted due to DKA in the past year. I analyzed different parameters in the patient population. This included gender, age at DKA presentation, years of T1D dx, the primary reason for DKA, an technology use, among others. By extracting these values and analyzing this data, we can better understand any common factors, that can help guide improved prevention strategies. Our overall goal is to reduce the number of patients who present with DKA.
Why I chose LHSI?
Why I chose LHSI?
I chose to apply and participate in Life-Health Sciences Internship Program because I wanted to expand my learning related to biomedical engineering. I wanted to find connections that my workplace has to my field of interest. When I saw that the internship site related to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, it sparked my interest because I have some family that is affected by this condition. I want to learn more in detail about this condition and ways of prevention.
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectations vs. Reality
Before starting LHSI, I thought it would be a lot of work with all my course load. I was scared that my grades might drop because I didn't give as much time to studying as wanted. I realized that my internship site is very flexible, and I can notify them when I have exams. I really like how this internship is something different than coursework for me to do after college ends on the weekdays.
Learning and Skills
Learning and Skills
I used my communication and teamwork skills to help me throughout this internship. I expressed and adapted the information to diverse audiences across formats and settings. I communicated and worked productively with others to help improve the quality of work. I built my integration and application skill. I learned how to better apply previous information and concepts to new situations and settings. This skill is crucial to my future because when working in the biomedical industry, companies expect efficient communication, and teamwork to help solve problems that arise the way of a design or project.
Throughout this year, I used the skill of independence. I was able to plan and perform tasks independently and arrange necessary help and resources independently. I used a sheet that has tips and tricks to confirm data when I forget something. I would like to continue to work on integration and application. I would like to apply previously understood information, concepts, and experiences to new situations or settings in future internships and courses. I will express and adapt the information to help me develop more skills.
My contributions impacted the goals of my internship team because I helped extract information and values from patient records which were used to analyze common factors among patients with diabetes. The goal was to reduce the number of patients with high levels of diabetes. After finishing the number of medical records assigned to me individually, I felt better about myself, because the values that I extract could lead to potential conclusions and comparsions.
From this internship, I learned how to do data extraction and explore backgrounds to gain knowledge about diabetes and patients. This helped me understand the findings in detail, and I was able to apply my problem-solving skills. I can use the skills I gained in analyzing data and papers to help me understand biomedical data, and conditions that have biomedical equipment as an option for patients. By familiarizing myself with biomedical data, I used certain trends and conditions in patients to help me choose the specific research I would want to focus on.
I would've liked to go into the clinic sometime to observe patients and meet medical professionals. I feel like this would've helped me get familiar with the medical setting, and get insight into the medical technologies that are used in the clinic. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go into the clinic. The process of observation is crucial to science. When the experiment's outcomes are contrary to what I expected, it nevertheless allows me to perceive them. It enables me to observe unexpected items in the surroundings that seek my curiosity and inspire new experimentation. This can help me in the future by allowing me to explore the problems that hospitals and medical professionals face which can be solved through biomedical equipment.
My internship helped me gain a deeper understanding of my coursework because I know that in my future biomedical engineering classes, it's useful to be familiar with the terminology of medicine. Along with that, it allowed me to learn about the different drugs and their use which can help me grasp the benefits and harms of short-term versus long-term usage. A potential project I can work on in one of my classes for biomedical is researching a specific drug that I want to explore more in detail. My favorite experience is when I started working on the type 2 diabetes registry. I like how I have found different numbers and answers in the medical records. It made me think, and learn about the various meanings behind medical terms.
The Workplace
The Workplace
As a professional and teammate, I want to be able to confront challenges and failures. I want to use the tools and resources available when faced with a challenge. I would like to risk failure and understand failure as a step on the road to success.
I have learned that everyone has different priorities. It's important to prioritize tasks based on deadline, and importance. Also, everybody works at their own pace and time of day. Some prefer to work with music, while others like silence when working. Personally, I like working earlier in the day because that's when I had the most energy, and I tend to get more things done. By learning that everyone has different priorities and working styles, I will know the work environment I prefer in the future. I originally thought that my internship experience might be overwhelming with all the coursework I have completed, but I have realized that my internship has been a nice break from college and homework. It allows me to think outside of my core courses.
I feel like ever since I have been engaging and working with people who have perspectives and backgrounds that are different from mine, I have learned many different things. For instance, I was able to format my excel sheet in a professional and easier way with the help of Dr. Neyman. She explained to me how using numerical values for answers is easier to translate and read for the analysis software. Along with that, I always have curious questions about how certain aspects of my project work, and it's engaging to listen to their response to my questions. I have learned that there is always something behind the way it is organized. Personally, I have grown a lot as a professional. I now know how to communicate better with professionals, and I hope to continue to grow in my interactions part with professionals.
I feel like the workplace culture and values at my internship is the way I would like my ideal workplace culture. Every office in my internship has pictures of family or friends and personal decorations. I love to walk by and look at the different cultural decorations that some professionals have on the outside of their offices.
Successes and Challenges
Successes and Challenges
I felt successful as an intern when I realized that my pace of data extraction was increasing, and I finished before the deadline. I feel like practice helped me increase my speed. It was the same values and answers that I was looking for in each medical record, so I got used to finding the information in familiar spots. I remember I used to pace myself, and measure how many records I can get done before the end of the day. I feel like it varied depending on how tired I was that day, or sometimes it can be hard to locate a value or date needed.
A key success that I had over winter break was being able to do a literature review on diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis. I feel like I was overwhelmed at first because there is so much to learn about DKA and how diabetes connects, but once I started reading a few articles, I found it very interesting to read the statistics and lab experiments. The literature review will now help me with the project that I will be presenting in April.
A challenging part of my experience is when I first started the type 2 diabetes registry. My supervisor wanted me to try to work on it independently for a day, and then the next day he would walk me through it step by step. I had a hard time locating some dates, and values I needed to extract. I wrote all my questions on a post-it note at the end of the day. It caused me frustration and confusion when I couldn't find what I was looking for. I tried my best to find as much information as possible, and I navigated through the medical records to explore new sections that could potentially have the values I needed. The following day, after I got my questions answered, I felt a lot more confident in finding what I needed. In the future, I plan on having a small notebook and jotting down any questions I have to ask the following day at my internship site. This helps me stay organized, and I won't forget to get clarification on something I'm confused or frustrated about.
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