Goals

Internship Goals


  • Develop interpersonal skills in professional settings.

The best way to work towards this goal is by asking questions when confused, don't be afraid to interact with everyone, and observe the job and do hands on work to gain practice. As a pre-professional, its very important to me that I continue to improve my communication skills. When I become a doctor someday, I must effectively communicate with my coworkers and patients, especially if I am in a high stress situation, such as an ER.

My supervisors have been kind enough to introduce me to their colleagues, so I have learned more about other research projects in the IU medicine pulmonary division, as well as some of the need-to-knows when it comes to research and medical school.

  • Learn about new tools and lab techniques.

Always practicing the techniques before doing the experiment, and remembering to study the lab protocols that are handed out can be beneficial to achieving this goal. Observing experiments that are conducted, and remembering to ask questions are also crucial. Using my knowledge from my coursework, and vice versa, can help me succeed in both the lab and my academic studies.

Within the first couple weeks of the internship I have gotten acquainted with Flow Cytometry, and I have also learned how to use different staining techniques on cells.

  • Learn about the immune system and how it ties into what we are studying

The complete this goal I will ask questions about our experiments and read up on the purpose of them. I will also watch videos and read about the immune system, and then try to relate what I learn back to what is happening in lab.

So far, I have had the opportunity to complete a few experiments, and learned how we are able to identify some white blood cells through microscopy work and biomarkers.

Career Goals

My current academic and career goals consist of completing my bachelors degree in biology by May of 2024, and then continuing on to medical school. I have always been very passionate about science and medicine, and I decided in my senior year of high school that I wanted to pursue medicine as a career path. Two classes that really peaked my interest in medicine was a biomedical science class and AP Biology. The teacher I had for both classes was very influential, and no other classes had interested me as much as these did.

Starting college during a pandemic as a biology major on a pre-med track was more challenging than I originally thought. I struggled a lot with the coursework and the heavy load, but I reminded myself that with lots of self-discipline and determination I could make it. Even though I succeeded and all my classes freshman year, my confidence was still shaken. I regularly doubt myself about my ability to get into medical school and succeed as a doctor. Whenever this happens, I remind myself why I am so passionate about this field of study and why I love it so much. With lots of hard work, my performance in school and passion for medicine will continue to prove that I am cut out to be a doctor.


https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/why-is-a-medical-expert-called-a-physician

To test if I am truly cut out for medical school, I continuously challenge myself with difficult coursework and a fast paced environment. So far, I haven't failed yet. I hope to keep exposing myself to different environments related to medicine in order to determine if this is what I truly want. I would like to take more classes throughout my undergraduate career related to medicine. I would also like to earn another internship role at some later time in my academic career. Most importantly, I want to get real life clinical experience that isn't just part of a lab. I'm hoping that within the next year I can become a certified EMT or CNA so I can continue to help people while also gaining clinical experience.


These last two semesters have provided me lots of valuable time to reflect on what I want to do in the future. Although I am still interested in becoming a physician, I have taken a new interest in medical research. I think I would like to work with an M.D. in the future, or even conduct my own research as a physician. To achieve this I need to worry about medical school first. Starting this summer I will be preparing for the MCAT and researching lots of medical schools. I will be compiling a list of what I want in an institution, and I will determine my top choices for my education.

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While doing that, I will continue to build on my knowledge and skills. In fact, this summer I will be studying abroad in Denmark and Scotland. There, I will study under many Danish physicians, and I will learn a lot about diseases, treatments, diagnoses, biotechnology, and drug development. Not only will this opportunity broaden my scope of knowledge, but it will allow me to develop a very valuable trait that medical professionals require. In submerging myself in a completely new environment with a new culture, I will learn about different perspectives, practice my ability to adapt to change, and work through differences and conflicts with other people. In order to be a good doctor, I have to master these skills, so I hope that with my study abroad program I can train in these.

After this year I would like to do more research to get a better idea of what I want to do after graduation. Although I am a pre-med student, I would like to continue learning about the different research opportunities, primarily medical research. I believe that now, more than ever, I am a little uncertain about where I want my career path to go. I enjoyed research so much that I may want to continue participating in it. These decision can be very overwhelming as they can set the stage for your future success. I hope that with time I will come to a more confident and final decision. Who know, maybe I will decide to become a physician participating in research like many other doctors today!

Short Term Goals

For the next year I have a few small goals that I need to accomplish in order to get into medical school. Starting this summer I need to get study materials for the MCAT. In the fall I will take a practice exam to test my baseline knowledge. I also plan to get some clinical experience in the summer and fall by applying to become a medical scribe. Then, towards the end of the fall semester I want to start planning my medical school applications. Throughout the spring semester I will continue to study for the MCAT up until I take the test at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. As I am achieving all of this I hope to maintain a GPA average of 3.7 or above, and I want to get an MCAT score of 214 or above.