My Internship

The ALLFTD study, which is a longitudinal frontotemproal lobar degenerative disease, prioritizes the long-term changes that memory has in individuals. They are researching this to understand how the brain changes and what research should be completed next.

Everyone here on the team is good at communication and flexibility. If there is a problem that needs to be solved or even just discussed, then there is no hesitation in seeking out each other. Whereas, I have a lot of hesitation for fear of bothering others, though I do end up asking questions. There are a lot of things that come up randomly in the office like surprise patients or missing information that needs to be dealt with. The people here show a lot of flexibility with things that arise, which is something I admire.
When I started my internship, I thought it was going to be more structured. I know that I strive in environments that are very structured, so there was a need for adaptation. Throughout college, it has been hard for me to push myself because college is heavy on you to create a structure that allows you to succeed and this internship requires the same type of drive. When I started work here, it was hard for me to communicate my needs or wants like needing help with something, wanting to shadow Dr. Clark, needing more work to do, etc.
I have learned more about communication with people of different education levels and backgrounds. Knowing everyone knows more about the study than I can be a little intimidating, but the key is to keep asking questions. It can be hard to hold a conversation about a topic you don't know a lot about, so our conversations about the study are usually just me asking a bunch of questions. My goals have certainly been changed by the different perspectives and experience of my coworkers. Until the end of my internship, I found myself not able to make conversations with coworkers. Due to my own social anxiety, and the intimidation of a new environment. I tend to freeze up and only focus on the work, which doesn't lead to many fun conversations or even sharing of ideas. I want to continue growing this adaptability skill, so I can be comfortable enough to make a good impression on people.
This internship was more laid back. There would be times where everyone would straighten up a little and really focus, but most days it was more "Put your headphones in and do what you need to do." I would say that I strive under stricter management, but this internship has also shown me that it is important to be able to not have everything laid out in front of you. Sometimes I'd come into the office and there would be nothing for me to do, this spring semester I started to make projects for myself. Goals that I wanted to accomplish for the office and the tasks I had to do to get there. It allowed my leadership abilities to grow even if I was leading only a one man team.

Project Summary

My team at my internship site focuses on a longitudinal frontotemporal lobar degenerative disease study (FTD). Essentially, this study gathers research on memory changes and the long-term effects that it has on individuals. Almost 10% of US adults over the age of 65 are diagnosed with dementia. With this, 2-10% of those with dementia are diagnosed with FTD. This study only enrolls those with sporadic diagnosis, those with a genetic mutation, or those who are first-degree relatives of those with a genetic mutation. The focused nature of this study aims for a better understanding of the dementia and contributes valuable insight to the progression and potential intervention. I've contributed to the research by carrying the responsibility of data organization as well as administrative support. My role so far has been to organize and prepare data from patient information examinations and forms to aid in the efficiency of this study.
The goal of this project is to peer under the term of dementia, inform the audience on what exactly FTD is, and discuss the ALLFTD study. I hope this summary and infographic provide you with a clearer understanding of FTD and highlight the significance of the ongoing research in the study.

Internship Skills

One skill I hope to gain would be developing vital soft skills. Developing these soft skills prior to my future career as a PA allows me to succeed faster in my career. These skills will also help me develop stronger relationships with the community. Another skill I hope to gain would be building a wide network. Doing this would allow me to expand my knowledge within healthcare, promote me to build my resume, and open opportunities within the internship. Lastly, a skill I would like gain knowledge within the disorder. Being able to learn about this disease will help in my future in learning about an uncommon disease. Coming into this internship, I hope to transfer my leadership skills that I have received from holding leadership positions in clubs at IUI. Also, I am aiming to bring my communication skills from these leadership positions and from previous work experiences to this internship.
One of the main goals of this internship is to understand the brain changes. Being able to understand and point out symptoms of this disease will help the providers and researchers with recognizing symptoms in the early or moderate stages.
Throughout my time as an intern, I have been a proactive member and willing to do the small tasks. With this study including many neurological exams, patient forms, and revitalizing the study's support group, keeping all of this information organized is essential. At the beginning of the internship, I was assigned smaller tasks, which I completed both individually and with other staff members. As the year progressed, I have been able to do mostly independent work, while collaborating with staff on certain tasks. Pertaining to the larger mission of this team, I have contributed administrative support and provided new ideas. I was responsible for coordinating and aid in managing patient records. With these tasks, all help improve the efficiency of this study.

Success & Challenges

Successes:

One time I have felt successful as an intern would be the first time I correctly completed an information binder by myself for patients. I had been working with another staff member on organizing and creating these, but doing it myself made me feel like I could do more things on my own. Another time I felt successful was reading research articles about the study. Since this study is very small, not many patients are seen per year, so finding information elsewhere to better understand when patients do visit are vital. One action I took was to research and find research papers on this study.

In my later times in the internship, I was able to shadow a patient visit and sit in on their neurological examination. This moment made me feel included at the study and uplifted my confidence in the tasks I was completing. From this success, I can use the information that I learned from the examination, patient-worker interaction, and diction of medical terminology.

Challenges:

One challenging part of this internship was learning how to best organize and put together the patient binders. Though the study does not have many patients per year, the amount of information and keeping the information accurate and up-to-date is important. Another challenging part of this internship was starting back up a support group for this study. This was difficult starting back up since meetings that we do host for the support group have to be approved by staff members and a provider has to be presenting for the meeting. Balancing the two and finding the best date/time to have a meeting has been difficult. One thing I can do is communicate earlier with staff members on dates that we can host a meeting for the group.

The biggest challenge that I occurred during my time as an intern is time management. As a college student, balancing school, social life, work, and this internship is a struggle, but I eventually found a good balance. I even took a few days off to focus on exams when one was coming up to prioritize my grades.

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