Learning Goal #1: How to perform in vitro cell culture analysis for diabetic research
1. Take the time to work with a supervisor to learn cell culture technique
2. Conduct literature search to list for a number of activators that can be used to increase angiogenic functions of endothelial cells.
3. Design a method to encapsulate angiogenic activators for a wound dressing preparation.
Goal reached!
Learning Goal #2: Learn the proper methods in which research is done (lab techniques, online research, and gain independence in the lab)
1. Learn how to conduct a sterile cell culture experiment.
2. Learn how to maintain and treat endothelial cells for functional experiments.
3. Acquire skills on how to record findings in the lab notebook.
Goal reached!
Learning Goal #3: Learn to properly analyze scientific information and explain findings to others
1. Know the importance on what should be done to make a null hypothesis
2. Study the different statistical tests that I should apply when I am comparing two or more conditions.
3. Familiarize myself with skills on how to make a good presentation to explain my findings to the broader audience.
Goal reached!
Looking off of these goals, in the past Fall 2022 semester, I have better understood and almost mastered Learning goal #2 entirely. This semester, I really focused on cell culturing because it is the most efficient way to perform in vitro analysis of cells. I participated in cell culture for both my school lab and my internship site. Doing cell culture for both of these helped me better understand cell culture in terms of how to properly do, what the steps are, and the significance of cell culture and what the cells can further be used for. Taking notes on the subject really helped me look back and connect all of the knowledge and aided in my understanding of cell culture. As for Learning goal #1, I did learn all about cell culture techniques and am currently continuing with understanding which sort of activators can help boost healing and also how they can be implemented into wound dressings. Lastly, Learning goal #3 is not one I have touched with much because it involves explain my finders to others. This is a goal I hope to reach so that I am better prepared for the end of the year showcase. I have been adding notes into my notebook and also have presented a few short presentations to my supervisor of a couple smaller lab techniques. Doing this has helped me better prepare how to present my findings, but I am not exactly ready to explain findings to a broader audience. With this being said, I hope to master Learning goal #1 shortly, and really focus on Learning Goal #3 for this upcoming Spring 2023 semester.
I can officially say that I have reached all of the goals that I had set for myself! I had completed goal #2 during the Fall semester and touched on goal #3 previously. Now that it is time for me to present my showcase, I have reached goal #3! Goal #1 was worked on all year long and at the end of my internship, I understand the importance of notetaking. taking notes helped me make calculations, write down procedure steps, and take notes of online research that was relevant to my lab work. Taking notes greatly helped me stay organized and helped me stay on top of things. My notes greatly aided in my understanding of concepts and techniques. I like having my notes handy because I can always refer back to them and solve any unknown questions. In the future, I hope to use the goals I have learned and apply them to my professional job or my classes. Presentation is a key skill needed in any job and my experience in LHSI definitely made me better at it.
My current career goals include continuing to get good grades, learn and apply the knowledge I am being taught in school, and continuing to work in this lab and learn a great deal about the different lab techniques. As a biomedical engineer, I acquire the skill of problem solving which is done through applying previous knowledge to new circumstances. With this in mind, I hope to use the knowledge I learned in school and my site to future internships that I hope to get. I possibly want to continue to work in this lab even after LHSI my senior year and get hired by my supervisor.
My future career goals include getting an internship under a company during this upcoming summer. I hope to get an internship to get a better feel of the industry work place and also figure out what I really want to do. I hope that this internship will offer me a job when I graduate and also teach me a lot about my field and what I need to expect in the future. Moreover, if I feel like my masters is needed, I will get my masters through the 5 year masters program offered at IUPUI. With this, I will get my masters after completing one additional year after my undergrad.
I chose this as my path because I believe this works best for an engineer like me. Engineering is very hands on and I think that starting to get into the professional field early on will help me expand my knowledge and skills. I am very certain that this is the career path that I want to take because I have thought this over so many times and also talked to professionals and sought out what they recommend. I think outside input really helped me figure out what I plan to do in the future. Additionally, I have really loved working in this lab and I hope to continue to work here after LHSI because I am confident in my learning and the post doctors working in my lab with me are doing an exceptional job teaching me everything. I already feel like I have learned a great deal working in here for the past 3 months.
Overall, the goals that I had for after graduation did not change. I do still plan to work under a professional company for manufacturing after I graduate. As I said before, I am still not sure if I want to get my masters or not. I hope to talk to a professional biomedical engineer and get their input because I think it would be best to know if a masters in such a already specific field is needed or not. The progress that I have made is that I have started looking at internship opportunities for myself for this upcoming summer. I have already applied to a few jobs and am hoping to get an internship soon. I have also decided on what classes I want to take my senior year of undergrad and those included many graduate level classes, making it easier for me to eventually get my masters in one extra semester. I am also very proud of how far i have come in my site. I can proudly say that I am fully learning lab techniques like cell culture and Immunohistochemistry and am able to do them without any help. I am also closer to getting to fully know the other techniques as well. This journey has been exciting for me so far and I hope to eventually apply the knowledge that I have learned in my site to a professional job one day.
My overall career goal is to eventually work under a professional biomedical engineering or any medical device company for long term and work my way up from there, specifically for biomaterials manufacturing. The best way to start this journey is to break it down into steps. To start, it is needed for my resume and LinkedIn profile to be updated. Throughout this year and last semester, I have fully updated my resume and fixed my LinkedIn as much as I could. Moving on, I have also applied to a few summer internships for this upcoming summer and am waiting for a response. It is important for me to get an internship now as an undergrad so that when I graduate and get my masters, I am very likely to be re-hired under the company that I previously interned for. I really hope to get any opportunity because doing this will bring me super close to my goal. I have been struggling with properly searching up job opportunities, but I hope to continue to find more and apply to them. Additional to this, I hope to have gone through several interviews and possibly have an internship secured by the end of this spring semester. About this time next year, I should be on my last semester of school and plan to take graduate level classes as an undergrad so that I can get a big head start.
For this upcoming summer and my remaining time here at IUPUI, my more general career goals are to continue to apply to internships as this semester goes on, and to complete an internship to get industry experience during the summer. By doing this, I will be able to get a head start on my professional career because participating in an internship under an engineering company will give me the industry experience that I need, will help me figure out my likes and dislikes about the professional world, will help me decide on what I want to do as a professional, might ensure me for a future full time position under that company after graduation, and lastly will help me determine if I want to get my masters directly after undergrad or later on.
So far, my LHSI internship has influenced my career journey because it has enabled me to communicate professionally, commit to deadline orientated work, be presented with a problem and work towards a solution with previous knowledge, and exposed me to a professional work environment where co-worker dynamic is needed. This internship has shown me that I am adaptable and am a quick learner when it comes to both visual and hands-on learning when doing all of the lab techniques. The work done in this lab has proven to me that I will be quick in adapting to industry work. I have also been taught things by other undergrad interns, as well as taught and explained concepts to others. This has helped me become a better learner and also made me feel like I expanded my leadership skills. Additional to this, I have also been presenting powerpoints of my work and biology concepts to my supervisor, making me get more confident and comfortable with researching and presenting my findings. As an engineer and professional in general, I will be required and expected to present a weekly presentation of what I learned, what I got done, or what I plan to do when presenting an idea to a larger team. Overall, my internship has helped me build confidence in myself as a professional and has better prepared me for the expectations and requirements of the professional world.
In terms of career making decisions, I feel very moderately confident in myself due to many factors. I feel confident in the aspect of I know what I want to specialize in, what kind of company I want to work under, and that I want to do industry in engineering. Where I struggle is figuring out how I can apply my specialties to industry, and also what my plans are after graduation in terms of getting my masters or going straight to industry. I do have the option of receiving my masters right after undergrad in just one year, or I can work in a company after graduation, get money and experience, figure out what I want to master in, and then have them pay for my masters. The only problem is that I am uncertain if I will get an internship under a company for industry this summer and I am afraid I will not find a job. I am also afraid that I will get my one year masters in Biomedical Engineering and then realize that I wanted to master in something else. I believe that to help my uncertainties, I need to talk to multiple professionals with the same degree as mine so I can get similar yet different inputs on what to do. With this being said, there are certain aspects in which I am confident, and certain aspects that I am not confident in when making career- related decisions.
During my internship so far, I have learned many lab techniques and the basics of how research is done. It was nothing that I expected and I discovered how complicated and time consuming research can be. When I look at all of the professional post docs that I work with, I see all of the hard work, time, and dedication they put into their work. Working it this site has definitely taught me what I have wanted so far. I am so glad to have learned many biology related lab techniques that I was never taught before. I have also learned the use and the meaning of these techniques which has helped me expand my knowledge in research.
After graduation, I still plan to either get my masters in biomedical engineering or get some additional work experience under a company. My post graduation goals have not changed much since applying to LHSI, but participating in LHSI has definitely taught me many skills that I can use as a professional in the future that help me with my long term goals. Learning basic professional skills, experiencing what a professional workplace feels like, and examining professionals do their daily tasks at work have all helped me better understand what it is to be a professional. I have also been taught things about myself such as I am a fast learner when I have interest in something, I am a good listener, and I am not afraid to ask questions.
Since applying to this internship, I have not been active in any other organizations, but I have continued my TA position for Calculus III. I hope to be more involved with clubs this semester as I said I would in my application questions. As for my internship site, I have been going consistently this semester and learning new things every week. I have been able to connect the material I learn in my courses to what is done in my internship site, which has helped me gain better insight in connecting my knowledge and experiences together.