Lydia Peterson ePortfolio - Successes and Challenges

Successes

Being able to access RedCap and Cerner--> learned how to use applications that are used to analyze research and findings
Gaining a fix understanding of my career goals after LHSI--> I know more clearly what I want to do after college, I am pursuing Hematology and Oncology studies after undergraduate. Before LHSI, I was unsure of the specialization I was interested in. Being in this internship made me realize how much passion I have for Blood cancers and disorders.
Attending professional developmental events close to my research area--->I have learned the importance of attending events to get a better understand of research and career pathways that I am interested in pursuing. This year I got the blessed opportunity to attend the National Conference for Undergraduates for my research project. I was honored to get to connect with schools on the West Coast and to present my research project.
Gaining more communication skills-->I have learned how to communicate with my fellow interns, supervisors, etc in my internship and it has made me more clear and efficient when it comes to communicating to anyone
Being a more effective student-->I have learned how to balance being a college student, researcher, intern, mentor, and a lot more~. I will carry this with me as I walk into my junior year of college

Challenges

Navigating Cerner's verification requirements--> Cerner can be challenging because it contains sensitive data regarding patient's medical history, so in order to access it you must go through extensive verification which can be extensive. Navigating that part of my internship was the hardest, but I reached out for help when it was needed.
Managing my time with school and internship--> I do a lot on campus and have other activities I am involved in; being in LHSI was a challenge at first because I was balancing a lot while being a full-time student. I have learned how to balance my time to make sure I am able to make time for all my commitments.
The feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed--> With all the stuff I was balancing, I was stressed with all the tasks that were on my hands. I still deal with this and this is something I am still working on to improve. Currently, I try to do all my work ahead of time such as doing it all throughout Monday through Thursday so by Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (especially Sunday), I am not stressing out trying to do homework or study. Also, not being as afraid to fail.
Sometimes feeling lost and feeling like I am not doing enough--> I am still working on this challenge, recently I have been trying to overcome the feeling of alienation by realizing that I am on my own time not others. And, reminding myself that no path is ever linear. Also, reaching out to people if those feelings ever get to intense.