Throughout this summer, the Health Sciences Research Fellowship has taught me so much, and opened many doors for future opportunities. My understanding of research was heavily impacted throughout the summer, mainly focusing on the impact that research can have. This summer, I learned that research is a dynamic field, containing all fields. Particularly in the Health Sciences, I learned that research is dynamic, and does not always go to plan.
I felt the most valuable part of the Health Sciences Research Fellowship was learning about how to make an impactful statement regarding our research. One can easily get caught up in the jargon of their field, I know I have been guilty of that before. However, even within the health field, simplifying your research to make it understandable makes it even more impactful. Finding metaphors and anecdotes to describe your work or asking big picture questions is also critical to draw attention to your work, and keep the listeners engaged. I learned about incorporating purpose, problem, and significance statements, and how these three things differ from one another. This will help me set clear goals for my research before, during, and after my experiments.
As for what’s next – who knows! Like many within the Health Science Research Fellowship program, I am debating a career in the medical field. The late summer and following fall semester I will be shadowing many of UPMC’s great physicians, to try to aid me in my decision on whether medical school is the right place for me. Additionally, I will take the knowledge I gained from this fellowship into other aspects of my life, using my improved abilities in my other activities, such as my volunteering, my academics, and my professional clubs. I will use the theories taught in the fellowship, such as the impact of figures of speech, throughout these activities, and I am sure they will help me along the way!
As for my research, I look forward to continuing my journey at the Lin Lab. I will continue to develop this research project, as well as develop my other innovative projects, under my PI, Dr. Hang Lin. I look forward to seeing my research progress as I dive further into my research career and see whether research is the path I choose to stay on in my future endeavors!
All in all, I look forward to what the future hold for me and thank the Health Sciences Research Fellowship for giving me opportunities to investigate my future career and build upon my skills. I would like to thank Brett Say, for running this program, as well as my peers in the Health Sciences Research Fellowship, for their kindness throughout the summer.
