Hi! My name is Ria Karwande and I am an upcoming Junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am studying Biological Sciences, with a minor in Chemistry, and two certificates in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine and Global Health. I am on the pre-medicine track, and hope to go to medical school to become a physician and more specifically a neonatologist. Outside of academics I am heavily involved in campus organizations. I am particularly interested in philanthropy and serve as the Director of Membership for Pitt Dance Marathon, as well as, the Vice President of Development for American Cancer Society at Pitt. I am also a Food Recovery leader, and a member of the Pre-Medical Fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon.

When entering college I knew that I wanted to participate in a study abroad experience. I had heard wonderful things from peers and my sister gained a lot from her study abroad experience. As I researched the various opportunities to study abroad I found that the summer sessions best fit my schedule and allowed me to stay heavily involved in my clubs throughout the year. I then looked into the different summer programs Pitt offers. I knew that I wanted a longer experience as many of the countries offered I have gotten the opportunity to travel to. Therefore, I wanted an experience where I could feel what it was like to live in a new country. When looking through the programs the Honors College ones continued to catch my eye as they were created for specific majors. I wasn’t sure which program I wanted to apply to but then an Honors College advisor talked to my Honors Organic Chemistry 1 class. The advisor explained all the programs, but the London program stuck out to me. She explained how it was a great opportunity to work as an intern in London over a long period of time. I then decided that the London pre-health internship was the program I wanted to apply to and attend.

Throughout this process I hope to learn more about the various healthcare systems in the world, and specifically how they differ from the United States. Through my global health courses I have learned about a variety of healthcare systems and this internship gives me the ability to see on firsthand. I also hope to get more experience in a hospital setting, and to learn from the professionals inside the hospital. I will be interning in the Speech and Language Pathology office. As of right now I am not very knowledgable in this subject, but I hope by the end of these eight weeks I have gained many insights into this field.

A challenge I think I might face is finding my place in my intern position within the hospital. The hospital has so many moving parts and often times they may not have specific jobs for an intern. But I hope through showing initiate and a willingness to learn, I can find my place within the Speech and Language Pathology office and be helpful to those around me. In doing so I think that I will be able to learn and gain the most from this experience.

I can’t wait to meet many new people, travel to new places, and learn more about the world around me. I will update you in the weeks to come about my journey in London!