Current student, Alex Okpoyo, shared the following about being a Summer Intern at Tufts Medical Center…
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
This summer I worked closely with a cardiologist at the Tufts Medical Center to analyse 125 cardiac MRIs. Our goal was to get a significant amount of values from these MRI’s to see if there was any correlation to the patient’s genotype. Luckily we were able to analyse all of the data during the summer and submit an abstract to a journal.
How did you find this internship?
I found the internship through reaching out to researchers at the medical center. After meeting with my PI over roughly six months he proposed this project and I began learning how to read Cardiac MR.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
One aspect of the internship that I enjoyed the most was being around doctors and being able to inadvertently shadow the patient care and the process through which it happens. I was able to learn about a myriad of cardiac diseases and treatments. More importantly I saw the effort and determination with which they approached every case.
What did you find challenging?
The most challenging aspect of my internship was the initial training. It felt like no matter what I did, what I produced was always different to my supervisors. There are also not a lot of resources for reading Cardiac MRIs, so it was largely through trial and error. I kept trying and eventually I got the hang of it, and was able to read the images independently.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
I would say try to take on board as much advice as you can, essentially become a ‘sponge’. Every professional has a wealth of knowledge and are always willing to share it with people who are willing to listen and learn. I also think a large part of this internship was relationship building. I was able to meet great people who helped me throughout the summer. So, relationship building and trying to take in as much advice as possible are my two main points.
