Name: Anne Meyer
Class Year: 2023
Major: Biology
Hometown: Boston, MA
Internship Organization: Mass General Hospital, Radiation Oncology
Job Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Location: Boston, MA
What’s happening at your internship?
My internship is a self designed research and clinical experience working with Dr. Helen Shih, a radiation oncologist. I have access to multiple research projects that I am able to explore and choose to pursue as I want. I also shadow Dr. Shih and her team in the clinic. I have already received so much invaluable experience both in clinical and research settings. In the clinic I get an in-depth look at patient care, from prepping for an appointment, to discussing options, treatment, and follow ups. I have learned so much about radiation oncology and about how to approach patients.
I have looked at many research projects and have spoken with research coordinators about all of them. I learned about the clinical research process and what questions are still being asked in medicine. A project I was particularly interested in and will pursue this summer is a survey about social determinants of healthcare.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I am a pre-med student and I was specifically looking for clinical or research work this summer. As I prepare for life after graduation I want to focus on increasing my clinical experience and research. I was particularly interested in Dr. Shih’s work since she has a vast number of research projects ranging in topics and an incredible focus on patient care. I reached out to her to see if I could intern with her over the summer and I was fortunate that she was able to have me this summer.
Can you talk about the skills you are learning and why they are important to you?
I chose this internship this summer for the specific skills and experiences I would gain that would translate well to my future as a medical professional. In the clinic I have learned how to use different patient care applications, I have familiarized myself with MRI scans, and have begun to learn how hospitals operate and the different jobs everyone works. Working in a hospital setting is unique to any other job, so having experience now will help me succeed in the future.
Research is also an important skill I am actively working on learning more about. Clinical research has many steps and understanding how it works will help read and understand other studies and participate in my own. I was able to meet with clinical research coordinators working in the same department and they taught me how to use the many online databases I might have to use, and important skills for organizing a vast amount of information and schedules. If I continue with any research in the future, especially in a clinical setting, I will be doing these same procedures so being able to have someone teach me now was incredibly helpful.
What is most rewarding about your internship?
One of the most rewarding parts of my internship so far has been getting to know patients and following them during their treatment. Most courses of radiation treatment last six weeks and during that time I would have the opportunity to see the patient each week. This gave me the opportunity to follow a patient's experience from start to finish, and to get to know them in the process. It was so rewarding to slowly build a relationship with patients and see them through their treatment. It was amazing to walk into a patient's room and have them happy to see me.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.