talking to patients, getting used to a hospital setting, practicing nursing skills
What I wish was different
nothing. i love my job
Advice
if you are a nursing student, get a CNA job immediately after sophomore year as it greatly helps you later in college throughout clinical
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Clinical Research Assistant
May - August 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The mentors I had were enthusiastic about teaching me medicine and research in a hospital setting. They loved to see me learn; they pushed me out of my comfort zone, but not beyond my capabilities.
What I wish was different
Being new to clinical research, sometimes the direction I was given was unclear. I had to figure out how to do some things on my own, which involved some trial and error. In terms of learning from mistakes, this was beneficial. However, tasks often took longer with this "trial and error" approach and would have gone more smoothly had I known exactly what was expected of me.
Advice
Don't be afraid to mess up; mistakes are part of the process. Be unafraid to ask questions, pitch ideas, and try new things. Doing this will give you the richest learning experience and allow you to explore the field you are in, which fosters enthusiasm for what you do.
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Research Intern
May - June 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I liked the fact that I was involved in both research and clinical observation during my time at MassGeneral. I got great experience in study design, statistical analyses, and writing manuscripts while also gaining experience in patient care.
What I wish was different
Advice
Take advantage of everything a big hospital like MassGeneral has to offer. Try to get involved in as many research projects, shadow as many providers, and attend as many lectures (e.g., grand rounds) as possible. You can learn a lot about different specialties of medicine and different career paths within medicine by doing this.
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Pharmacy finance
June - August 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Learned so many new things, worked well and advanced my knowledge with excel sheets.
What I wish was different
Nothing at all.
Advice
Work hard and stayed organized.
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Unit Coordinator
June - August 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The ability to connect with patients, nurses and doctors.
What I wish was different
Advice
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patient care attendant
June 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I enjoyed the high paced atmosphere and the hands on experience I was able to receive.
What I wish was different
Advice
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engineering research assistant
May 2017 • Charlestown, MA
What I liked
Interesting work. Good for grad school apps
What I wish was different
None
Advice
Nothing in particular. You get out what you put into the project.
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Clinical Laboratory Technician Intern
June - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA
What I liked
Experience in a clinical setting and watching surgery
What I wish was different
Paid instead of unpaid
Advice
Familiarize yourself with reading scientific papers to make yourself a better researcher
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Research
February 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Yes
What I wish was different
I wish it was paid
Advice
You need to be very interested in the work to keep it up
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Intern
May - August 2018 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Great team, very supporitve. I learned a lot
What I wish was different
Nothing!
Advice
Take advantage of all the opportunities (ex. grand Rounds, events, etc.)
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Biology Research Intern
June - August 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I enjoyed being exposed to research that combines an academic and clinical focus. I was able to work along side MDs and PhD scientists conducting research on many different facets of mucosal immunology. I liked being assigned to working in a collaborative lab, yet still having the freedom to network with doctors and postdocs from other labs. My internship was coupled with a biweekly seminar focused on immunology filled with about ten other students also partaking in the internship, but where assigned to different labs. This provided a great learning experience and way to connect with other undergraduate students alongside working on a research project in the lab. Overall, I loved my experience at Mass General and just being in Boston and enjoying the beauty of Boston in the summer.
What I wish was different
I wish I had lived closer to Boston for the summer. I stayed at my house, so the commute on the train could take anywhere from ninety minutes to three hours total, depending on the train delays and subway delays. So, the commute just took a lot of energy out of me, but besides that I would not have changed anything about the experience!
Advice
I would try to enjoy every day, the summer goes by fast when you are learning and having fun!
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Neuropsychiatric Research Intern
May - August 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I gained indispensable research experience. I was able to conduct research, write and publish papers, and learn statistics.
What I wish was different
I wish it wasn't remote. There is so much to offer on the MGH campus, it is an incredible environment, and I wish I could have been there working in person with the rest of the lab staff.
Advice
If you have a genuine interest in joining a lab or any institution, reach out and ask how! Show your passions and interests.
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Student Research Intern
June - August 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
The research team at the Disparities Research Unit at Mass General was very welcoming to me as an intern and they already had plans for me before I even arrived. The coordination between the interns and the mentors was amazing and countless opportunities were aways given to interns to learn new skills or work with other people from the unit. I had goals going into the internship, and they were very much so accomplished by the end of the summer because of the guidance from my mentors at the DRU. I learned so much about disparities, the research process, how to work in a group of people when dividing up tasks, and I enhanced many skills through writing and editing soon to be published works, working with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, and learning new systems such as Dedoose and CommCare.
What I wish was different
While this was not a possibility given COVID-19, I would have loved to work with everyone in person, and while it worked well with everyone using Zoom, I wish I could have interacted with the amazing group of people in the unit.
Advice
One piece of advice I would give would be to go in very open-minded and ready to experience different types of tasks because you will never be doing the same thing every day, and often times you will be hopping around different projects and learning a variety of skills. If you go in not expecting one thing, I think you will better absorb and appreciate all of the opportunities they provide to you, even if they were not in your original plans.
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Nursing Student Fellowship
June - August 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work one on one with a nurse on two different inpatient oncology units at Mass General. I loved being able to work with a nurse one on one in an area of nursing that I do not get to have experience with in school. I was able to learn so much about nursing in the real world, oncology, and become more confident in my nursing skills. Additionally, I was able to attend shadow days throughout the outpatient oncology center.
What I wish was different
Advice
I would advise all nursing students to apply to summer fellowship programs! This program is just one of many fellowships and they are the best way to advance ones career in school. Having the opportunity to work one on one with a nurse before graduating is unique and extremely beneficial. Having this experience, I now know I want to specialize in oncology nursing and I feel confident to go right into that after graduation because of everything I was able to learn and practice over the summer.
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Patient Care Associate
May 2019 • Boston, MA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Don't feel like you need lots of experience before starting this job! I learned practically everything during the month-long orientation
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patient care associate
May 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
I liked the flexibility of the per diem position and all the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly. I learned so many helpful things that have helped me in my nursing classes this year as a senior.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Clinical Research Intern
June 2020 • Boston, MA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Due to COVID-19, I have been working virtually. I would love to get more in-person experience, but of course there is no fault to MGH as they are taking all the precautions to protect their employees and the larger community.
Advice
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Research assistant
May 2021 • Boston, MA
What I liked
Working on a real world problem. What I have learned in the class room finally translated to something tangible in real life. It is a nice feeling that my work will positively impact a large human population and advance science.
What I wish was different
I did a lot of the grunt-work that no one else wanted to do, but 'such is life.'
Advice
Ask for advice when learning and applying to new roles. It comes off less pushy and allows you to engage in conversation with your potential employer.
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research intern
May - August 2021 • Boston, MA
What I liked
This internship was an amazing opportunity for me to study what I love and learn more about what a job in the psychology field would look like. I was able to see that being a psychologist was more than just talking to others about how they feel and why they feel like that. It is a field where you can just sit at an office and collect data, analyze datawork, or be around others and pick at their minds. Working with patients and psychologists I was able to see the diverse field that psychology is and even changed my mind on what I want to do with my life in terms of continuing a degree in psychology.
What I wish was different
I wish that I had been able to have the same time doing different tasks. I noticed that for the majority of the internship I was doing interviews and at the very end of the internship I was able to actually do some work with the paper they are going to release.
Advice
I would say to be well prepared to work long hours and be able to work really well with people.
