My STEP signature project was a Pre-Med Internship at Miami Valley Hospital. As an intern, I was assigned to a specialty of my choice (cardiology) where I would work alongside multiple physicians to research and learn about the specifics of cardiology. At the end of the internship, we were given the opportunity to present our findings to the medical staff at Miami Valley Hospital. I presented on the association of diuretic administration time and length of stay in hospital for patients with heart failure.

This internship was my first full 8-5 job, while I have worked at other jobs before I have not had to constantly arrive on time at 8 am every day. I thought I was really going to struggle with this as I am not an early bird but surprisingly I never had any issues with waking up and getting to work on time. I proved to myself when motivated properly I am able to overcome personal issues and rise to the occasion. Furthermore, I learned how to deal with roadblocks in a professional setting.  This experience was really frustrating as it felt like we kept running into more forms and clearances we needed to get before finally getting somewhere, it really taught me how to keep cool and how to act appropriately even when caught up in the corporate red tape. I also realized how unhealthy our country is, I encountered patients that either smoked 1-2 packs of cigarettes a day, drank over 7+ beers in an evening every week, or had a BMI over 40. It’s shocking to see how unmotivated people are to gain control of their health and how these habits lead to serious health issues.

My relationship and interactions with the physicians I worked with genuinely made me want to go to work every morning. I feel that I built a strong bond between myself and my mentors and I was able to grasp a lot of the information they taught me. I learned how to read EKGs, what the process of heart failure diagnosis is, and how to read echocardiograms. Having this bond and learning interesting skills motivated me to ensure that I was always on time throughout the entire internship. I think it was really important for me to learn that I was able to rise to the occasion, especially in a professional setting.

Getting proper clearance and figuring out who to talk to was a huge obstacle that took a lot of effort and time to sort out early on. Due to working in the hospital, there are a ton of rules and regulations for which I had to be cleared before I was allowed to conduct my research. Luckily there was a workaround that allowed me to be cleared for research with data that had non-patient identifiers. I was required to slightly shift my project towards a more quality improvement basis but was still able to continue the research I had planned. While insanely frustrating, this experience proved to me that I can handle unique challenges that I am not accustomed to.

While I was with some of the physicians and technicians, I was able to interact with a ton of patients and follow their medical plans. It was super interesting to see what brought patients to the hospital and what procedures or medications they needed. As my time at the hospital increased, I noticed a ton of similar factors that brought patients to the hospital (smoking, obesity, alcoholism). I learned a lot about my health and how important it is to maintain a proper weight, not smoke, exercise daily, reduce caffeine intake, and avoid excessive alcohol consumption. These factors are some of the steps that can be taken to prevent the development of congestive heart failure, the leading cause of hospitalization in adults 65+. Personally, this is leading me to take my health a lot more seriously as small habits that I develop now can cause a lot of issues or benefits down the line.

I’m glad I was able to prove to myself that I am capable of rising the occasion to complete certain tasks even if I feel that I might not be able to. This was a boost to my confidence which should help me move forward when I am facing larger challenges. I was also able to prove to myself that I can handle the curveballs that are thrown at me. Going into this internship I wasn’t expecting to have to fight an upward battle against some of the research administration, but I am glad to have that experience because I feel better prepared for the professional world once I am out of college. Additionally, I feel like I learned a lot about lifestyle choices and how they can really affect your health, this knowledge is extremely important to me. Not only will it help me down the line as I learn more about the field of medicine, but it will help me lead a healthier and longer life.