I had the chance to intern with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center on a research team working on an Infant Mortality Research Partnership (IMRP), in tandem with the Ohio Departments of Medicaid and Higher Education, and the Ohio Government Resource Center (GRC). My main role on the research team was data curation. I researched various domains of resources in Columbus available for low-income, at-risk mothers (housing, food, prenatal care, and more). It was logged in Excel sheets, organized into resource cards, and prepared to be loaded into the mobile app at the IT team’s discretion. The research project has been entirely virtual due to COVID-19.

I had the opportunity to learn about copious amounts of resources available in Columbus and the ways in which local organizations provide support to those living here. I learned about what Columbus Public Health has to offer for low-income families and mothers, as well as discovered many other organizations that run free clinics, provide hot meals and groceries, offer no-cost legal advice, supply diapers and baby wipes, and more. After having the chance to volunteer with the organization Moms2B before the onset of COVID-19, I was excited to learn about other amazing resources that could help those mothers. It has also inspired me to look into volunteering at some free medical clinics in Columbus this spring as they begin to welcome back more volunteers.

Through this research, I have had the chance to practice and gain many important skills: research skills and data acquisition, written and oral communication, practice with providing and responding to feedback and organizational skills. I gained these skills through advanced searches online & data curation, creating information cards on each resource, presentations to the internal team and collaborators at Medicaid and GRC of collected data and findings, biweekly meetings on Microsoft Teams with the research team to discuss the progress of the project, balancing the internship alongside a full-course load, part-time job, and studying for the MCAT examination.

However, the research has also shown me what is lacking in Columbus and how many barriers low-income mothers face before, during, and after their pregnancy in regard to maintaining their health and safety. It has inspired me to learn more about the barriers these women face in Ohio and learn about things that can be done to help them, such as this important research.

I have had the chance to grow in a professional capacity through being on this research team. Through working with experienced, senior team members, I had the chance to observe and participate in healthy collaboration and receive constructive feedback. I have felt lucky to be on a project which has such poignant goals, as lowering the rates of infant mortality in Ohio (shown on the graphic) is a great public health endeavor this app is working towards.

After graduation, I plan to work full time at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as either a PCA or research assistant during my gap year. I will be applying to medical school this upcoming Summer 2021 and hope to begin an MD program during Fall 2022 to become a physician. This research has solidified that I certainly want a career in medicine and public health where I can have the chance to help others. Additionally, being able to learn more about infant mortality and the hardships these mothers face has given me an interest in possible becoming an OB/GYN after completing medical school and residency. I have been inspired by the physicians on the research team and their dedication to this important work which will help mothers and babies in need. However, this project has also shown me that when I enter the world of medicine, I will not necessarily want to focus on research, but instead focus more on clinical patient care. I really like interacting with others and helping them face to face, and I think my skills will be best utilized outside of strictly research, as a clinical physician.

I have attached a picture of one of my Microsoft Teams meetings which was a staple of my life through the project and something I always looked forward to, as I loved getting to hear from other team members and learn about their ideas and opinions. I do not have any other photos, as the research mostly involved me sitting behind my computer!