I enjoyed the rigor of the internship, it really felt like I was gaining the experience needed to thrive in that field of work.
What I wish was different
I do wish the hours were a bit less extreme, I felt like it took up too much of my time.
Advice
Keep at it. Things will get difficult, but stick it out and I promise it will be worth it. You’ll be glad you did.
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Summer Research Associate
June - August 2019 • Wilmington, DE
What I liked
There is a staff dedicated to helping you learn. You have a mentor (or multiple) for the project you will work on. There is a lot of independence because you are working at a hospital and nobody has the job title "teacher." People will help guide you because they want to help your development, but they will expect you to take initiative.
What I wish was different
There were a few pieces of the program that just took up time. They are aware of that and always looking to improve the program and give students more time and resources to really dive into the projects.
I also think it would have been nice if they gave a little bit more help figuring out housing. They did help a little bit, but it was not particularly easy coming from St. Louis.
Advice
Definitely take the opportunity to experience more than just your department. This is an awesome opportunity for pre-meds, but is also a cool chance for engineers to get into a hospital and look for places to improve. Shadow some doctors. Ask them what tools they wish they had. I had several doctors tell me to come up with systems and tools to make their lives easier. These are things that can be taken into my future career. Definitely branch out and see what the massive hospital system has going on.
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Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Program Scholar - Cancer Therapeutics Resesarcher
May - August 2018 • Wilmington, DE
What I liked
I conducted research in novel cancer therapeutics, specifically CAR T cell immunotherapies, which represents the area I want to pursue in my graduate studies. I loved working in a new lab in an area in which I want to continue my career.
What I wish was different
I wish I hadn't been commuting so far. With lengthy hours, an hour long commute (due to traffic) at the end of the day was brutal.
Advice
Make the most of this experience! The program itself addresses so many factors and is incredibly well planned, but some of the most meaningful connections I made consisted of me reaching out to people whose work or career path interested me outside of planned activities.
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Research Intern
June - August 2018 • Wilmington, DE
What I liked
The program was very organized and supportive of all students. It was also well-rounded, meaning I didn't spend all of my time doing research-related work.
What I wish was different
I wish there was more face-to-face interaction and supervision with members of the research team. However, it was a great "real-life" experience.
Advice
Be prepared to work hard and engage in self-directed learning. If you are on the fence about pursuing a career in medicine, research, or both, I highly suggest NSURP or any other programs in a hospital setting.
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Student Research Scholar
June - August 2017 • Wilmington, DE
What I liked
The opportunity to shadow doctors.
Gaining exposure to children's hospital and pediatric research.
What I wish was different
A more carefully designed clinical research project. However, other scholars had very well thought out projects. I believe it was a unique experience for me to be placed with a research team who didn't really value the research I was doing and did not give it proper consideration.
Advice
Don't be shy to ask for opportunities/experiences. Staff at the hospital are more than happy to accommodate.
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Undergraduate Biomedical Researcher
June - August 2017 • Wilmington, DE
What I liked
I was able to help a distinguished researcher with her research project on Automated Audiometry in School-Age Children. While working on this research, the program also organized weekly seminars and journal clubs which taught me a lot about conducting research, reading research articles, and working in a hospital setting. At the end, I was able to present my research through two poster sessions and a formal oral presentation. My mentors in the program even encouraged me to submit my research to a national conference. The study was selected and I was able to present it at the conference.
What I wish was different
The only thing I wished would have been different would be the organization of the assigned due dates. It seemed very rushed toward the end, and I had to work late hours in order to complete my poster and presentation.
Advice
Give it your all. Internships can be intimidating, especially if they are asking you to do things that are new to you. You are there to learn, so try your best and keep an open mind.
