I arrived in Colorado on Friday, May 31st. After a 13-hour car ride, I was ready to move all of my things into my home for the summer. Because I had a few days until my internship, my parents and I drove to Breckenridge. It was exciting to explore a bit of Colorado. In Breckenridge, we hiked and explored the beautiful town. On our way back to Aurora, we stopped in Frisco, Colorado, and walked around the Dillon Reservoir. My parents and I spent the remainder of our Sunday exploring Aurora and familiarizing myself with the area I would be living in. Never having lived outside of Iowa, I was sad to say goodbye to my parents but excited for all of the opportunities this summer holds.
I had heard about this internship through the Dimensions pre-health program at Cornell College. Every year, Cornell sends one student to intern at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO). I applied in late January and found I had been selected for this opportunity, along with Josalin Mckeever, in early March. I felt fortunate and blessed to be selected for this prestigious internship. I would like to thank Cornell College, the Berry Career Institute, and the Dimensions Program for helping me navigate my summer internship.
Josalin and I decided it would be beneficial to live together this summer. After working together, we decided on a furnished unit that is only a mile and a half away from Children’s Hospital Colorado. It is great to have another Cornell student to work alongside as we have worked through previous and current onboarding procedures.
We started the week with a tour of the hospital and the areas we may find ourselves working. We also got to meet the other interns we will be working with this summer. The rest of our week was filled with training and onboarding procedures. Because Josalin and I are considered volunteers, it was difficult to get our emails and accounts at CHCO and Colorado University Anschutz. Through lots of calls and emails with a research assistant, the help desk (IT), and HR, I think we finally got everything sorted out.
I was introduced to my Primary Investigator (PI), Kellen Krajewski, and the project I would be working on this summer. It involves Cerebral Palsy and fractures. I have been reading much scientific literature to familiarize myself with the project. So far, I find it extremely interesting, and I am excited to see what the rest of the summer has to offer.
My education at Cornell has prepared me for this opportunity well. I feel as though I can read scientific literature in a meaningful way thanks to my classes in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. Having previously participated in Cornell’s Summer Research Institute, I have knowledge on the research process. However, this summer I will be doing clinical research. I am excited to learn more about what that entails in the following weeks.
This internship will provide valuable knowledge about my future career. I believe that I want to pursue a career in medicine as a physician. I am still unsure what area of medicine I will practice, but this internship will offer great insight into orthopedics. This internship at CHCO will also allow me to think about the potential of performing research as a physician. I am grateful for this opportunity, and plan to learn everything I can from it!
