Week 9:
Visitors, PowerPoint, pictures and more

August 13, 2018

This week was a big week. I started the presentation for my project and spend a lot of time with my fellow interns getting ready.

The week started with a meeting with Patrick and Dr. De and figuring out I needed to do a little bit more data collection. Finally, on Wednesday data collection was officially done and there was no more data that could be collected which means I won’t have to go back in for a round 6. Patience is definitely a virtue when going through the same data multiple times per the request of different people.

We each will have 7-8 minutes to present our projects and 2-3 minutes of questions. While this presentation is no different than any other I have done the stress is a little higher. All of the research assistants and providers will be at the presentation. This means the talks need to be clear and us interns need to make sure we understand every aspect of our projects. Thankfully Cornell has prepared me for short deadlines with full understanding of the material.

This week the CGMA interns practiced our presentations 4 times. This has helped with the visual aesthetics of our power points as well as clarified the scripts we each have for our presentations. The best part of all this practice has been getting the feedback and bouncing different ideas of my fellow interns. The way we have prepared has made me excited to take the tips and skills I’ve learned back to Cornell for my classes.

The best part of my week was having my friend and fellow Cornellian in town for the weekend. We spent the week driving around and exploring my home which was very fun. This was a much-needed break and familiar face to get me through the last week here at Children’s. I had so much fun explaining my project to my friend and going all over Colorado. We spent some time at the Rocky Mountain National park and enjoyed some altitude and fresh air.

While I have loved every bit of my time at Children’s this summer, I am ready to get back to Cornell and to finish my college career. Every day I experience something new and learn something new about myself and career goals. I know with more confidence than ever becoming a physician/surgeon is the end goal I am reaching toward, and I am anxious to see how I get there!

As I go into week 10, there is much to get done. I will be moving back to Cornell on the 18^th which means from presenting I will need to pack and get ready for my drive back. Presentations are on the 15^th, and I will end my Children’s experience on the 16^th watching a live kidney surgery. I am not ready to be done here, but I am very excited for the week to come!