Besides the research being very interesting, the schedule was very flexible; I was able to work remotely when I wanted to or come down to the research center at the hospital and work at a cubicle. My Principal Investigator also gave me a lot of opportunities not only to "just be a part of the research team" but also opportunities for publication (both a journal article and poster abstract).
What I wish was different
The funding is pretty limited and most of the research assistant positions are unpaid.
Advice
These types of jobs are not very well advertised. Instead of shuffling through job postings or LinkedIn, utilizing your personal network or reaching out directly to PIs that you're interested in working with usually results in more success.
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Biology Research Intern
May - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I loved interacting with the patients, doctors, researcher and lab techs. I love swing each perspective in trying to find a cure for cardiology defects in children.
What I wish was different
Honestly, nothing. This experience was so beneficial. I got to see an actual surgery of a doctor fixing a valve in the heart.
Advice
Never give up applying for internship. I applied on handshake for a psychology internship at CHOP. She referred me to a Biology internship at CHOP on cardiology defects. I applied for another research on Mitochondrial DNA which I got and now I am doing my senior capstone with CHOP. It's truly a dream come true and the greatest opportunity.
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Research Intern
June - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I loved the CHOP and University of Pennsylvania collaboration. Patient care, research, and education are all rolled into one entity and I was able to view my own career goals through this lens. I was also able to increase my hands on experience in a lab setting which is helping me now in my classes.
What I wish was different
I wish I had spoken to more people while I was there, either in informational interviews or shadowing experiences.
Advice
I would take advantage of everything that is offered to you, plus more. Everyone affiliated with the program, CHOP, and the University of Pennsylvania are very willing to help you, but only if you ask for it.
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
April 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
The lab members, learning new laboratory techniques
What I wish was different
Lack of early involvement in the lab
Advice
You get out of research what you put in.
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Senior Nursing Aid
September 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
This job has allowed me to get a better view of the healthcare world.
What I wish was different
If I could change one thing, I would prefer to work less.
Advice
It is very essential to network while you are working.
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Software Engineering Intern
June 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
The teams were very helpful to an undergrad intern.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Summer Research Intern
June - August 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
People, project, mentors
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
Make the most of it. Lots of opportunities, just keep embracing them all.
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Research Assistant
May 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I love how supportive the community is and how much progress CHOP research in general makes.
What I wish was different
N/A
Advice
I would definitely suggest to make sure to take advantage of all opportunities available.
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Patient Media Intern
May - August 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I liked working with the children in the hospital and getting the chance to share my experience with the patients. Especially when I got the chance to go into the patient's room and teach them how to use some of the equipment.
What I wish was different
Advice
I would recommend going into this experience or any experience with an open mind because you will get so much more out of it when you are able to just go with the flow and adapt quickly since each day was so different.
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Research Assistant
June - August 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
interacting with real families in the city
What I wish was different
more hours
Advice
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Nurse Extern
May - July 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
Helped me figure out what I liked and what I didn't. Meeting nurses from different schools.
What I wish was different
Better preceptors.
Advice
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Undergraduate Research Assistant
May 2018 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
This is a great job for undergraduates! You learn so much and help post docs and PhDs at the same time!
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Media production intern
May - September 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
Most everything! Working with the kids and learning about how a broadcast system works.
What I wish was different
I wish it was paid, but understand why it wasn’t. I wish I had more time to learn all the equipment.
Advice
Take as much initiative as you can! You get what you give, learn every thing
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Research Assistant
June 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I enjoyed the internship and my boss was incredibly kind.
What I wish was different
I wish there was a way that I could interact with more of the employees at the office.
Advice
Make sure that you pack enough snacks to power through the day!
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Clinical Research Assistant I
July 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
Everyone is super nice and the work is very interesting.
What I wish was different
I would like to receive a bit more constructive criticism.
Advice
Take initiative, ask smart questions, and value your supervisor's time.
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Nurse Extern
May 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I liked the freedom they gave us to complete tasks without supervision. It also has helped me put my foot in the door for a job postgrad. You also spent half the summer on one unit and then switched to another. Every extern was on one medsurg floor and then one either ICU or ER floor depending on the externs preference so you really learned a lot about different types of pediatric nursing.
What I wish was different
I wish the application process had been shorter, instead of spread out over many months. I also wish the pay had been greater.
Advice
Always ask what you can do to help. The nurses really appreciate it and it helps you have more learning experiences.
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Nurse Extern: Susan D. Flynn Oncology Fellowship
May - July 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
-Extensive shadowing experience
-Experience of regular RN hours
-Working with great preceptors
-Full immersion into the specialty of pediatric oncology
What I wish was different
-More opportunities for emotional debriefing
Advice
Take advantage of any learning opportunity you can find! Also, allow time for yourself as a position on a pediatric oncology unit is full of emotion.
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Research Assistant - Speech and Motor
May - August 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
It was structured and we had workshops to learn more about all the different fields people on the floor worked on, and to learn about future career paths.
What I wish was different
I wish that we had more of a say in what we were working on.
Advice
I would definitely choose an internship in a field you are interested in, it makes the work so fulfilling and makes everyday fascinating.
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REU Scholar
June - August 2017 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
I loved the intensity of the internship program and the connections that I was able to gain through the CHOP network. I was exposed to so many different aspects of clinical jobs (doctors, nurses, etc.) as well as different types of research. Great mentoring for both MD and PhD programs.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more flexibility in choosing my research project, since that is the goal of the NSF grant
Advice
Be open minded. Go to all the seminars and use the CHOP email to start making connections immediately. You may fall in love with something you never expected.
