Biology and BCMB students share their summer internship experiences with the Ursinus community

This past week students had the opportunity to share their work during the summer internship poster presentations in the lobby of the Innovation and Discovery Center. These students held a variety of different positions working as assistants and shadowing in different lines of work. A varying degree of work and day-to-day activity was seen, here Megan Aube, class of 2024, shares, “This summer I was able to shadow a pediatrician, while also being trained to be a medical assistant. Each day I would go into the office and take patients’ vitals such as blood pressure, height, weight, temperature, and pulse. I would perform small medical procedures like an EKG, and I was trained to draw up vaccinations and also give them to patients”. The experiences learned outside of a classroom are just as important as those inside one. As part of the Ursinus Quest, students reflect on their experiences before, during, and after their time at their internship. None of that is without guidance, as faculty and advisors help their students dig into how their time spent is affecting the learning experience.

Valuable lessons come from time spent in places that are new to students. Bailey Hann, class of 2024, spent her time as a chiropractic assistant and shared “I do not want to be a chiropractor, but it made me appreciate holistic medicine and I have the dream now to go to an osteopathic medical school”. While Junior Diana Cando had a different experience sharing, “It helped me solidify my decision to go to dental school and pursue a career in dentistry. It was helpful in teaching me some of the basic skills I will need in dental school as well”. Internships are meant to help students learn what they like and dislike about a certain field of work. Ursinus’ requirement of an XLP (Experiential Learning Project) allows students to figure out what they want for their future, as well as pushes students to experience the workforce and offer a change of perspective from inside of a classroom.