 When you hear the name “Magee”, many times the first thing that comes to people's minds is a bustling women's hospital and babies being born. The research fueling the hospital's programs and day-to-day operations are often overlooked.
Before individuals can become employed in the field of scientific research, they must gain experience during their high school or college careers. Students involved in the high school and college internship programs at Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) are often forgotten about, but they keep the future of Magee's research and medical advancements alive.
Allison Baer is a perfect example of how beneficial the MWRI internship program can be. In 2003, Allison interned at MWRI when attending Carlow University earning her Bachelor of Nursing degree. This was Allison's only exposure to scientific research as an undergraduate and she found this experience very helpful in her current career path. MWRI ended up hiring her as a research technician after her internship until 2006.
As an intern, Allison dealt with intern recruitment, collected data for research studies, scheduled and coordinated guest speakers for the MWRI internship program, and shadowed individuals to learn more about what goes on behind-the-scenes.
Her best experience during her internship was described, “The opportunity to be around the Institute and absorb what was going on research-wise was valuable because it was a foreign world to me,” said Allison. “The internship was a real gateway to other opportunities.”
Currently, Allison works at UPMC Shadyside in the oncology units where she is chemotherapy and stem cell certified. She said the internship really helps her in her day-to-day work especially because it gave her more confidence in science.
She leaves future interns with some words of wisdom, “It was a really great experience especially as an undergraduate because it's difficult to get a research position.”
STORY UPDATE: Navigating the Currents of Being a Research Intern
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVING: Magee-Womens Research Institute
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MWRI INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS, CLICK HERE
|
