凯瑟琳Kielbasinski ’23: 学习ing problem solving and self-advocacy as Syracuse hospital intern

凯瑟琳·基尔巴辛斯基23岁(生物学) spent nearly 400 hours in the summer of 2022 interning at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, 纽约. The experience gave her a new level of confidence in her ability to self-advocate and solve problems while also giving her new insights that have helped shape her career goals.

当基尔巴辛斯基到达上州立大学医院时, she went straight to work on a genetic research project investigating Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP). 通过了解FMRP及其对基因组的影响, doctors hope to develop better treatments for patients with Fragile X Syndrome, 神经发育障碍.

“I enjoyed the people and learning the importance of teamwork and interpersonal skills,基尔巴辛斯基说. “这是一次极具挑战性的经历, as I needed to quickly learn to self-advocate and problem-solve on my own. 部分工作没有明确的方向, 但我很自豪，我不仅完成了工作, 我擅长. I have gained confidence that I can work in a biology and/or chemistry lab.”

这种积极进取的态度让她和她的团队相处得很好.

“I got along well with everyone and they appreciated the positive attitude I brought to the team,”她说。. “They even made me a ‘Best Undergraduate Intern Ever’ medal!”

超出了她的日常实验室程序, Kielbasinski attended weekly seminars given by Upstate University Hospital faculty. They often shared information about their current research and described their career journeys. She also attended career-prep workshops covering topics such as how to develop a personal statement.

Both a challenge and a highlight for Kielbasinski was attending the Federation of American Societies for Experimental 生物学 (FASEB) Yeast Chromosome 生物学 and Cell Cycle Conference in Springfield, 麻萨诸塞州. 为她, the challenge came in creating a poster about her genetic research and giving a presentation during the conference. Kielbasinski didn’t receive a lot of input on how to put the information together and was on her own for much of the project. 然而, 海报和展示完成后, she received positive feedback and felt proud of her achievement.

“I focused on learning how to adapt and problem solve,”她说。.

对于Kielbasinski, the highlight of the conference was meeting and networking with other students interested in pursuing biology careers.

“It was so great to meet people that knew exactly what it felt like to be in my position, and we connected over our interests and experiences in biology,”她说。. “那一周我遇到了一些很棒、有趣、善良的人.”

In addition to her successes and a newfound sense of confidence, the internship opportunity helped Kielbasinski realize that molecular biology research is not her passion and that she does not want to pursue it as a career.

“While it’s awesome, I realized I like to look at the bigger picture,” she explained.

Kielbasinski wants to apply her knowledge of biology to support evolution and better understand animal behavior. 以她的背景, she will be able to understand how an animal’s physiology at the molecular level affects the animal and its behavior.

来帮助我们的追求, Kielbasinski volunteered at the SPCA to gain experience in animal care and upkeep as part of her community engagement.