A lot of pre-medical students are eager to delve into the life of a doctor. I have had my share of experiences where I worked and volunteered in hospital environments alongside doctors to understand the daily life of various physicians. However, I was always eager to learn about the process students and physicians have to undergo to be where there are. While, I have heard from many doctors and current students about their experiences in medical school, there are many aspects of medical school I was unaware of until I began my internship at New York University School of Medicine. My internship at PrMEIR Scholars Summer Intensive Program (PSSIP) has allowed me to witness the operations and management behind how medical schools run. I have learned about the array of people required from various backgrounds and the years of research that the Medical School puts into ensuring their students receive the best medical education. I am grateful to have an opportunity to observe and work within the department that oversees the faculty, residents, and medical students to provide them the best medical education to become the best physicians.
The night before my internship, I was nervous and anxious because I had a brief idea of the program I was a part of; however, I was unaware of the vast knowledge I would attain from just the mere first few days of my internship. The first few days I was introduced to the department and team I would be working with. The team is composed of people that have studied research, business, public health, computer science, statistics and many other specialties. I have also met my fellow interns who are from various universities and study different things. We learned that all of our backgrounds are an essential asset to the workings of the PrMEIR program.
Like many medical schools, New York University School of Medicine has a Program for Medical Education Innovations and Research (PrMEIR). This department’s mission is to institute the best practices of medicine for the students to create a hospital environment best for patients and workers. The research the department conducts helps strengthen the tie between healthcare providers and patients’ well-being. The PrMEIR program is composed of many departments; I am specifically a member of the Database for Research on Education in Academic Medicine Team (DREAM). With my academic background in Biology and Computer Science, the DREAM Team has allowed me to showcase my knowledge and skills from both of my fields of studies, but also learn a lot of skills useful in medical education research.
My role in the DREAM Team has been to assist my co-workers with data cleaning and programming to analyze results from research studies conducted on residents and medical students. These studies are known as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination where residents are tested on how they treat and care for patients medically and socially. Moreover, my role is to assist with analyzing medical records by residents who have had a patient that was meant to be an anonymous actor. The interns also are required to speak with patients to understand their experience with residents and attendees. Overall, my favorite part of the experience is being able to apply my knowledge in coding, but also learn about coding in the medical education environment.
I am amazed by the intensive studies and organization the PrMEIR program does to ensure the students are receiving not only one of the best medical education, but to learn how to grow as a person and to be aware of their role as a physician in society. I look forward to the immense opportunities this internship has to offer me to learn about my passion for medicine and computer science. I hope to learn of careers and departments in this program that allows me to intertwine my two fields of interests.