Hear from Prehealth Students Taking Part in Summer Experiences.
Katie Chen ‘21
Community Engagement
Volunteer with Jericho Fire Department Company 4 to provide efficient and immediate pre-hospital emergency medical care for the district of Jericho under a NY EMT-B certification.
How did you learn about your summer activity or experience?
I joined Muhlenberg College EMS the fall of my first year, and after obtaining my Emergency Medical Technician - Basic, EMT-B, certification about two years ago, I thought it was time to give back to my home community as well. I started calling local fire departments and decided to join the Jericho Volunteer Fire Department.
What skills have you developed that will help in the future?
Through my time at Jericho Fire Department, I have mainly developed interpretation and conversational skills. Each call has unexpected details, and it is vital for an EMT to pick up on those small details to be able to provide the best and most efficient care for the patient. Additionally, as an aspiring pre-medical student, I believe it is important for me to learn and improve on communication between myself and a patient or the patient's family. Furthermore, the usage of medical equipment is another skill set that I have developed. Knowing the correct usage and type of equipment for a certain situation is important, but also learning tips and tricks on how to use other equipment for different situations from veteran EMTs/paramedics has been useful, especially during emergency situations.
What have you learned during your experience that was unexpected?
From my own experience, the smallest gestures are appreciated by the patient and their families. It could be as small as asking if the patient wants a blanket or simply engaging normal conversations with them during the ride from the scene to the hospital to pass the time or put their mind at ease. It can be scary to be in an ambulance when you are the patient, and it brings me joy to know that I was able to do all that I can to bring them some sort of comfort.
How does your experience relate to your personal or professional goals?
After my time at Muhlenberg College, I aspire to attend medical school. More specifically, I want to continue my journey in emergency medicine and hopefully become an emergency medicine physician. I believe the time I have spent, and will continue to spend, in pre-hospital care will help me prepare for the times when I am on the receiving end of transportation. It has trained me to think a certain way and to ask certain questions to determine a potential diagnosis. Communication is one of the most important aspects of the medical field and as an EMT volunteering for two different agencies, I have developed communication skills whether it be between myself and the patient, physicians, nurses or medical command.
What advice would you give to future students?
Take chances with the opportunities that are available to you through Muhlenberg College, you never know what may stick and what may become your passion! I was doubtful to interview to join Muhlenberg College EMS, but once I was accepted, I became committed to the organization and worked up the rankings to now being the Captain of MCEMS. I quickly learned that this was going to be something I will be doing for a long time and I love it.
Katelyn Graver ‘23
Research Title
Cardiology Clinical Research
Research Goal
This research project studies cardiac disease in the clinical setting to try and find patterns and causes
How did you learn about your summer activity or experience?
I learned about my summer research internship from family members in the medical field who told me about the opportunity and recommended me for the research assistant position at Capital Area Research.
What skills have you developed that will help in the future?
Throughout my time at Capital Area Research, I have been able to develop a wide array of skills such as lab processing, patient interaction, and data entry. Going forward in both my academic and professional careers, I believe that having this knowledge and experience will help me to be better prepared for future classes and work environments that will also expect me to be proficient in these areas.
What have you learned during your experience that was unexpected?
This has been my first experience with research, so it has been really interesting to see and participate in the process of clinical research. The work done here comprises of so many different parts, and it is great to see how they all come together to help develop new medicine and give patients a better quality of life. Through this opportunity, I have definitely discovered that I have an interest in research that I hope to get to explore further in my career.
How does your experience relate to your personal or professional goals?
My goal is to go to medical school to become a physician, so I believe that it has been really beneficial for me to work in the clinical environment this summer. I feel as though I have gained a greater appreciation and understanding of the research process and how it can be used to help those in the medical field. Additionally, I have learned a lot about various medical conditions and symptoms, specifically relating to cardiology, by interacting with patients and medical professionals during my time here.
What advice would you give to future students?
Don't be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and ask questions along the way. The best learning experiences happen when you allow yourself to make mistakes and grow past them!
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience?
Being a Biology and Public Health student at Muhlenberg, it is exciting to actually see and apply what I have learned in the classroom to real-life situations. I feel as though I have been very prepared for what I had to handle during my day-to-day work as a research assistant.
Sarah Vetesi '21
Research Title
Assessment of the Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening at LVHN in Symptomatic Patients Who Present to the Emergency Department or Ambulatory Setting.
Research Goal
The research aim is to detect patterns and shortfalls of encounters to better improve the quality of care for a patient presenting with acute STI-related signs and symptoms. The research will assess approximately 468 patient encounters involving presentation of a potential sexually transmitted infection (STI) from both the Emergency Department (ED) and outpatient settings. Charts will be analyzed for completion, and further testing and treatment will be determined to be in accordance with CDC guidelines or not. This research also aims to determine what needs to be done to make the care more comprehensive.
How did you learn about your summer activity or experience?
I learned about the Lehigh Valley Health Network Summer Research Scholar Program through my Muhlenberg peers who had done it before me! Every peer who had done this program had told me how incredible this program was.
What skills have you developed that will help in the future?
I have learned many skills from this program both academically and professionally. I learned how to review patient charts, collect and analyze data, and present my findings through a powerpoint presentation and research poster. I have also learned to be flexible and adaptable, especially during these current times!
What have you learned during your experience that was unexpected?
Through this experience, I learned just how much love I had for clinical research, specifically in the field of quality improvement in regards to patient care. I had an incredible mentor who helped foster a passion for improving patient care as we know it and I now can affirm I want to pursue this type of work in the future.
How does your experience relate to your personal or professional goals?
This program helped me further develop my passion for medicine and public health. My goal is to pursue a dual Master's degree in Physician Assistant Studies and Public Health. I would love to become involved with more research regarding quality improvement and public health policy while also serving patients as a clinician. I love to learn and am also considering other advanced degrees in the future, I do not see my education stopping anytime soon!
What advice would you give to future students?
My biggest piece of advice would be to be open to trying new things or taking risks! When I first entered college, I thought I had my whole life and career figured out, but through taking more coursework in various disciplines, I established an entirely different passion from when I entered college. Joining a new club, participating in research, or even taking a course that piques your interest could be the very thing that opens your eyes to a new passion or career path!
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience?
The LVHN Summer Research Scholar program was a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience and I am so grateful for my incredible mentors for helping me foster a strong love for research and quality improvement. I cannot wait to see what the future holds!
