And Here it Begins! THE INTERNSHIP

So, my first week of the internship was pretty interesting, I'd say. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I guess I was thinking the whole program would be super difficult. I was really excited about going to the university and the medical center to conduct actual research, but I also figured it would be very stressful. After all, the selection process was so rigorous and time-consuming, so I expected everyone to be the top of the top, the cream of the crop, with super strict professors.

What I actually found was quite the opposite. Everyone there was very relaxed. They didn't really mind if we skipped work hours or had other things to do, as long as we got our work done. This was a huge relief! I remember my first day clearly. I dressed up nicely for orientation, feeling both nervous and excited. My parents dropped me off and told me to figure things out on my own. The campus was massive, with so many different buildings and even some art statues, which was a surprising touch. 

I started wandering around, trying to find my way, and eventually bumped into my friend who was also a bit lost. Together, we followed other students and finally made it to the big lecture hall where orientation was held. Half of us showed up late, which was pretty funny in hindsight. The orientation itself was a mix of boring presentations and some excitement. They provided breakfast since we had to be there so early, which was nice. They talked about what to expect from the program, and it was clear they expected us to work 40 hours a week. That sounded intense, but I was ready to take it on.

On the second day, we had more presentations, including one on lab safety. After lunch, we were finally dismissed to our labs. I was nervous walking into my lab for the first time, fearing I'd be locked in there forever. But when I met my mentor, he was super chill. He didn't even know I was coming until a couple of minutes before I showed up. He explained the lab’s projects and what I could do to help, but he didn’t have anything planned for me right away. He told me I could spend the first few days shadowing him and learning the ropes.

By the second day, I had already made some friends. At first, we were all a bit formal with each other, but by the end of the second day, we had loosened up and started to really connect. It felt great to have a solid friend group so quickly. We sat together during lunch and shared our experiences, which helped ease my nerves.

As the days went by, I got more comfortable with the lab’s work schedule and what was expected of me. My mentor told me to work however many hours I wanted, as long as I got my work done. That was a huge surprise because the program administrators had emphasized the 40-hour workweek. It turned out that many other interns had similar experiences with their mentors being relaxed about the work hours. This helped calm my nerves a lot.

By the third, fourth, and fifth days, I had settled into a routine. I shadowed my mentor, helped with various tasks, and started reading up on research papers related to our project. I had even begun reading some papers a week before the internship started, trying to familiarize myself with the field of radiation oncology. This preparation helped me understand the significance of our research and get more comfortable with the lab’s work.

Overall, my first week was a mix of excitement, nervousness, and relief. I learned a lot, made new friends, and started to see how I could contribute to the research. It was a fantastic start to what I know will be an incredible journey. I can’t wait to see what the next weeks have in store!