This summer, I have been a student medical student intern with McGovern Medical School and UTHeath. This was an incredible opportunity to work under alumnus Dr. Sean Blackwell ‘89 and countless other obstetric and gynecologic medical professionals to shadow, assist, and pick their brains. All of these people were extremely helpful with their knowledge in their field, how to find what field is right for me, and also advice on how to get into medical school.
We lived like third-year medical students, rotating through many different services, allowing us to see many aspects of medicine. Services included: oncology, labor and delivery, their nationally known fetal center, clinics, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries. Each service was incredible in its own right, but my favorite service was the fetal center. There, pregnant women came from all over the country with rare fetal conditions that you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else. Witnessing the doctors’ expertise with high-risk and complex surgeries was especially impactful. We were able to view these conditions that no other undergraduate students are likely to see.
One of these conditions had a special connection to me. When I was 10 years old, I had brain surgery for a condition called hydrocephalus. This is when cerebrospinal fluid gets built up in the brain. In the fetal center, one ultrasound found possible hydrocephalus in a baby yet to be born. The fetal surgeon explained to the couple that many babies with this condition can live normal lives when they grow up. He reminded me how lucky I was to have a doctor who saved me and allowed me to live a fruitful life.
Before this internship, I was still unsure about my career path but now I am confident I want to pursue medicine. We were able to see the many different layers of healthcare, which has helped me to narrow down the field of medicine I want to pursue. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who has made this program possible and to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to teach us. Especially Dr. Sunbola Ashmi and Dr. Sean Blackwell who also set up multiple dinners and events to check in on us and ran the whole program.
