Summer starts in 8 days, but Baltimore has been stiflingly hot for months now. I would be melting if it weren’t for AC’s and fans! I just got back to Baltimore a few days ago, and my apartment looks amazing! Move-in itself was hot and sticky, and it took my dad hours to get the AC installed (fingers crossed it doesn’t fall out like in Seinfeld!) and set everything up!
Living in a real apartment (rather than in a dorm) is a lot of work! It has been so easy just moving into a dorm room with all the furniture in it. However, I love having a room to myself! My roommates and I have been waiting FOREVER to move in. Luckily, my building is very close to campus, which makes getting to class really easy! However, for now, I am commuting to Washington, DC for my internship this summer, so I will have to wait until Fall Term to take advantage of my proximity.
I am working for a health advocacy organization that focuses on educating the public about the importance of being informed about genetic therapies, treatments, and resources. I am working on a pamphlet for patients who need assistance in talking to their families about their genetic disease.
It is really incredible to learn about all the people who are so committed to increasing awareness about diseases. It’s changes like this that drastically improve the healthcare field. However, there is a flip side to it: many patients get a lot of false information. The Internet is full of information, but not all of it may be useful, which is why it is important to talk to your doctor directly about questions you may have. Lately, there have been a lot of misinformed patients, prompted by advertisements from pharmaceutical companies to try to diagnose themselves, or be their own doctors.
Working to improve the healthcare field from a perspective I don’t usually get to see is really rewarding, and I really look forward to seeing what I get out of this internship. Normally, I go to the hospital or the lab and see the practice and development of therapies respectively. Getting different insight in the healthcare field certainly broadens your understanding of it, and if I do decide to become a doctor, I definitely think I should expose myself to every aspect of it in order to be able to practice in it.
Going to DC every day keeps me pretty busy, but I plan on exploring the city a bit in my free time! Pictures of my new home soon to follow!
It’s crazy that this was what I was doing last summer! One year flew by!
Paris, France 2011
Enjoy your summer- and congratulations to the Senior Class of 2012!