It was December of 2022, and I had to start thinking about applying for internships. I had gained lots of clinical experience from my volunteer work as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) throughout the years and knew I wanted to enter a profession where I was actively helping people (specifically kids) and working in the mental health field. However, I found very minimal clinical experiences in my online internship research due to patient confidentiality. Luckily, my doctor was kind enough to put me in contact with a neuropsychologist who soon offered me a position over the summer to shadow her, testing kids, and doing research. I was very excited about this opportunity but was waiting to hear back from a few other internships that I applied for.
It was around March of 2023 when I heard back from my final internship. I got into the MindCORE program at the University of Pennsylvania! Out of hundreds of applicants, 20 people (half of whom were Penn students), including myself, got into this program. I think my EMT experience and vulnerability in my cover letter assisted my odds of getting into this program. I was a bit skeptical, however, of confirming my position at UPenn because I had never done research, nor did I know if I would find it interesting. After a lot of consideration, I ended up choosing the UPenn internship as I thought it would give me insight into my level of interest in research. I learned a lot from my summer experience, including more about PsyD and Ph.D. programs and whether I want to continue doing research in the future. Throughout the program, I built long-lasting relationships with my mentors that I will never forget. I am glad I took this opportunity because it allowed me to explore my potential interest in research, which will help me navigate my future career path.
