My Internship.
I am an intern in the Pharmocogenomics department of Aeon Global Health and I hope to gain knowledge of the pharmocogenomics field and the actual workings of a real laboratory.
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Assignment 1: Preparing for Mentorship 8-27-17:
Before the Honors Mentorship Program gave me the opportunity to study within such a wonderful program, I hadn't had much experience in working. I have only ever had one job and it was a small time summer job at a barely frequented store. There wasn't a lot of room for growth and learning in such tight restraints. As such, I head into the world of interning with practically negligible experience and preparation.
That is why reading a sheet on knowing my mentor and listening to a podcast about first impressions was so helpful. I learned the importance of truly getting to know and understand my mentor and I learned the importance of being prepared to answer questions about myself. Reading about getting to know my mentor showed me that this introduction isn't a one-way street. To truly set up a good relationship that will pull us through the internship, I have to be just as willing and able to talk about myself as I expect my mentor to be able to do about themselves. Not only that, but I learned from the first impressions podcast that sometimes it's better to not get too friendly with coworkers for the first couple days or so at a new place. Sometimes it's better to wait and get to know who will get you in trouble if you stick with them and who will be able to answer your questions the best. The first impressions podcast taught me that taking the time to listen to coworkers and remember the things they tell you is one of the most important parts of making a first impression.
Making that great first impression is certainly helpful in setting up a good basis for the entirety of the mentorship. Starting off on the right foot will help to ensure that I gain as much from this mentorship as I've envisioned. I envision gaining an insight into the pharmocogenomics field and the actual day to day life of a lab. I envision gaining an understanding of how labs really work and how I can apply the protocols and lessons I learned in my classes. Most importantly, I envision gaining valuable experience in the field I dream of becoming a part of.
I will not just be given these things on a silver platter, though. The valuable things I wish to gain from this mentorship have to be gained through hard work and effort or the point of them is moot. I will study the SOPs given to us by the company and I will brush up on my biotech knowledge. I will take the initiative to dress well when some of the other interns choose to come dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I will do everything I can to learn more about my mentor and her coworkers and I will make sure that I am always ready to listen and learn when I find myself at the mentorship.
The determination to do well and learn everything I can from this opportunity won't just help me in my mentorship and my Honors Mentorship Program assignments. My conviction will help me push through other problems that I come to face throughout my lifetime. The knowledge I gain from joining this program and working at a lab will certainly be incredibly useful for a career in science like I intend to pursue. Connections made here could save my life in college. More than anything, the responsibility and time management skills that I will have to work hard to attain with this program will set me up for a more successful and rewarding life.
Before the Honors Mentorship Program gave me the opportunity to study within such a wonderful program, I hadn't had much experience in working. I have only ever had one job and it was a small time summer job at a barely frequented store. There wasn't a lot of room for growth and learning in such tight restraints. As such, I head into the world of interning with practically negligible experience and preparation.
That is why reading a sheet on knowing my mentor and listening to a podcast about first impressions was so helpful. I learned the importance of truly getting to know and understand my mentor and I learned the importance of being prepared to answer questions about myself. Reading about getting to know my mentor showed me that this introduction isn't a one-way street. To truly set up a good relationship that will pull us through the internship, I have to be just as willing and able to talk about myself as I expect my mentor to be able to do about themselves. Not only that, but I learned from the first impressions podcast that sometimes it's better to not get too friendly with coworkers for the first couple days or so at a new place. Sometimes it's better to wait and get to know who will get you in trouble if you stick with them and who will be able to answer your questions the best. The first impressions podcast taught me that taking the time to listen to coworkers and remember the things they tell you is one of the most important parts of making a first impression.
Making that great first impression is certainly helpful in setting up a good basis for the entirety of the mentorship. Starting off on the right foot will help to ensure that I gain as much from this mentorship as I've envisioned. I envision gaining an insight into the pharmocogenomics field and the actual day to day life of a lab. I envision gaining an understanding of how labs really work and how I can apply the protocols and lessons I learned in my classes. Most importantly, I envision gaining valuable experience in the field I dream of becoming a part of.
I will not just be given these things on a silver platter, though. The valuable things I wish to gain from this mentorship have to be gained through hard work and effort or the point of them is moot. I will study the SOPs given to us by the company and I will brush up on my biotech knowledge. I will take the initiative to dress well when some of the other interns choose to come dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I will do everything I can to learn more about my mentor and her coworkers and I will make sure that I am always ready to listen and learn when I find myself at the mentorship.
The determination to do well and learn everything I can from this opportunity won't just help me in my mentorship and my Honors Mentorship Program assignments. My conviction will help me push through other problems that I come to face throughout my lifetime. The knowledge I gain from joining this program and working at a lab will certainly be incredibly useful for a career in science like I intend to pursue. Connections made here could save my life in college. More than anything, the responsibility and time management skills that I will have to work hard to attain with this program will set me up for a more successful and rewarding life.
Assignment 2a: Leadership 9-1-17:
JD Russo, in his TED Talk about plastic waste, talks about so much more than plastic pollution. The part in his speech about indifference and the need to let it go that really spoke to me was his comment about there being, "no connection to action" and "a huge indifference to the consequences." There are too many people in this world today that are indifferent to the troubles that face them. Protected as they are in their homes and at their nice, shiny homes, a lot of people don't realize how much today's problems actually affect them; they don't feel any incentive to discover the true consequences to the world's issues. That's one of the reasons I'm so grateful for this chance to be a part of the Honors Mentorship Program: this program is a step towards getting kids and teens interested in the 'real world' and all the messy, horrible, beautiful problems it offers to us to solve.
With this opportunity I've been granted, I can help spearhead the mission of companies and governments the world over to get more people interested in STEM careers. The multitudes of chances that a STEM career offers to change the world can be shown to teens in lower grades and in other schools by the success and gains I hope to achieve through this internship. Through my journey, I intend to show my peers what science can do for them and for the world.
JD Russo, in his TED Talk about plastic waste, talks about so much more than plastic pollution. The part in his speech about indifference and the need to let it go that really spoke to me was his comment about there being, "no connection to action" and "a huge indifference to the consequences." There are too many people in this world today that are indifferent to the troubles that face them. Protected as they are in their homes and at their nice, shiny homes, a lot of people don't realize how much today's problems actually affect them; they don't feel any incentive to discover the true consequences to the world's issues. That's one of the reasons I'm so grateful for this chance to be a part of the Honors Mentorship Program: this program is a step towards getting kids and teens interested in the 'real world' and all the messy, horrible, beautiful problems it offers to us to solve.
With this opportunity I've been granted, I can help spearhead the mission of companies and governments the world over to get more people interested in STEM careers. The multitudes of chances that a STEM career offers to change the world can be shown to teens in lower grades and in other schools by the success and gains I hope to achieve through this internship. Through my journey, I intend to show my peers what science can do for them and for the world.
Assignment 2b: Leadership 9-2-17:
Being a leader really doesn't require much; if someone cares about something, knows how it affects the world, takes responsibility for those effects, and acts to fix it, they are the best kind of leader. Below is my own video detailing that very same idea.
Being a leader really doesn't require much; if someone cares about something, knows how it affects the world, takes responsibility for those effects, and acts to fix it, they are the best kind of leader. Below is my own video detailing that very same idea.
Assignment 3: The Importance of Collaboration 9-8-17:
Collaboration is an incredibly important and necessary part of being a member of the workforce. It also comes in a lot of different forms. Some view collaboration as a team effort and believe that it requires a healthy dose of communication and people skills. Others believe that it is a willingness to help people and be there for them when they need it. Others still believe that collaboration is a combination of trust and respect that allows for good working conditions. I, personally, believe that collaboration is a mixture of all three. The first link is what collaboration skills I believe I possess. The second link is for you to go through a list of collaboration traits and see which four fit you the best.
Collaboration is an incredibly important and necessary part of being a member of the workforce. It also comes in a lot of different forms. Some view collaboration as a team effort and believe that it requires a healthy dose of communication and people skills. Others believe that it is a willingness to help people and be there for them when they need it. Others still believe that collaboration is a combination of trust and respect that allows for good working conditions. I, personally, believe that collaboration is a mixture of all three. The first link is what collaboration skills I believe I possess. The second link is for you to go through a list of collaboration traits and see which four fit you the best.
Assignment 4: Getting Ready for Your Mentor 9-9-17:
According to 'Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op' by Florida State University Career Center, getting ready for you mentorship isn't a particularly hard thing to do; it just requires concentration and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Most requirements are generally basic job requirements: dress appropriately for the situation, address everyone politely, get to work on time or even a little bit early, don't try to leave early or take extended breaks, and be willing to do things that other people aren't. There are some, however, that are more internship-based. As an intern, you're likely to get delegated to 'grunt' work and, although that can sometimes be irritating, you should do it with a positive attitude and try to learn something from it. Because you can learn something. As intelligent and prepared as you might think you are for an internship, you will work with people who have been doing this for a lot longer than you and you shouldn't insinuate that you might already know all they have to teach you.
That article is extremely useful for getting ready for your internship because it teaches you a valuable lesson: you can learn something from everything and everyone. And that, honestly, is the most important part of being an intern: understanding that you are not only there to work and look good for colleges. You are also there to gain experience in a field you have interest in and to learn about the world of jobs and to discover new things about that particular career and to start a network of people. Being an intern is so much more than a lot of people make it out to be and understanding that is the best thing you can do to get ready for your mentorship.
According to 'Making the Most of Your Internship or Co-op' by Florida State University Career Center, getting ready for you mentorship isn't a particularly hard thing to do; it just requires concentration and a willingness to do what needs to be done. Most requirements are generally basic job requirements: dress appropriately for the situation, address everyone politely, get to work on time or even a little bit early, don't try to leave early or take extended breaks, and be willing to do things that other people aren't. There are some, however, that are more internship-based. As an intern, you're likely to get delegated to 'grunt' work and, although that can sometimes be irritating, you should do it with a positive attitude and try to learn something from it. Because you can learn something. As intelligent and prepared as you might think you are for an internship, you will work with people who have been doing this for a lot longer than you and you shouldn't insinuate that you might already know all they have to teach you.
That article is extremely useful for getting ready for your internship because it teaches you a valuable lesson: you can learn something from everything and everyone. And that, honestly, is the most important part of being an intern: understanding that you are not only there to work and look good for colleges. You are also there to gain experience in a field you have interest in and to learn about the world of jobs and to discover new things about that particular career and to start a network of people. Being an intern is so much more than a lot of people make it out to be and understanding that is the best thing you can do to get ready for your mentorship.
Assignment 5: Communication 9-17-17:
As I move from speaking to one person to speaking to another, my words and mannerisms - my communication methods - change drastically. When talking to my friends, I generally use more bombastic hand movements. I speak faster and trip over my words more and I let go of any desire to attempt to speak in a more pedantic manner. My friends expect a lively, silly person when speaking to me and I never have to worry about them harshly judging me for skipping words or mixing them up or even using simpler phrases than I could. There are less expectations about the level of my ability to communicate with friends because they know me and they know the desire to think as little as possible. They understand that I don't want to try to be fancy all the time. With family members, there is a little bit of a difference. My parents expect that I speak clearly and loudly and that I enunciate every word. My brother expects that I use larger, more complex words just because he can. Of course, at home there are still large, exuberant hand motions and easy going, fast-paced speaking, but my words are more thought out and more clearly stated than if I were with friends because my family expects only the best from me.
With a mentor, however, the situation would be different. The best path to take would be an even middle ground between the two generally used forms of communications. Both of the ways I communicate - with my family or with my friends - are a part of me and should be shown to an interviewer or employer or mentor so they know what they're getting if they decide to hire me/take me on. That being said, though, mentors expect a level of professionalism that I do not typically display in general day to day communication with the people I normally interact with. When I speak with a mentor, I will do a better job at containing my hand movements and presenting a more composed body language than I normally present. I will focus more on using pretentious words only when they relate to the career that I become a part of so I don't end up sounding like a know-it-all, but I still end up sounding intelligent and worth their time and effort.
As I move from speaking to one person to speaking to another, my words and mannerisms - my communication methods - change drastically. When talking to my friends, I generally use more bombastic hand movements. I speak faster and trip over my words more and I let go of any desire to attempt to speak in a more pedantic manner. My friends expect a lively, silly person when speaking to me and I never have to worry about them harshly judging me for skipping words or mixing them up or even using simpler phrases than I could. There are less expectations about the level of my ability to communicate with friends because they know me and they know the desire to think as little as possible. They understand that I don't want to try to be fancy all the time. With family members, there is a little bit of a difference. My parents expect that I speak clearly and loudly and that I enunciate every word. My brother expects that I use larger, more complex words just because he can. Of course, at home there are still large, exuberant hand motions and easy going, fast-paced speaking, but my words are more thought out and more clearly stated than if I were with friends because my family expects only the best from me.
With a mentor, however, the situation would be different. The best path to take would be an even middle ground between the two generally used forms of communications. Both of the ways I communicate - with my family or with my friends - are a part of me and should be shown to an interviewer or employer or mentor so they know what they're getting if they decide to hire me/take me on. That being said, though, mentors expect a level of professionalism that I do not typically display in general day to day communication with the people I normally interact with. When I speak with a mentor, I will do a better job at containing my hand movements and presenting a more composed body language than I normally present. I will focus more on using pretentious words only when they relate to the career that I become a part of so I don't end up sounding like a know-it-all, but I still end up sounding intelligent and worth their time and effort.
Assignment 6: Work Ethic 9-17-17:
Work ethic has been, according to unnamed research, defined among three general traits: interpersonal skills, initiative, and being dependable. These skills are rather self-explanatory and a lack of them could lead to disastrous work experience. Employers are significantly more likely to hire a candidate who can prove they have these three traits over someone who can't. I was given an assignment to take the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory quiz to discover how I fair in those three skills and how that compares to others in the workforce. This quiz has been designed and twisted and tweaked to give the most accurate description of a person's work ethic given that they answered honestly. Below this post is the quiz itself if you want to take it and see how you fair.
My personal results from the quiz were quite different from what I expected. There were some things that I knew about myself; I knew that out of the three traits, dependability would be my highest. I was relatively assured in my ability to be there for others and to do what needed to be done. The other two, however, surprised me. Not only what I not expecting the two to be as high as they were, I was definitely not expecting my interpersonal skills to be higher than my initiative. I know that I'm not as likely to strike out on my own and take the initiative, but I had always believed that any skill involving human contact would be lower for me. I am shy and nervous around strangers and I have a hard time initiating contact. Then again, there's initiative again. I hadn't realized until I took this quiz how truly expansive initiative in the workplace and in everyday life was. More than anything, though, I was not expecting my scores to be higher than mean scores for females in a 1997 study of this same quiz. My work ethic could still use some work, but now I know where to aim my improvements.
Work ethic has been, according to unnamed research, defined among three general traits: interpersonal skills, initiative, and being dependable. These skills are rather self-explanatory and a lack of them could lead to disastrous work experience. Employers are significantly more likely to hire a candidate who can prove they have these three traits over someone who can't. I was given an assignment to take the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory quiz to discover how I fair in those three skills and how that compares to others in the workforce. This quiz has been designed and twisted and tweaked to give the most accurate description of a person's work ethic given that they answered honestly. Below this post is the quiz itself if you want to take it and see how you fair.
My personal results from the quiz were quite different from what I expected. There were some things that I knew about myself; I knew that out of the three traits, dependability would be my highest. I was relatively assured in my ability to be there for others and to do what needed to be done. The other two, however, surprised me. Not only what I not expecting the two to be as high as they were, I was definitely not expecting my interpersonal skills to be higher than my initiative. I know that I'm not as likely to strike out on my own and take the initiative, but I had always believed that any skill involving human contact would be lower for me. I am shy and nervous around strangers and I have a hard time initiating contact. Then again, there's initiative again. I hadn't realized until I took this quiz how truly expansive initiative in the workplace and in everyday life was. More than anything, though, I was not expecting my scores to be higher than mean scores for females in a 1997 study of this same quiz. My work ethic could still use some work, but now I know where to aim my improvements.
Assignment 7: Growing Leaders 9-19-17:
Tim Elmore, in the blog linked "Growing Leaders" below, wrote an article defining what an internship should be displayed as to maximize efficiency and success. He talks about how internships should be introduced as long interviews where "every day is a time to observe and be observed" (Elmore, Growing Leaders). Leading with this idea of an internship generally pushes interns to be teachable, initiative, responsible, and energetic.
As someone currently living out the role of an intern, this article is especially interesting. Elmore wrote it from the point of view of the employer, but it easily applies to my role. This shows me that this arrangement I have isn't one-way. My own enjoyment is just as important as that of my employer. If my employer isn't pleased by me and my attitude, then I will have lost a lot of valuable things. For one, I will have lost the chance to forge a network of people who already have a career in the field that I intend to enter. For another, a strained relationship between mentor and intern would have lead to a lack of true communication and, therefore, a lost wealth of information and knowledge.
In order to prevent this undesirable result, I will be sure to step up for menial tasks that most wouldn't find any use in. I will apply myself to the duties I am tasked with and I will do my best to understand the reasoning behind each task. If I don't understand, I'll make sure to ask questions. Most importantly, I will take the time to communicate with my mentor beyond simply asking questions and giving information.
Tim Elmore, in the blog linked "Growing Leaders" below, wrote an article defining what an internship should be displayed as to maximize efficiency and success. He talks about how internships should be introduced as long interviews where "every day is a time to observe and be observed" (Elmore, Growing Leaders). Leading with this idea of an internship generally pushes interns to be teachable, initiative, responsible, and energetic.
As someone currently living out the role of an intern, this article is especially interesting. Elmore wrote it from the point of view of the employer, but it easily applies to my role. This shows me that this arrangement I have isn't one-way. My own enjoyment is just as important as that of my employer. If my employer isn't pleased by me and my attitude, then I will have lost a lot of valuable things. For one, I will have lost the chance to forge a network of people who already have a career in the field that I intend to enter. For another, a strained relationship between mentor and intern would have lead to a lack of true communication and, therefore, a lost wealth of information and knowledge.
In order to prevent this undesirable result, I will be sure to step up for menial tasks that most wouldn't find any use in. I will apply myself to the duties I am tasked with and I will do my best to understand the reasoning behind each task. If I don't understand, I'll make sure to ask questions. Most importantly, I will take the time to communicate with my mentor beyond simply asking questions and giving information.
Assignment 8: Graphic Organizer 10-15-17:
Assignment 9: Reflection 10-19-17:
The article 'Pharmocogenomics: Playing the Odds' by Amy Maxmen is an essential part to my research. The basis of the article is just describing pharmocogenomics and the usefulness it poses in the medical field. Pharmocogenomics is the study of how a person's genomic structure effects how well they metabolize different drugs. This is incredibly useful information, especially for people who are on a lot of different drugs. An example, as stated in the article, is a person with Hepatitis C. There are a lot of different drug and therapy options for them and not a lot work for a lot of people. There is also, of course, the factor of money. A person can only pay for so many different treatments. They need to know how useful one will be before they pay all that money for the treatment. With pharmocogenomics, a patient can learn how well they would metabolize a drug so it helps them to determine how well the drug should work on them. This is invaluable information that could help save a person's time and money.
I could potentially use this article as a segue into my big question - the base of my research. As I am interning in a pharmocogenomics lab, my big question will likely have something to do with the subject of pharmocogenomics. I can use information that I get from this article and from actually working in a lab. Additionally, this article proves how unbelievably useful and important the subject is, which will help the article act as a motivator for me. How can I ignore the calling of this amazing branch of biotechnology when I know how important and powerful and helpful the subject is?
The article 'Pharmocogenomics: Playing the Odds' by Amy Maxmen is an essential part to my research. The basis of the article is just describing pharmocogenomics and the usefulness it poses in the medical field. Pharmocogenomics is the study of how a person's genomic structure effects how well they metabolize different drugs. This is incredibly useful information, especially for people who are on a lot of different drugs. An example, as stated in the article, is a person with Hepatitis C. There are a lot of different drug and therapy options for them and not a lot work for a lot of people. There is also, of course, the factor of money. A person can only pay for so many different treatments. They need to know how useful one will be before they pay all that money for the treatment. With pharmocogenomics, a patient can learn how well they would metabolize a drug so it helps them to determine how well the drug should work on them. This is invaluable information that could help save a person's time and money.
I could potentially use this article as a segue into my big question - the base of my research. As I am interning in a pharmocogenomics lab, my big question will likely have something to do with the subject of pharmocogenomics. I can use information that I get from this article and from actually working in a lab. Additionally, this article proves how unbelievably useful and important the subject is, which will help the article act as a motivator for me. How can I ignore the calling of this amazing branch of biotechnology when I know how important and powerful and helpful the subject is?
Assignment 10: Internship Update 10-25-17:
My perception of my internship has greatly changed over the time that I've spent working there. Through watching TV shows, or reading books, or even just listening to teachers talking about their past in science, I had always assumed that I would be spending my hours doing grunt work and occasionally observing some science here or there. Instead, my mentor has been totally engaged with us interns and has focused on making sure that we get as much out of the program as we put in. My mentor is always willing to ask questions about the science being performed and is willing to allow me to actually participate in some of the experiments myself. My internship is not just grunt work and trying to get a glimpse of science. Instead, it's learning and excitement and inclusion into the department I intern with.
All of that, more than anything, surprised me. I wasn't expecting something so closely aligning with what I had been hoping. I don't mind grunt work because someone has to do it and you can learn something from every bit of work you do in the lab - grunt work or not, but the experiments and tests that are run in the lab I intern at are genuinely interesting and entirely fascinating and I will always prefer to learn about science than do, well, anything else really. Beyond that, though, the amount of paperwork that is required in pharmocogenomics is definitely surprising. I realized that any sort of test that involved personal information about a patient would require some paperwork, but there was definitely more than I had been expecting. The paperwork is fun though, and it offers a chance to just observe the people around the workplace because of the mindlessness of the activity.
The people at the lab are amazing and always willing to help, but that's where I personally run into a bit of a problem. No one is perfect and that certainly applies to me. To improve my performance and get the most out of this wonderful opportunity, I need to open up. As wonderful and willing as the scientists are, they cannot help if I cannot muster up the courage to speak to them. I have always been shy and timid and that is affecting my performance in the lab and is affecting the amount I get out of the program. I will improve, though. I will learn to be more easygoing and more comfortable around the people there. I will learn how to speak up. I will become more courageous. Growing is often a painful and awkward experience, but, in this case, it will be worth it. For this program and for the lab I intern at, it will be worth it.
My perception of my internship has greatly changed over the time that I've spent working there. Through watching TV shows, or reading books, or even just listening to teachers talking about their past in science, I had always assumed that I would be spending my hours doing grunt work and occasionally observing some science here or there. Instead, my mentor has been totally engaged with us interns and has focused on making sure that we get as much out of the program as we put in. My mentor is always willing to ask questions about the science being performed and is willing to allow me to actually participate in some of the experiments myself. My internship is not just grunt work and trying to get a glimpse of science. Instead, it's learning and excitement and inclusion into the department I intern with.
All of that, more than anything, surprised me. I wasn't expecting something so closely aligning with what I had been hoping. I don't mind grunt work because someone has to do it and you can learn something from every bit of work you do in the lab - grunt work or not, but the experiments and tests that are run in the lab I intern at are genuinely interesting and entirely fascinating and I will always prefer to learn about science than do, well, anything else really. Beyond that, though, the amount of paperwork that is required in pharmocogenomics is definitely surprising. I realized that any sort of test that involved personal information about a patient would require some paperwork, but there was definitely more than I had been expecting. The paperwork is fun though, and it offers a chance to just observe the people around the workplace because of the mindlessness of the activity.
The people at the lab are amazing and always willing to help, but that's where I personally run into a bit of a problem. No one is perfect and that certainly applies to me. To improve my performance and get the most out of this wonderful opportunity, I need to open up. As wonderful and willing as the scientists are, they cannot help if I cannot muster up the courage to speak to them. I have always been shy and timid and that is affecting my performance in the lab and is affecting the amount I get out of the program. I will improve, though. I will learn to be more easygoing and more comfortable around the people there. I will learn how to speak up. I will become more courageous. Growing is often a painful and awkward experience, but, in this case, it will be worth it. For this program and for the lab I intern at, it will be worth it.
Assignment 11: Mentorship Write Up/ Picture 11-5-17:
My Profile: I am a student at Forsyth Central High School and am lucky enough to be a part of the STEM program there. The STEM program is an amazing academy within the school that focuses on rigorous classes and one of two career pathways: biotechnology or engineering. I personally chose biotechnology for the sole reason that I hated engineering. I hadn’t even known what biotech was when I started the program. To be completely honest, I went into STEM hating science, technology, engineering, and math. I joined the program simply because it would look better for college, not for the actual content I would learn. What I hadn’t been prepared for was how quickly those opinions would change. By the time nine weeks came around, I was completely sold on STEM and was already looking into biotech careers that I could pursue. That was how I chose the area in which I am currently interning. STEM showed me the true beauty of science and I did my best to completely immerse myself in it. |
My Mentorship: I was given the chance to intern at a place called Aeon Global Health Laboratories. There, I intern specifically in the pharmacogenomics (PGX) department, which also houses the hereditary cancer screening (CGX) and the women’s health (MDX). Most of the work I do is specifically aimed towards PGX. Pharmacogenomics is the study of how a person’s genes affect the rate at which they metabolize different drugs. The head of this department is my mentor, Jillian Quiett. She is amazing and is incredibly skilled at explaining the science in an understandable way. She has taught me how to do PGX DNA extraction, the accessioning of the paperwork and samples, the rack-and-stack of the samples, eligibility checks, data analysis, and open array. I have been given the chance to work with actual samples and actual data and have learned an incredible amount about the processes of pharmacogenomics.
My Future: In the future, I plan to go to college for a forensics degree. At first, it may seem that forensics and pharmacogenomics have nothing in common aside from the fact that both are STEM careers. That is, however, incorrect. My knowledge of DNA extraction – a commonly used forensic science technique – will be invaluable for my classes and, eventually, my career. My knowledge of the paperwork necessary for testing the DNA samples received by the PGX department will also be incredibly helpful for a future where, most likely, I’ll start out as a grunt worker in a lab and will have to do a lot of the paperwork. Real life experience of lab etiquette and interpersonal communications will set me forward in the eyes of people who run labs in the classes I take or the jobs I get. Beyond all that, however, just having an internship in a science field will increase my chances of getting to work in a research lab as a first year, or to get an internship with a forensics lab. This mentorship will propel me forward into the future where my dreams will be realized.
Assignment 13: Partner in Your Education 11-29-17:
Throughout this entire experience, my mentor and the other staff at Aeon Global Health have been incredible partners in my education. Each and every person there is always willing to take the time to experience a protocol or a piece of equipment, which has been essential in my growth as an intern and as a scientist. The people there make sure to make me feel like myself and my education is as important to them as it is to me. They help me reach new heights and learn new things.
Beyond just learning about the different protocols and equipment, I have also learned about new jobs while I was at my internship. The first one I learned about was a pharmacogenomic scientist which is someone who performs the science necessary to test a person's metabolizing rate of different drugs. This is an amazing portion of genomics that hadn't even occurred to me before I stated working at Aeon Global Health. I had never realized that there was even a need to research that, but once I got to the lab, I realized the full importance of the subject and the magnitude of people that the subject affects.
I try to give back to my mentor as they give to me. The paperwork that I do (rack and stacking, accessioning, and eligibility checking) greatly lessens the amount that the actual lab scientists have to do.
Throughout this entire experience, my mentor and the other staff at Aeon Global Health have been incredible partners in my education. Each and every person there is always willing to take the time to experience a protocol or a piece of equipment, which has been essential in my growth as an intern and as a scientist. The people there make sure to make me feel like myself and my education is as important to them as it is to me. They help me reach new heights and learn new things.
Beyond just learning about the different protocols and equipment, I have also learned about new jobs while I was at my internship. The first one I learned about was a pharmacogenomic scientist which is someone who performs the science necessary to test a person's metabolizing rate of different drugs. This is an amazing portion of genomics that hadn't even occurred to me before I stated working at Aeon Global Health. I had never realized that there was even a need to research that, but once I got to the lab, I realized the full importance of the subject and the magnitude of people that the subject affects.
I try to give back to my mentor as they give to me. The paperwork that I do (rack and stacking, accessioning, and eligibility checking) greatly lessens the amount that the actual lab scientists have to do.
Assignment 14: Career Field Research Project 12-13-17:
Assignment 15: Interview 1-10-18:
This assignment was to design 10 different questions to ask my mentor and to reflect on her answers. The questions, answers, and reflections are below. All words in quotation marks are my mentor's directly quoted answers and the words not in quotation marks are my own responses.
1. How long did it take you to become the department head at Aeon Global Health?
"I started in March 2014 as a laboratory tech in toxicology. The Genetics department started in January 2014 and started to have an increase in samples by March 2014 when I started. I only working in Tox[icology] for about a week before I got chosen to work in the genetics lab. We only had PGx [pharmacogenomics] at that time. I became the Department Head for PGx in April 2015. So about a year before I moved up. I have seen it take much longer for other laboratory techs. We then introduced the Women's Health Department and Hereditary Cancer department. We then made a larger umbrella and included all 3 genetic departments under one lab "The Genetic Department" where I manage all 3 as of August 2017."
I was honestly shocked at this. To become a department head in a year is pretty impressive especially since she would have only been working there for a year, too. This gives me hope. I mean, like she said, she's seen other people who took much longer to achieve that position, but this shows that there is a chance to move quickly through the ranks and achieve a high position in the workplace. I am also impressed that when they merged the three departments she managed to stay in charge of them. Theoretically, the other two departments (women's health and hereditary cancer) would have had department heads too, but she was the one who was chosen to lead the hybrid umbrella Genetics Department.
2. How unique is each person's pharmacogenomic test results?
"Every test is unique in the fact that everyone's DNA makeup is completely different. Though we have not compared identical twins that would be a great experiment. We have seen patient results from one family dynamic (mom, dad, and son), where all 3 patients had different results. You could see in the son's report that it favors both the mom and dad."
This is very helpful regarding my essential question. If every test is unique, then, theoretically, a pharmacogenomics test could be run to match a person to DNA found elsewhere which is a recently explored branch of forensics. Her answer, specifically the portion about the family test results, makes me interested as to how it was visible in the son's report that it favors both the mom and the dad. Were there genes that were homozygous dominant from the father and homozygous recessive from the mother and the son had heterzygous? It is very curious and interests me to discover at some point in the internship.
3. Do you prefer to work pharmacogenomics or women's health? Why?
"All of our tech's prefer to work with PGX, including myself. That is due to the type of swab we are extracting from. The PGx is a buccal swab (cheek swab) where the Women's health swab is a vaginal swab and tends to be more viscous. So it is typical for our male staff to try and get out of participating in that extraction. Personally I do not mind it as much due to the fact I have worked with stool samples in the past and nothing beats that!"
From what I have experienced with both MDX (women's health) and PGX, I would have to agree, but for different reasons. I think that I personally prefer PGX because I have run through that experiment more often than MDX. I wonder what part of the viscosity of the sample effects the enjoyment of the experimentation? Does it effect the actual test results or does it make certain machines more finicky? That again, is something that I hope to discover for myself through my time at the internship. Also, I could not imagine working with stool. I am a huge believer in doing it for science, but even that might be too far.
4. What college education do you have and how well do you think it prepared you for your job?
"I have a bachelor's of Science Degree concentrating in the area of Health Science from Brenau University. Most of our tech's have a chemistry, or biology bachelor science degree. I believe any science concentration will prepare you enough to work inside a laboratory. A science degree will give you the basic pipetting, logic, and math skills necessary to function in a lab day to day. The most prepared scientist we employ is usually a biologist. I have encountered multiple PhD biologists that are of course more prepared than most, but still lack basic laboratory skills. That is due to their concentration more geared towards a research based degree or bioinformatics/computer based degree."
I am surprised at this answer, honestly. Since pharmacogenomics is such a specific field of genetics, I had figured that there would be stricter requirements on what you needed to learn from college to work in the department. Then again, pharmacogenomics is a relatively new field, so colleges probably haven't gotten the chance to catch up and specify their majors option to be targeted towards pharmacogenomics specifically. Also, I had believed that a biochemist would be the most prepared for the job, not a biologist. Obviously there has to be the essential understanding of genetics that comes with a degree in biology, but I had believed that there were more chemistry aspects of the job than a biology major would be prepared for, but evidently not.
5. Can you tell what medicines a person is taking through the pharmacogenomics test?
"You cannot tell what type of medications a person is taking through this test. That test would be a Toxicology test which is another department, but still offered in this facility. A PGx test will give a patient's potential to metabolize such drugs to prevent adverse drug effects. For example, Kali goes to the doctor for her heart condition to be prescribed cardiac medications. Sometimes the medications we are prescribed do not relieve us of our symptoms or can create more problems for us. It could take a doctor months of trial and error trying out different types of medications before the patient sees any relief. Why go through the process of trying different medications to find out what drug works best for you? You are wasting time, money, and causing potential dangers to your body. There are thousands of people that die from ADE (Adverse Drug Events) a year. When you only have one copy of a gene instead of your normal 2 copies then drugs can sit in your body and build up toxins due to being a slow metabolizer. On the other hand, you can have 3-4 copies of a gene and be a rapid metabolizer where you get no benefits of the drug because it is going right through your system."
I had known that Toxicology tests for drugs, but I knew that when a person applies for a pharmacogenomics test they put codes indicating what kind of tests they want - in order to test them for their metabolization rates of specific drug types. I figured that since the scientists worked off a list of tested drug types that they would be able to work backwards, but this actually makes a lot more sense. It is impossible to work backwards to that because of what is being observed in the pharmacogenomics tests. There, DNA SNPs are being observed which makes it impossible to test the presence of medications in a person.
6. Have you been in any other job than this? If so, what was it and how difficult is this job compared to it?
"This is the first job I got right out of college. I have had other jobs before but none of them are as rewarding as this one. The other jobs I had were retail and administrative positions. Those types of jobs are very easy in my eyes but were also necessary to learn as it is the foundation of my current job. I learned customer service, computer and organizational skills that are necessary to have when being a laboratory manager. It is not all about science unfortunately."
I am impressed that she joined this straight out of college. There are few people that I know of who went straight for the job they wanted. Also, the connection between her retail and administrative jobs to her current job are heartening. The knowledge that little summer jobs that a high school student could find themselves could be useful in my future profession helps a lot. Mind numbing cashier jobs are disheartening if you think that there's no point in them, so now I have proof that they are useful.
7. If you could suggest one improvement to the pharmacogenomics testing process, what would it be?
"The main improvement I would make to the PGx department would be to bring back a test we used to do called Copy Number Variation on CYP2D6. This gene is responsible for 25% of the pharmaceutical industry. It converts codeine into morphine. So there are a lot of medications affected by this gene. This gene is known for having multiple copies especially within the Asian demographic. We had to stop testing for it because Medicare would no longer pay it."
Honestly, this is sad. The fact that Medicare stopped paying for something effects other people so much is sad. This test seems as if it would be genuinely helpful for a lot of people, but there's no chance to help people that way now that a single company stopped paying for that incredibly useful test. This answer also hits home how impactful seemingly insignificant things can be.
8. Why did you choose to go into this field of science rather than something else?
"To be honest, I did not choose to go into this field. This field chose me. When I graduated with my Science degree I had no idea which route I would go. I knew that I wanted to do something meaningful and that would make a difference. I did not seek out this position when I entered the work field. I was simply just trying to get my foot in the door in the medical field. I took interest into this field and excelled at it, which is why I am where I am now. You never know where you will end up or the journey life takes you. As long as you know what you want out of your career you will end up where you want to be."
I like this answer a lot, especially the portion about the field choosing her. I believe that the field choosing you is just as important as you choosing the field. It can't be just that you enjoy the job and want to do it. You have to understand and be skilled at the job in turn. There has to be a point where you're useful at the job and you're not dead-weight to a company. That is what makes her answer so powerful.
9. What qualifications are necessary to obtain a pharmacogenomics job?
"Expertise in good laboratory practices, knowledge of quality control and sequencing assays - Good written and verbal communication skills with a strong attention to detail and documentation - Excellent interpersonal and employee management skills, BA, BS, MS in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Molecular Biology, Genetics, or related life science field with a Supervisors License is required at some laboratories depending on state requirement's. Certification by ASCP as a Molecular Biologist or equivalent registry as a Medical Technologist or a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Licensure from the Tennessee Department of Health as a Medical Technological Supervisor, Medical Laboratory Scientist, or Special Analyst is required. Requires MT.
"Managers are responsible for following all procedures and protocols pertaining to patient sample processing, pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical testing and Laboratory Information Management System, supervising employees, creating shift schedules, participate in employee performance reviews and disciplinary procedures and maintain specimen testing integrity and efficient turn-around times to ensure client and patient satisfaction."
I was not expecting this many requirements. I thought that there would be a few things such as the beginning ones: good lab practices, good communication, etc. The idea that I would have to get a Licensure from the Tennessee Department of Health and that I could need a Supervisors License all along with an actual college degree is shocking, not to mention the skills that she listed as necessary for a managerial position. I am not disheartened by it, though. This just means that I need to get my wits about me and be prepared to work for my dreams.
10. How can I, as a high school student, prepare for a career in pharmacogenomics?
"As a high school student, it will be difficult to prepare for a career in Pharmacogenomics considering you do not get enough practice in the laboratory until college. High school lab time is very limited. The internship is the best way to prepare for PGx when you are in high school. In college, there are many biology and chemistry classes you can take that will prepare you very well for any laboratory job. The key to getting the most out of your classes is paying attention to the laboratory portion and feeling comfortable using the equipment. Pay attention to different extraction techniques and qualification methods in class and that will give you the upper hand."
As a senior with not a lot of time to start changing my habits to prepare for a career in this field, it's a relief to hear that I am doing about as much as I can with my internship. Beyond that, though, I feel that my high school experience prepared me for lab work more than she is expecting. Since I am in the Biotech program, I spend a lot more time doing lab than other classes. Biotech II was about five days of notes and the rest of the days doing actual lab work. The knowledge that this extensive of a high school lab class is not expecting relieves me too because it tells me that I am doing more than she even expects to prepare me for a future in this career.
This assignment was to design 10 different questions to ask my mentor and to reflect on her answers. The questions, answers, and reflections are below. All words in quotation marks are my mentor's directly quoted answers and the words not in quotation marks are my own responses.
1. How long did it take you to become the department head at Aeon Global Health?
"I started in March 2014 as a laboratory tech in toxicology. The Genetics department started in January 2014 and started to have an increase in samples by March 2014 when I started. I only working in Tox[icology] for about a week before I got chosen to work in the genetics lab. We only had PGx [pharmacogenomics] at that time. I became the Department Head for PGx in April 2015. So about a year before I moved up. I have seen it take much longer for other laboratory techs. We then introduced the Women's Health Department and Hereditary Cancer department. We then made a larger umbrella and included all 3 genetic departments under one lab "The Genetic Department" where I manage all 3 as of August 2017."
I was honestly shocked at this. To become a department head in a year is pretty impressive especially since she would have only been working there for a year, too. This gives me hope. I mean, like she said, she's seen other people who took much longer to achieve that position, but this shows that there is a chance to move quickly through the ranks and achieve a high position in the workplace. I am also impressed that when they merged the three departments she managed to stay in charge of them. Theoretically, the other two departments (women's health and hereditary cancer) would have had department heads too, but she was the one who was chosen to lead the hybrid umbrella Genetics Department.
2. How unique is each person's pharmacogenomic test results?
"Every test is unique in the fact that everyone's DNA makeup is completely different. Though we have not compared identical twins that would be a great experiment. We have seen patient results from one family dynamic (mom, dad, and son), where all 3 patients had different results. You could see in the son's report that it favors both the mom and dad."
This is very helpful regarding my essential question. If every test is unique, then, theoretically, a pharmacogenomics test could be run to match a person to DNA found elsewhere which is a recently explored branch of forensics. Her answer, specifically the portion about the family test results, makes me interested as to how it was visible in the son's report that it favors both the mom and the dad. Were there genes that were homozygous dominant from the father and homozygous recessive from the mother and the son had heterzygous? It is very curious and interests me to discover at some point in the internship.
3. Do you prefer to work pharmacogenomics or women's health? Why?
"All of our tech's prefer to work with PGX, including myself. That is due to the type of swab we are extracting from. The PGx is a buccal swab (cheek swab) where the Women's health swab is a vaginal swab and tends to be more viscous. So it is typical for our male staff to try and get out of participating in that extraction. Personally I do not mind it as much due to the fact I have worked with stool samples in the past and nothing beats that!"
From what I have experienced with both MDX (women's health) and PGX, I would have to agree, but for different reasons. I think that I personally prefer PGX because I have run through that experiment more often than MDX. I wonder what part of the viscosity of the sample effects the enjoyment of the experimentation? Does it effect the actual test results or does it make certain machines more finicky? That again, is something that I hope to discover for myself through my time at the internship. Also, I could not imagine working with stool. I am a huge believer in doing it for science, but even that might be too far.
4. What college education do you have and how well do you think it prepared you for your job?
"I have a bachelor's of Science Degree concentrating in the area of Health Science from Brenau University. Most of our tech's have a chemistry, or biology bachelor science degree. I believe any science concentration will prepare you enough to work inside a laboratory. A science degree will give you the basic pipetting, logic, and math skills necessary to function in a lab day to day. The most prepared scientist we employ is usually a biologist. I have encountered multiple PhD biologists that are of course more prepared than most, but still lack basic laboratory skills. That is due to their concentration more geared towards a research based degree or bioinformatics/computer based degree."
I am surprised at this answer, honestly. Since pharmacogenomics is such a specific field of genetics, I had figured that there would be stricter requirements on what you needed to learn from college to work in the department. Then again, pharmacogenomics is a relatively new field, so colleges probably haven't gotten the chance to catch up and specify their majors option to be targeted towards pharmacogenomics specifically. Also, I had believed that a biochemist would be the most prepared for the job, not a biologist. Obviously there has to be the essential understanding of genetics that comes with a degree in biology, but I had believed that there were more chemistry aspects of the job than a biology major would be prepared for, but evidently not.
5. Can you tell what medicines a person is taking through the pharmacogenomics test?
"You cannot tell what type of medications a person is taking through this test. That test would be a Toxicology test which is another department, but still offered in this facility. A PGx test will give a patient's potential to metabolize such drugs to prevent adverse drug effects. For example, Kali goes to the doctor for her heart condition to be prescribed cardiac medications. Sometimes the medications we are prescribed do not relieve us of our symptoms or can create more problems for us. It could take a doctor months of trial and error trying out different types of medications before the patient sees any relief. Why go through the process of trying different medications to find out what drug works best for you? You are wasting time, money, and causing potential dangers to your body. There are thousands of people that die from ADE (Adverse Drug Events) a year. When you only have one copy of a gene instead of your normal 2 copies then drugs can sit in your body and build up toxins due to being a slow metabolizer. On the other hand, you can have 3-4 copies of a gene and be a rapid metabolizer where you get no benefits of the drug because it is going right through your system."
I had known that Toxicology tests for drugs, but I knew that when a person applies for a pharmacogenomics test they put codes indicating what kind of tests they want - in order to test them for their metabolization rates of specific drug types. I figured that since the scientists worked off a list of tested drug types that they would be able to work backwards, but this actually makes a lot more sense. It is impossible to work backwards to that because of what is being observed in the pharmacogenomics tests. There, DNA SNPs are being observed which makes it impossible to test the presence of medications in a person.
6. Have you been in any other job than this? If so, what was it and how difficult is this job compared to it?
"This is the first job I got right out of college. I have had other jobs before but none of them are as rewarding as this one. The other jobs I had were retail and administrative positions. Those types of jobs are very easy in my eyes but were also necessary to learn as it is the foundation of my current job. I learned customer service, computer and organizational skills that are necessary to have when being a laboratory manager. It is not all about science unfortunately."
I am impressed that she joined this straight out of college. There are few people that I know of who went straight for the job they wanted. Also, the connection between her retail and administrative jobs to her current job are heartening. The knowledge that little summer jobs that a high school student could find themselves could be useful in my future profession helps a lot. Mind numbing cashier jobs are disheartening if you think that there's no point in them, so now I have proof that they are useful.
7. If you could suggest one improvement to the pharmacogenomics testing process, what would it be?
"The main improvement I would make to the PGx department would be to bring back a test we used to do called Copy Number Variation on CYP2D6. This gene is responsible for 25% of the pharmaceutical industry. It converts codeine into morphine. So there are a lot of medications affected by this gene. This gene is known for having multiple copies especially within the Asian demographic. We had to stop testing for it because Medicare would no longer pay it."
Honestly, this is sad. The fact that Medicare stopped paying for something effects other people so much is sad. This test seems as if it would be genuinely helpful for a lot of people, but there's no chance to help people that way now that a single company stopped paying for that incredibly useful test. This answer also hits home how impactful seemingly insignificant things can be.
8. Why did you choose to go into this field of science rather than something else?
"To be honest, I did not choose to go into this field. This field chose me. When I graduated with my Science degree I had no idea which route I would go. I knew that I wanted to do something meaningful and that would make a difference. I did not seek out this position when I entered the work field. I was simply just trying to get my foot in the door in the medical field. I took interest into this field and excelled at it, which is why I am where I am now. You never know where you will end up or the journey life takes you. As long as you know what you want out of your career you will end up where you want to be."
I like this answer a lot, especially the portion about the field choosing her. I believe that the field choosing you is just as important as you choosing the field. It can't be just that you enjoy the job and want to do it. You have to understand and be skilled at the job in turn. There has to be a point where you're useful at the job and you're not dead-weight to a company. That is what makes her answer so powerful.
9. What qualifications are necessary to obtain a pharmacogenomics job?
"Expertise in good laboratory practices, knowledge of quality control and sequencing assays - Good written and verbal communication skills with a strong attention to detail and documentation - Excellent interpersonal and employee management skills, BA, BS, MS in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Molecular Biology, Genetics, or related life science field with a Supervisors License is required at some laboratories depending on state requirement's. Certification by ASCP as a Molecular Biologist or equivalent registry as a Medical Technologist or a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Licensure from the Tennessee Department of Health as a Medical Technological Supervisor, Medical Laboratory Scientist, or Special Analyst is required. Requires MT.
"Managers are responsible for following all procedures and protocols pertaining to patient sample processing, pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical testing and Laboratory Information Management System, supervising employees, creating shift schedules, participate in employee performance reviews and disciplinary procedures and maintain specimen testing integrity and efficient turn-around times to ensure client and patient satisfaction."
I was not expecting this many requirements. I thought that there would be a few things such as the beginning ones: good lab practices, good communication, etc. The idea that I would have to get a Licensure from the Tennessee Department of Health and that I could need a Supervisors License all along with an actual college degree is shocking, not to mention the skills that she listed as necessary for a managerial position. I am not disheartened by it, though. This just means that I need to get my wits about me and be prepared to work for my dreams.
10. How can I, as a high school student, prepare for a career in pharmacogenomics?
"As a high school student, it will be difficult to prepare for a career in Pharmacogenomics considering you do not get enough practice in the laboratory until college. High school lab time is very limited. The internship is the best way to prepare for PGx when you are in high school. In college, there are many biology and chemistry classes you can take that will prepare you very well for any laboratory job. The key to getting the most out of your classes is paying attention to the laboratory portion and feeling comfortable using the equipment. Pay attention to different extraction techniques and qualification methods in class and that will give you the upper hand."
As a senior with not a lot of time to start changing my habits to prepare for a career in this field, it's a relief to hear that I am doing about as much as I can with my internship. Beyond that, though, I feel that my high school experience prepared me for lab work more than she is expecting. Since I am in the Biotech program, I spend a lot more time doing lab than other classes. Biotech II was about five days of notes and the rest of the days doing actual lab work. The knowledge that this extensive of a high school lab class is not expecting relieves me too because it tells me that I am doing more than she even expects to prepare me for a future in this career.
Assignment 16: Written Proposal Draft 1-18-18:
My essential question is this: How reliably can pharmacogenomics be used to create an accurate and precise genetic profile that I could implement in a forensic setting? When I sat down to try to figure out my essential question, I was stuck. I had no idea what to ask. So, I started researching. I went to scientific journals and typed in the word pharmacogenomic and just went from there. Then, I found an article that related pharmacogenomics and forensics. Since my dream is to become a forensic scientist, the fact that what I was doing right now related to the career I wanted to enter was amazing. I am driven to answer this essential question in order to bring another field of science into forensics in order to more quickly and accurately solve crimes.
Other than the required website, the tools that I envision best showcasing my project would be a mixture of two things. I believe that a brochure/pamphlet would be incredibly informative and allow me to get a good portion of the information I need to express out in one go. The best option, though, would be if I also made an informative website. If I put a QR code and/or link on the back of the pamphlet for the website I made, then the information that I am able to leave the relevant group with is practically infinite. In addition, though, an experiment with orally communicated results (and the results perhaps recorded on the informative website) would be the most demonstrative result to my essential question. If I found a way to set up the experiment, it would be perfect to demonstrate the point.
There are two main ways that I plan to do my "real inquiry" for this capstone. I intend to set up an experiment to actually test the accuracy of pharmacogenomic tests in forensic settings, but I also plan to interview pharmacogenomists and forensic scientists. I want to find what their opinions and suggestions on the actual testing would be.
My essential question is this: How reliably can pharmacogenomics be used to create an accurate and precise genetic profile that I could implement in a forensic setting? When I sat down to try to figure out my essential question, I was stuck. I had no idea what to ask. So, I started researching. I went to scientific journals and typed in the word pharmacogenomic and just went from there. Then, I found an article that related pharmacogenomics and forensics. Since my dream is to become a forensic scientist, the fact that what I was doing right now related to the career I wanted to enter was amazing. I am driven to answer this essential question in order to bring another field of science into forensics in order to more quickly and accurately solve crimes.
Other than the required website, the tools that I envision best showcasing my project would be a mixture of two things. I believe that a brochure/pamphlet would be incredibly informative and allow me to get a good portion of the information I need to express out in one go. The best option, though, would be if I also made an informative website. If I put a QR code and/or link on the back of the pamphlet for the website I made, then the information that I am able to leave the relevant group with is practically infinite. In addition, though, an experiment with orally communicated results (and the results perhaps recorded on the informative website) would be the most demonstrative result to my essential question. If I found a way to set up the experiment, it would be perfect to demonstrate the point.
There are two main ways that I plan to do my "real inquiry" for this capstone. I intend to set up an experiment to actually test the accuracy of pharmacogenomic tests in forensic settings, but I also plan to interview pharmacogenomists and forensic scientists. I want to find what their opinions and suggestions on the actual testing would be.
Assignment 17: Graphic Organizer 2 1-28-18:
Assignment 18: Annotated Bibliography 2 2-4-18:
Kayser, Manfred, and Peter de Knijff. "Improving Human Forensics through Advances in Genetics, Genomics and Molecular Biology." Nature Reviews Genetics, vol. 12, no.3, Mar. 2011, pp. 179-192., doi: 10.1038/nrg2952.
According to this resource, there are currently a lot of limitations on the usefulness of DNA profiling, one of which is its relative newness and the lack of trust people have in it. Another thing that limits DNA profiling’s use in forensics is the fact that it can only identify known persons whom the authorities are investigating. There is, however, growth in other scientific fields that can be applied to forensics. As said in the article, “Such advances in genetics, genomics, and molecular biology are likely to improve forensic case work in the near future.”
This is a serious problem facing the world at large, as proved through this source. I trust this because, first of all, the site that I received the article from is Galileo, which then obtained the article from the journal, Nature Reviews Genetics which is reputable in its own way in the scientific community. Therefore, the information is credible and the problem is real.
My essential question asks if pharmacogenomic testing can be used in a forensic setting. This article talks about using different fields of science – including genomics – to advance forensic DNA profiling which, currently, is mistrusted in some courts due to contamination issues and mistakes. This article proves that bringing in other fields of research to forensics would aid the process and result in a better justice system.
Kayser, Manfred, and Peter de Knijff. "Improving Human Forensics through Advances in Genetics, Genomics and Molecular Biology." Nature Reviews Genetics, vol. 12, no.3, Mar. 2011, pp. 179-192., doi: 10.1038/nrg2952.
According to this resource, there are currently a lot of limitations on the usefulness of DNA profiling, one of which is its relative newness and the lack of trust people have in it. Another thing that limits DNA profiling’s use in forensics is the fact that it can only identify known persons whom the authorities are investigating. There is, however, growth in other scientific fields that can be applied to forensics. As said in the article, “Such advances in genetics, genomics, and molecular biology are likely to improve forensic case work in the near future.”
This is a serious problem facing the world at large, as proved through this source. I trust this because, first of all, the site that I received the article from is Galileo, which then obtained the article from the journal, Nature Reviews Genetics which is reputable in its own way in the scientific community. Therefore, the information is credible and the problem is real.
My essential question asks if pharmacogenomic testing can be used in a forensic setting. This article talks about using different fields of science – including genomics – to advance forensic DNA profiling which, currently, is mistrusted in some courts due to contamination issues and mistakes. This article proves that bringing in other fields of research to forensics would aid the process and result in a better justice system.
Assignment 19: Capstone Updates 2-8-18:
Currently, my main focus in terms of working on my capstone is gathering information. I have been reading scientific articles on the methods of obtaining DNA and testing it. Additionally, I have been researching when DNA cannot be tested when it is obtained. There are various reasons and I aim to resolve at least one by using pharmacogenomics. Beyond that, I am researching the actual pharmacogenomics testing process, learning more about the DNA extraction and the fluorescence process. I have also begun planning to make visuals. I want small videos explaining the process along with a comprehensive brochure or pamphlet to quickly explain the situation to a relevant audience.
Currently, my main focus in terms of working on my capstone is gathering information. I have been reading scientific articles on the methods of obtaining DNA and testing it. Additionally, I have been researching when DNA cannot be tested when it is obtained. There are various reasons and I aim to resolve at least one by using pharmacogenomics. Beyond that, I am researching the actual pharmacogenomics testing process, learning more about the DNA extraction and the fluorescence process. I have also begun planning to make visuals. I want small videos explaining the process along with a comprehensive brochure or pamphlet to quickly explain the situation to a relevant audience.
Assignment 21: Annotated Bibliography 3 2-25-18:
Kupiec, Thomas C., et al. “Pharmacogenomics for the Forensic Toxicologist | Journal of Analytical Toxicology | Oxford Academic.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 Mar. 2006, academic.oup.com/jat/article/30/2/65/725916.
According to this resource, there is a certain dearth to research about pharmacogenomics which affects other fields where it could be useful, such as forensic toxicology. This resource talks about the connectivity between various individual polymorphisms and the reaction a person has to drugs. Specifically, the resource mentions the "dearth of research on the role of transport proteins and drug targets" in pharmacogenomics. The resource uses "tramadol, methadone, and oxycodone" to make the connection between pharmacogenomics and forensics.
These connections and research avenues are incredibly helpful towards enhancing pharmacogenomics and forensics. I trust this because, first of all, the site that I received the article from was a well-known scientific journal which specifies in this study of science. therefore, the information is credible.
My essential question asks if pharmacogenomic testing can be used in a forensic setting. This article talks about the connections between pharmacogenomics and forensics and techniques to advance each in order to more fully integrate the two fields of science into something that is mutually beneficial to everyone.
Kupiec, Thomas C., et al. “Pharmacogenomics for the Forensic Toxicologist | Journal of Analytical Toxicology | Oxford Academic.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 1 Mar. 2006, academic.oup.com/jat/article/30/2/65/725916.
According to this resource, there is a certain dearth to research about pharmacogenomics which affects other fields where it could be useful, such as forensic toxicology. This resource talks about the connectivity between various individual polymorphisms and the reaction a person has to drugs. Specifically, the resource mentions the "dearth of research on the role of transport proteins and drug targets" in pharmacogenomics. The resource uses "tramadol, methadone, and oxycodone" to make the connection between pharmacogenomics and forensics.
These connections and research avenues are incredibly helpful towards enhancing pharmacogenomics and forensics. I trust this because, first of all, the site that I received the article from was a well-known scientific journal which specifies in this study of science. therefore, the information is credible.
My essential question asks if pharmacogenomic testing can be used in a forensic setting. This article talks about the connections between pharmacogenomics and forensics and techniques to advance each in order to more fully integrate the two fields of science into something that is mutually beneficial to everyone.
Assignment 23: Relevant Group Presentation Reflection 3-21-18:
In watchwellcast's video about techniques for presenting to a group, they offered three main topics of conversation: prepare, posture, and pander. I plan to incorporate all three into my relevant group presentation of my capstone project. Preparing is the easiest part. I have been preparing all year through this website and my research and I aim to continue working on both of those things. Additionally, I will make sure that I am versed on the topic beyond just what is on my website. The worksheet that is attached below will be helpful for maintaining my big ideas and the supporting evidence with them, but I plan to organize my website in a way which loosely follows the worksheet, so I have my written out plan in front of my while I present. The second portion is easy as well. When I become passionate about a topic (as I am about the essential question I have chosen), my stance becomes easy and relaxed and my breathing comes easier. The hardest portion will be pandering to the audience. I don't have a particularly good sense of humor and I have a different definition of interesting than other people. Therefore, I will make my best efforts to focus on fun facts and interesting connections in order to keep my audience.
In watchwellcast's video about techniques for presenting to a group, they offered three main topics of conversation: prepare, posture, and pander. I plan to incorporate all three into my relevant group presentation of my capstone project. Preparing is the easiest part. I have been preparing all year through this website and my research and I aim to continue working on both of those things. Additionally, I will make sure that I am versed on the topic beyond just what is on my website. The worksheet that is attached below will be helpful for maintaining my big ideas and the supporting evidence with them, but I plan to organize my website in a way which loosely follows the worksheet, so I have my written out plan in front of my while I present. The second portion is easy as well. When I become passionate about a topic (as I am about the essential question I have chosen), my stance becomes easy and relaxed and my breathing comes easier. The hardest portion will be pandering to the audience. I don't have a particularly good sense of humor and I have a different definition of interesting than other people. Therefore, I will make my best efforts to focus on fun facts and interesting connections in order to keep my audience.
Assignment 26: Mentorship Reflection 5-7-18:
My mentorship with the Honors Mentorship Program has been infinitely helpful. I have gained invaluable laboratory experience, learning the do's and don't's of lab work. I learned the nuances of different labs, finding that PGX, MDX, and CGX used glass shields where Tox did all of their work in fume hoods. I have found connections in a field that I intend to study further and they have provided a lot of useful information about science fields and the specialties of science. Most importantly, I learned the importance of pharmacogenomics in health care and in a person's everyday life.
I worked hard through the program, trying new things as often as possible. Often, when I entered the lab, my mentor would give me a choice between two things. For example, I could work on accessioning or I could watch an extraction for Cancer. I sampled every portion of the Genetics department at Aeon and even learned a little bit about the Toxicology department. This extensive view of various skills that I obtained working at Aeon over the course of the year has showed me that I love working in a lab, that I greatly enjoy experimentation in a lab setting. In the end, I do not want to work in Pharmacogenomics. It isn't what I am passionate about. What I did learn about my future career, however, is that I want to specify my career choices. Instead of having an end goal of Forensics as a career, I want to be a Forensic Scientist, someone who focuses on lab work.
For future students, I urge them to really consider where their passions lie. Obviously, I could not find a internship in forensics due to my age and the lack of available forensic labs nearby, but other people can try to find something they love. I still enjoyed my mentorship, but it would be all too easy to fall into a job that you hated and to be stuck there for an entire year. Also, having a back-up option is good as well, leading towards variety and a versatile nature in the future. My advice for future students of Honors Mentorship is to take every opportunity, no matter what your first view of the opportunity is.
My mentorship with the Honors Mentorship Program has been infinitely helpful. I have gained invaluable laboratory experience, learning the do's and don't's of lab work. I learned the nuances of different labs, finding that PGX, MDX, and CGX used glass shields where Tox did all of their work in fume hoods. I have found connections in a field that I intend to study further and they have provided a lot of useful information about science fields and the specialties of science. Most importantly, I learned the importance of pharmacogenomics in health care and in a person's everyday life.
I worked hard through the program, trying new things as often as possible. Often, when I entered the lab, my mentor would give me a choice between two things. For example, I could work on accessioning or I could watch an extraction for Cancer. I sampled every portion of the Genetics department at Aeon and even learned a little bit about the Toxicology department. This extensive view of various skills that I obtained working at Aeon over the course of the year has showed me that I love working in a lab, that I greatly enjoy experimentation in a lab setting. In the end, I do not want to work in Pharmacogenomics. It isn't what I am passionate about. What I did learn about my future career, however, is that I want to specify my career choices. Instead of having an end goal of Forensics as a career, I want to be a Forensic Scientist, someone who focuses on lab work.
For future students, I urge them to really consider where their passions lie. Obviously, I could not find a internship in forensics due to my age and the lack of available forensic labs nearby, but other people can try to find something they love. I still enjoyed my mentorship, but it would be all too easy to fall into a job that you hated and to be stuck there for an entire year. Also, having a back-up option is good as well, leading towards variety and a versatile nature in the future. My advice for future students of Honors Mentorship is to take every opportunity, no matter what your first view of the opportunity is.