https://www.mskcc.org/

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Research intern

May - August 2023 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I loved working with and helping people in need.

What I wish was different

Virtual opportunities for interns

Advice

To approximate people with kindness
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Care Coordinator Intern

June - August 2021 • New York City, NY

What I liked

My co-workers were incredibly friendly and I was able to speak with a lot of different healthcare professionals to learn about all of their experiences.

What I wish was different

I wish I was able to work in different areas of the hospital to get more experience in different settings.

Advice

Ask everybody you meet about their unique work experiences. It helped me learn more about what areas I wanted and did not want to be in.
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Clinical Research Coordinator

July 2018 - September 2020 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Potential to grow in the company

What I wish was different

Better supervisor experience

Advice

Hard work will pay off
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Care Coordinator

June - August 2021 • Commack, NY

What I liked

I liked being able to help people and interact with managers, other interns, and everyone in the building. It felt like a small family.

What I wish was different

I wish some of the things they said I would do actually happened like watching a surgery for example. I was a receptionist pretty much but I made the most out of the experience that was offered!

Advice

make the best out of what you can! You do not get anywhere unless you ask so make sure to ask and ensure that YOUR internship give you all that you can get
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Fellow

June - July 2020 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Really amazing faculty who went above and beyond to make this virtual experience valuable

What I wish was different

I wish we could have been in-person

Advice

Keep in touch with your network after the internship is over
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Research Intern— Arab Health Initiative (AHI)

April - August 2020 • New York City, NY

What I liked

This research internship was the perfect introduction to the Arab-American research process. This type of work is more unique than any other research that I've been a part of because of the innovative approaches to recruitment, community engagement, data collection, and information sharing. I quickly learned about the three main challenges that one may face when conducting Arab-American research: (1) lack of data, (2) lack of funding, and (3) lack of trust. First, the U.S. Census classifies all Arabs as "white," which is an act of disrespect and erasure for the majority of Arab-Americans who do not identify as such. Additionally, the clumping of Arab-Americans, a small minority group in the U.S., with white Americans, the majority group in the U.S., causes their data to be lost and rendered inaccessible to researchers. Therefore, due to a lack of nationwide data on Arab-Americans, the staff at AHI and I had to get creative with locating Arab-American organizations and communities in New York City to invite them to our events and studies. For example, we searched through historically Arab neighborhoods to locate religious institutions, social service organizations, and community centers that may serve a significant Arab population. Second, since Arab-Americans do not have their own category on the U.S. Census, many grant programs and large funding organizations do not consider Arabs as a priority/ special population and some do not even think that Arabs are a substantial enough minority. This situation is difficult to navigate through because limited funding means that the research will be very constrained. One solution has been expanding our research teams to include other ethnic groups, especially various immigrant communities in NYC, to collaborate through acquiring greater funding, working together on projects, and considering all of our shared experiences. Third, chronic anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia in the U.S., both of which have been on the rise since 9/11 and the 2016 presidential race, have caused Arab-Americans to face interpersonal and instituional discrimination. Consequently, there is immense fear and mistrust within Arab-American communities. There is a wide gap between researchers and this population because participants often worry that their data is being used against them or that researchers are being used as a means of surveillance over their families and communities. Through my work with AHI, I have learned that this type of research is most successful when Arab researchers are working with Arab participants. As an Arab woman, I was able to speak to participants in local dialects, make them feel comfortable by thoroughly explain the research and how privacy and confidentiality are promoted, and allow them to bring up any questions or concern that they may have at any time. I believe that this approach allowed me, a community health researcher, to be a "familiar face" to Arab participants; the research appeared to be a group initiative to improve the health of local Arab-American communities, rather than some investigation ridden with great power imbalance. I also developed a vocabulary bank of medical terminology in Arabic. I already speak Arabic through the Syrian dialect, but I didn't know many medical words and phrases prior to this internship since I didn't use them at home to speak with my family and I also didn't learn them in college. I plan on becoming a physician who works with predominantly Arab populations, so developing this skillset was extremely valuable and has given me the confidence to continue conducting research in Arabic. Overall, this internship helped me expand my network with community health researchers across the U.S., learn about the challenges (and respective solutions) to the Arab-American research process, and gain inspiration for my own research. I definitely plan on returning to AHI in the future and advancing my research in this field. As I wrap up this internship and transition into the academic year, I am launching my own Arab-American study titled "Essential Work, Forgotten Perspectives: Arab-Americans in New York’s Food System," which is fully funded by the Tisch College at Tufts University. I will be accessing the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 on Arab-American food workers in NYC. The final product of this project will be a website that showcases my study's findings and includes a growing directory of Arab food businesses in New York City.

What I wish was different

This internship was virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While I wish that the internship could have been in-person, I understand that this was just not possible this year amid the current pandemic and public health precautions that are highly important to adhere to. I am very grateful to have been able to intern this year; the AHI team was incredibly supportive and planned so many virtual meetings and events that made me feel like I was sitting in the office with them. Hopefully this internship will return to an in-person setting in the future; until then, I still highly recommend this immersive virtual experience that has been informative and engaging.

Advice

My main piece of advice is to remain highly communicative. Since the AHI team is working remotely this year, it's important to frequently offer updates on what you've accomplished, what your goals are, and what you'd like assistance with. The AHI team and I had a set weekly meeting, which allowed me to offer thorough reports on everything I was working on. I also made sure to start my workday by sending out an email at 9am stating that I was beginning my work, outlining a daily agenda, and asking any questions I had. I also sent out a summary email at 5pm, the end of my work day, to highlight all the agenda items I worked on and anything I wanted to make note of. This method of constant communication allowed me to feel adequately supported and also allowed the AHI team to stay updated on what I was doing.
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Acute Care Nurse Practitioner

July 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

the nurses are nice

What I wish was different

Advice

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Financial Services Intern

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Great office culture and insight to how hospitals work with the insurance industry

What I wish was different

Advice

Make sure to get medical clearance requirements out of the way as soon as possible before your start date
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Care coordinator

September - December 2019 • Commack, NY

What I liked

MSK is an incredible place to work. I had managers who were extremely efficient, helpful, and considerate and my coworkers were all as passionate about patient care as I am and always displayed patient care that was beyond ideal. Even as an intern I was given responsibilities similar to those that full time employees have and I was never put down or made uncomfortable when I had questions or was unsure about something, my coworkers were as willing to help myself and each other as much as they were the patients.

What I wish was different

My internship only took place over 1 semester, I wish it had been for 2.

Advice

The training for the internship was extremely brief and when I began on-site there was still a lot I did not know. A piece of advice I would offer to a new MSK intern would be not to be afraid to ask questions. Every msk employee looks out to help others and it is an undeniably welcoming and growth-encouraging community if you allow yourself to be a part of it.
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Research Trainee

May - September 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

It was a great learning environment. The center has world-class labs with experienced researchers.

What I wish was different

I wish my hours were more regular.

Advice

It was a great learning experience but you have to put in the work.
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Information Systems Intern

June - August 2019 • Middletown Township, NJ

What I liked

The adjustability of all of the managers made me feel less like an intern and more like an employee. I had most of the freedoms that full time employees had, which made me feel more comfortable.

What I wish was different

I wish the organization had more work to offer me. Many times I found myself looking for work.

Advice

Be open and talk to all of your colleagues for a networking opportunity and a mean to find work and gain experience.
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Clinical Research Coordinator

December 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The ongoing education about cancer and biology surrounding me.

What I wish was different

Nothing, the job is perfect.

Advice

I would definitely recommend networking. Networking is key and will open many doors for you. Never be afraid to ask questions. The worst someone could say is no.
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Summer Intern

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

There were many researchers and clinical experts who you could speak to regarding any component of cancer research and gain knowledge on practices in the field. I learned about the many career paths I could take with a Ph.D., and the experience as a whole made my desire to pursue research even greater.

What I wish was different

Advice

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clinical assistant

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

All the interns were extremely welcomed. They put us through workshops and seminars that I learned a lot from, experience that I could not get from school. This is the top cancer hospital in the nation and had the most advanced technology and an amazing work culture.

What I wish was different

There was not a lot of information given ahead of time. Usually events are notified less than a week before it happens.

Advice

Network with the other interns and develop a good relationship with your preceptors. This is an internship that is really dedicated to rehiring their interns.
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Care coordinator

May - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Variety of observations in the medical field.

What I wish was different

More time to establish a better work flow between coworkers.

Advice

Your independent work is very important so work quickly and efficiently
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Nurse Intern

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The in-services offered with the program, opportunity to explore interests and learn

What I wish was different

Advice

Take advantage of the opportunities you have to learn
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Student Intern

June - July 2019 • Hauppauge, NY

What I liked

I loved the learning/teaching environment Memorial Sloan Kettering Skin Cancer Center provided for me during my internship. The support staff, nurses, and doctors were all so nice and knowledgeable. They made time to answer my questions and provide insight about how medicine has impacted their day to day lives. They made sure to include me in their roles and provide a wonderful shadowing experience.

What I wish was different

I wish the program was a bit longer than 4 weeks so I could have gained even more experience!

Advice

Ask questions! Don't be afraid to ask about things you don't know and for reading materials about certain conditions. It's extremely interesting to discover things about the skin you had no idea about.
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Nurse Extern

May - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I worked with a wonderful team of nurses who were more than willing to answer any and all questions I had and they were really my favorite part of my externship

What I wish was different

I wish I got to shadow nurses on different floors

Advice

Apply as early as you can and prepare for behavioral type interview questions
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Undergraduate Researcher

June - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Great work environment with amazing resources. Fantastic opportunity for any pre-health or pre-science student.

What I wish was different

Commuter traffic.

Advice

Learn as much as possible during your first week there. Read papers by your PI, review papers, whatever you can get your hands on. There’ll be a significant learning curve, so take notes and learn that material early on so you can make the most of your time there. Also, if you’re not familiar with the subway system, take the Q to 72nd and you’ll be a block or two away from work.
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Administrative Assistant Intern

May - August 2019 • New York City, NY

What I liked

Exposure to a highly functioning work environment and like-minded professionals.

What I wish was different

Slightly more work responsibility.

Advice

Take advantage of all exposure opportunities (shadowing, networking, etc.)
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