It’s been an adjustment process for students, faculty, and staff transitioning to life online. Internships are no exception! In this series, we’re going in-depth with UChicago students about their remote internships. Over the course of the summer, I asked four friends with different majors and career paths to answer a few questions about their experiences.
Today, you’ll be hearing from Tinyan, a rising third-year from Los Angeles, CA. Tinyan is a Comparative Human Development major and is also on the pre-med track.
Sam (me): What type of organization are you working for/which organization are you working for?
Tinyan: UChicago Medicine (research)
S: What is your internship role?
T: My job is working on multiple studies in the lab, helping out with data management and collection, and I’m also working on a paper that will be published soon! My lab focuses on hypertensive and preeclamptic pregnancies in women.
S: What does a typical day look like?
T: Iwake up, attend a lab meeting early in the morning (around 7 a.m.), eat breakfast, do some reading, start one of the easier projects (such as collecting data for a retrospective study), eat lunch for an hour, and watch some TV. In the afternoon, around 4 or 5, I do more intense research/work. Throughout the week, I’ll attend quite a few meetings with the different members of the lab. I would say I spend about five to six hours a day working on my internship!
S: What are the difficulties of performing your internship online? What are the advantages/benefits?
T: One difficulty I’ve encountered is that the work day doesn’t end when you leave a certain space because you can “technically” be working at all hours of the day. There’s also a quicker turnaround time. It’s also difficult to stay focused when you’re on the computer all day and staring at the computer screen all the time. However, I have appreciated that questions are answered a lot more quickly than they would be in person, and it’s also easier to meet with people. Because everything has been moved online, I’m able to take advantage of more opportunities (e.g. presentations, talks) that wouldn’t have worked out timing-wise if they were in person.
S: Favorite way to connect with people during this time?
T: Memes—just to let someone know you’re thinking of them! They’re also a good way to stay updated and are funny!
S: Any hobbies/habits you’ve picked up during quarantine?
T: I’ve discovered a lot of pretty places in LA where I can walk around (e.g. beaches, hiking trails, an outlook in the hills) when I need to get out and have time to myself and see the sun!
Hopefully this interview has provided some insight into the online version of what would typically be a hands-on research position. Tune in next week to hear about working remotely with a non-profit!