by Gavin Cressy
About Me: My Summer Experience
Hello all, my name is Gavin Cressy. As of writing this, I am a rising senior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in neuroscience. This summer, my internship experiences consisted of two components. First, I have been a research assistant with the Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory, located at Johns Hopkins’ Medical campus. Here, I have had the opportunity to pilot my own independent research project and experiment, which I will be lucky enough to continue into the upcoming semester. Our lab specializes in studying and optimizing drug-delivery related treatments in glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer. Secondly, I have been a volunteer with an organization called CentroSOL, which is also located in Baltimore, Maryland. Our organization caters particularly to the Hispanic and Spanish-speaking community here in Baltimore. Here, I have become a co-facilitator in a program called Testimonios, which is a mental-health and peer-centered support group run entirely in Spanish. The goal of our group is to give our participants a safe space to talk with peers about their stresses, experiences, or worries.
My Key Experiences
During my summer experiences, I have been immersed in many key experiences that challenged me and allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. One of the most significant projects I worked on was, well, my own research project! Speaking generally, my project relates to the use of a novel cancer therapeutic in the treatment of glioblastoma. This treatment, in future stages, will hopefully be delivered more effectively to the brain using a technology called focused ultrasound. So far, I have been able to do my experiment in human tumor cells, and results have been promising so far!
Another pivotal experience was presenting my research findings during lab meetings. Allowing myself to speak to my lab and communicate my ideas and findings effectively had been valuable opportunity for me to refine my presentation skills. The feedback I received from my PI, postdoc, and mentors was instrumental in helping me improve not only in scientific communication but also in project design.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to volunteer with Testimonios by hosting weekly support group sessions. This role required me to be on top of my organization skills, scheduling Zoom meetings, managing attendance, and communicating effectively with participants in and outside of the sessions, which significantly improved my organizational and leadership skills.
Science and Support: Skills and Knowledge Gained
Throughout the summer, I developed a lot of technical and soft skills that will undoubtedly benefit me in my future career. Technically, I gained hands-on experience in drug testing, project design, and data analysis in the lab. These skills are crucial for anyone pursuing a career in research, and I am grateful for the opportunity to apply them in a real-world setting.
On the softer side, my communication skills saw substantial improvement, particularly in conveying complex scientific concepts to a broader audience. Additionally, my organizational skills were sharpened through my volunteer work, and I gained valuable experience in mentoring by teaching other students in the lab.
Impact of OKRs
The OKRs that I established played a significant role in shaping my internship experience. They provided me with goals, sort of with benchmarks that allowed me to be more present in the work that I completed this summer. One of my primary objectives was to enhance my communication skills, which I approached by being proactive in calls, emails, and presentations. Presenting my findings at lab meetings directly contributed to this goal. The positive results we achieved in the drug testing phase were particularly impactful, as they demonstrated the value of the meticulous planning and execution that went into the project.
Another key result was my involvement in volunteer planning with CentroSOL in Testimonios, where I successfully managed and facilitated support group sessions. This experience not only contributed to my personal growth but also reinforced the importance of community involvement, mentorship, and being there for those in need of help or even just someone to listen to them.
The Lessons Learned
In my opinion, the most important lesson I learned during my summer was the value of adaptability and open-mindedness. Within the lab, I made plans to complete certain experiments and hoped for them to work out. Even with meticulous planning, though, things are bound to go wrong. I had a few instances where parts of my experiment needed to be redone, or scrapped. Even still, I was able to pivot and approach the project with an open mind, and complete the first testing phase of my project!
Next, I had set specific goals for networking and community outreach with the support group, but as the summer progressed, I realized the need to pivot and adjust my objectives. While I may not have been able to establish more peer relationship-building events, I learned the importance of flexibility and being open to new opportunities that arise unexpectedly. I instead was able to interact and problem solve with social workers and therapist-facilitators of our program and learn from them!
Finally, I learned that mentorship is a two-way street. Teaching others in the lab and in the support group not only helped my peers develop new skills but also reinforced my own understanding and mastery of the material. Being able to teach lab techniques to younger students or meditative techniques to members of the Baltimore community really demonstrated to me the importance of and my interest in teaching. Here, the reciprocal relationship, communication between student and teacher, is a key component of personal and professional growth.
Future Applications and Career
The skills and insights I gained during my internship and through the summer practicum have strengthened the skills that I want to bring to a future career. I now feel more confident in my ability to communicate complex ideas, manage projects, and mentor others—skills that will be invaluable as I pursue a career in research and in medicine. Furthermore, my experience with community involvement has inspired me to continue volunteering and working with others, hopefully in a clinical setting.
Looking ahead, I plan to apply the project management and communication skills I’ve developed to my academic and professional endeavors. I also intend to be more deliberate in networking and building relationships within the medical community, as I’ve come to appreciate the importance of collaboration and mentorship in achieving long-term success.
Conclusion
Overall, my summer experiences have been transformative. They have allowed me to grow personally and professionally by growing and strengthening invaluable skills that I will bring with me, hopefully as a physician-scientist. Through hands-on research, mentorship, and community involvement, I have been able to strengthen organization, adaptability, communication, and planning. I am so grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these meaningful causes and look forward to applying these lessons in my future.
