University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center / NSIP Internship

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center

Internship Profile

Position Title: NSIP Intern
Student Name: Olivia Konen
Graduation Year: December 2020
Major: Biology
Type of Internship: Lab Work / Science
City, State: Baltimore, MD
Semester: Summer
Hours: 30+ hours per week
Paid or Unpaid: Paid, stipend

How did you find this internship?

I completed a Google search to find this position.

What advice on the internship application process would you give to another TU student interested in this internship?

When writing your personal statement, strongly consider why you want to do this and write with your future goals and aspirations in mind. It looks great on your application if you've had previous research experience. Look into labs at Towson and consider contacting faculty that are pursuing research that you are interested in.

What did you do as an intern at this organization?

Interns in the program were individually accepted to work in laboratories that were based on previous experience or interest. I had the opportunity to complete a project that would further elucidate a molecular mechanism that my lab was interested in targeting with an anti-cancer drug that they would develop if the results were favorable. Most days were spent performing experimental techniques including vector cloning, gel electrophoresis, plasmid DNA isolation, and cell viability assays. As interns outside of the lab, we attended weekly seminar series highlighting translational cancer research, researched and completed a group presentation on a specific topic within translational research, and had the opportunity to shadow doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

What did you find most rewarding in your internship?

The most rewarding part of my internship was learning lab techniques that I had vaguely heard of but never performed myself. When things went wrong and I was able to collaborate with my laboratory colleagues and figure out a solution, it was a great feeling to get it right when we tried again. The internship solidified my passion for research and gave me an even greater appreciation for the experimental process.

What were the challenges you faced in your internship?

The greatest challenge was having enough time for everything. This was a ten week internship, and in order to complete the project as well as participate in all of the other benefits of the program such as the seminars and shadowing, I had to have a consistent schedule. If you are looking for a relaxing, laid-back summer, then this may not be the internship for you. If you want to be challenged, learn more than you ever could in your classes, and get a real feeling of what it would be like to work in a lab after graduation, then this is the internship for you.

If another student at TU was interested in your internship next year, what skills would you recommend they develop in the coming semesters to prepare?

I would advise students to actively engage in research, whether it be within classes or outside of them, working in a faculty member's lab. This internship required strong attention to detail and the ability to critically think and troubleshoot if your experiment(s) did not go as planned. I would also recommend that they foster a strong willingness to go above and beyond what is expected. If you don't have a task that you have to do, instead of leaving early or sitting idle, show interest and the desire to learn and shadow or help out. With this approach you will learn more than you thought possible, and you will develop relationships with lab members and your mentor that could lead to more opportunities. Or, at the very least, to a great letter of recommendation for future internships, jobs, or graduate school.

About the Organization

University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center

Learn more about University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.