Name: Amir Salar Sepehri 

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine

Position Title: Research Program Assistant

Major(s)/Minor(s): Biological Science (B.S.) & Psychology (B.A.) 

Expected Graduation Year: May 2016

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I worked as a research program assistant at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine (Department of Geriatrics) during the summer. I went to the Bayview campus on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and worked with a group of 15-20 people. At Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, we worked on several different research studies, and I helped the team by:

1. Assisting the unit supervisor with recruitment and screening activities

2. Assisting the unit supervisor with enrollment of participants for multiple research programs

3. Completing the data entry and filings, and checking the data and report for consistency and accuracy

4. Assisting with other research related assignments as needed

I also interacted with multidisciplinary clinical and research teams on campus and participated in team meetings every week.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I was always interested in interning in a research organization while being an undergraduate. While looking for different opportunities that were close to the UMBC campus, I found a research program at the Geriatrics Department at Johns Hopkins University. Fortunately, I found out that one of my professors (Dr. Hughes from the Department of Biological Sciences) used to be part of that same program and was still in contact with the principal investigator. She was kind enough to recommend me to the program coordinator, and after that, I sent my resume, got an interview, and started working as a volunteer at first, and then as an intern during the summer. I currently work as a part-time employee at Bayview on Fridays. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

As a pre-medicine student interested in doing research, working as an intern at Johns Hopkins was a great experience which helped me to have a better understanding of what I want to pursue when I start my journey in medical school. During the summer, I had a chance to be part of a real research study from the very beginning and observe the entire cycle. I helped the team with recruiting the participants, conducting interviews, taking different tests, and working on the samples in laboratory.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

Although the elderly population (by definition, adults who are 65 years and older) represent almost 15% of the U.S. population, unfortunately they are usually forgotten, and their medical needs are mismanaged in our current healthcare system. I believe that by interning in a research program at the Geriatrics Department, I am a small part of a team that is trying to help this population and is working towards finding solutions for their medical needs. I believe that this rewarding experience will help the elderly population in the near future. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

In terms of the application process, I would encourage you to apply early and to many different programs (not just one or two!). But in general, I would say to try your best, be very persistent with what you want, and do NOT underestimate yourself! 

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“I’m pretty much just a corpse at this point.”

I cannot fully express how many times I’ve said those words in the past few weeks, or how many times the response has been:

“Same.”

Every time someone says “How’s it goin?” the collective response has been:

“Terrible. Everything is awful. Midterms suck. This is the worst.” (Or at least something to that effect.)

It seems like as a student body we’ve officially gone past the “I’m fine. Just tired.” lie and have moved into complete honesty. A large percentage of us are stressed out, malnourished, sleep deprived, and drowning in homework.

But never fear! Shia LaBeouf is here!

With midterms season coming to a close we’re bringing you the Women’s Center Motivational Roundup to help get you back into the swing of things between now and finals. Here is a collection of pictures, videos, and memes that motivate us for a variety of reasons. These might not motivate you as much as they motivate us, but it’s worth a try.

-MJ Jalloh-Jamboria

“He makes me feel like I can do absolutely anything. I’m never more motivated to push through a project than I am after watching this video.”

-Kayla Smith

Parks and Rec gifset!

-Megan Tagle Adams

“They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside and remind me that I am a round, fuzzy ball of cute and I can TOTALLY DO THIS.” – Dan Willey

“Growing up, I didn’t have many role models, other than my mother. I would find myself constantly comparing myself to the girls in my classes. I always wanted to be as smart, as pretty, etc. as some other girl. Needless to say, this ruined my self-confidence and resulted in me being very unhappy because all of my actions were based on being as ________ as someone else. I was too wrapped up in impressing others and failed to acknowledge my own negative perception of myself. While scrolling through Tumblr one day, I came across this quote and it has resonated with me ever since. Not only did it incorporate my love of flowers, but it made me realize that comparing myself to others was pointless and a recipe for unhappiness. I am capable of experiencing growth and doing great things, regardless of anyone else.” – Meage Clements 

“Biblical motivation (if you’re into that kind of thing) This is my favorite piece of scripture and it immediately calms me down.” – Kayla Smith

“I was afraid to go back to school. I thought that if I tired again and had similar results to last time, it would just prove that I was not smart, or capable. I had to get over my fear and here I am! Almost finished!!!” – Carrie Cleveland

“It calms me down and reminds me that I’m okay where I am and I don’t need to freak out. It helps me breathe and stay calm so I can get more work done.” Julia Gottlieb

“Oh Leslie. She just looks like she’s really goin at it – and it looks like something I would do and totally have done!” – Jess Myers

“I have been in school for 10 years and I need to remember that I am SO close to the end and SO far away from the beginning.” – Carrie Cleveland

If you’re looking for some more tangible ways to deal with stress UMBC is definitely a good place to find resources. The Counseling Center on campus located across from Erickson Hall has individual counseling and workshops on stress management. They also have The Mind Spa which offers aroma therapy, biofeedback video games, and light therapy, among other services.

As always, self-care should be high on your list of priorities and the Women’s Center can serve as a place to kick back and relax or just take a break from the library. We also have a meditation room and a quiet study space outside of the lounge.

Take care of yourself this semester. We know it’s hard right now, but just do your best.

As a wise man once said:

“Sometimes in life you’re gonna start slow. That’s okay.” – Apollos Hester

But a wiser woman also said:

“If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don’t, you’re simply ducking your responsibilities.” – Ann Richards