Wheaton News

Joshua Gomez ’15, who is majoring in psychology with a minor in chemistry, spent his winter break interning at the Santa Barbara County Clinic in California. He gained experience that will be helpful in the career he has planned in medicine. Examining procedures: “Working in the public health lab, I assisted biologists in processing numerous types of specimens. The most interesting aspect of the work was tracking patients from disease conception to post-treatment. I had primary exposure to the biological and psychological journeys that patients underwent as they were treated for their illnesses. These interactions strengthened my interest in epidemiology and public health.” Handling challenges: “A sudden outbreak of influenza during my time there required multitasking, which was somewhat challenging. The toughest part was prioritizing each specimen, especially when higher priority patient samples would arrive later in the day. I frequently found myself juggling a lot of high priority cases at once.”Gaining insight: “Working in the lab has fortified my understanding of independence. Many of the protocols I used had either been explicitly taught or prefaced in my Wheaton curriculum. It was satisfying to be able to enter a professional setting with both confidence and curiosity. Ultimately, I discovered I could place trust in myself and my previous knowledge, working both independently and with lab staff. I cannot thank my professors enough for the degree of preparation they have instilled in me. My lab work at Wheaton, mainly through Professor Jennifer Lanni’s ‘Microbiology’ course, was invaluable.” Planning ahead:“Ultimately, I would like to become a doctor, and this experience exposed me to novel aspects of medicine such as serology. Since the procedures that occur in the lab are often ‘invisible’ to doctors and patients, this internship gave me a greater understanding of the steps involved in treating the ill.”