Name: Anna Hartzell
Class Year: 2022
Major: Anthropology
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Internship Organization: UT Health Austin Musculoskeletal Institute
Job Title: Undergraduate Clinical Research Assistant
Location: Austin, Texas
Award: Joan Chang Wong '56 Memorial Internship Fund
What’s happening at your internship?
I work as part of the research team at a lower extremity orthopedic surgery clinic that specializes in hip and knee joint issues. As an academic medical center, UT Health Austin has multiple ongoing research studies. In my role, I help recruit current patients for studies and conduct follow-ups for existing research studies. We are currently working on multiple studies, and I have really enjoyed getting to work in this tremendous team-based setting. Further, I am particularly interested in the value-based care model that UT Health Austin uses, so it has been great to gain first-hand exposure to that. I have learned more about the ways the clinic functions to maximize value for the patient in each step of care. I also have had some wonderful opportunities to shadow the providers as they meet with patients. This experience has helped me gain fantastic exposure to the field of clinical research. I am learning the process of running a research project from IRB approval to recruiting to then analyzing the information. It has also greatly broadened my understanding of the field of orthopedics and the workflow of an outpatient clinic.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I am currently on the path to pursue medical school after graduating from Bryn Mawr. I was hoping to find a summer experience that allowed me to gain more experience within the medical field. Further, I had little experience in research outside of lab science classes. Thus, I wanted to participate in clinical research to see how interested I was in it and to gauge how much I wanted to focus on that within my career. This summer opportunity was the perfect combination of these goals for the summer. I am gaining further insight into medicine in an outpatient clinic while also getting to spend time working within the field of clinical research.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
One of my favorite parts of this internship has been interacting with patients at the clinic on a daily basis. I never know where the conversation might lead when I go in to talk to someone about the research studies that they are eligible for. I really enjoy getting to chat with patients and connect with them while also conducting research. I have learned a wide range of random facts in these conversations, from niche cars people drive to fun vacation spots I should look into, and it always keeps my day interesting and exciting!
What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect?
I do not think I expected to gain as much insight into the clinical side of orthopedics when beginning this summer experience. I had believed that most of my exposure would be purely on the research side. However, I have actually been able to gain insight into the clinical treatment of osteoarthritis. It has been really wonderful to have the providers there show me X-rays and what to look at. I have also been able to see hip and knee injections and been explained the different steps for total hip and knee arthroplasty. I did not expect to pick up these valuable lessons, but I am so grateful they are part of my summer.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.