Major(s):Biology
Internship Site: The New England Aquarium - Boston, MA

The Internship:    
I live near the New England Aquarium and I made several trips to visit it as I was growing up. I always admired and appreciated the organization, and thought it would be interesting to work there. This past fall, I was looking for internship opportunities near my home over the summer and stumbled across the application on the Aquarium’s website.

My favorite tasks were field responses - which combined clinical knowledge, field assessment skills, and public relations and education. I loved the unpredictability and hands-on aspects of field work! No two field responses are ever similar: the public is always watching and we don’t know what to expect until we arrive.  The thrill of assisting in a rescue is motivating and highly rewarding.  Being able to help educate the public is important and helps me practice and improve upon my understanding and articulation of this sub-field of biology.

The Preparation:   
“Changing Ocean Ecosystems” (Bio 101) helped introduce me to many of the topics and environments I worked with in this internship. The dissections we performed in lab helped me become familiar with the physiology of common aquatic animals I encountered. It also helped me understand the aquatic conditions that we maintained within the rehab facility. “Microbiology 326” helped me understand much of the lab work that was performed. When one of the patients tested positive for bacteria, I had a greater foundation and was able to comprehend what was in the animals system and how that would impact their physiology.

The Future:   
After spending 12 weeks with the Rescue and Rehab team, I know that I want to pursue emergency veterinary medicine. I was originally anticipating that I would prefer the clinical work to field work, but I was surprised to find that I greatly preferred the field work to clinical work. This internship confirmed that I want to treat a mixed-animal practice and that I do not want to limit my work to cats and dogs. However, I learned that I prefer working with mammals to reptiles. I also learned that I prefer working with the public and having educational interactions than limiting myself to testing in a lab. 

This internship confirmed that I want to work in a field that is unpredictable, with no constant daily routine or expectations. I want to do hands-on clinical work because I find that seeing immediate results is highly rewarding. I want to treat, and I want to do emergency veterinary medicine.

Tips from Elizabeth:  
Be ambitious and not be afraid to apply to a competitive internship. Apply to several places; it will give you choices and more opportunities. Even if you get an internship that is not your #1 choice, it can still become an awesome experience.

*To find out more about how to get an internship, make an appointment with a career counselor. Just call the Career Center at 717-245-1740 or stop by Biddle House.