Hands-On Experience in Anesthesiology—With CGS’ Help

Five CGS students receive funding to intern at Boston Children’s Hospital

By Chelsea Feinstein

The Undergraduate Research Experience program has become a hallmark of the College of General Studies. The program, which pairs students with CGS professors to support research for projects and publications, has expanded rapidly over the past several years and funds more than 70 undergraduates each year through the college’s Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning (CITL).

Now, students interested in gaining experience outside the classroom have another option, through the Student Internship Experience (SIE) program. Through SIE, students may be matched with a paid internship within CGS or through a CGS alumnus, or may be supported with funding from CITL to participate in an external internship that would otherwise be unpaid. All internships and undergraduate research experiences are supported by donations from alumni and parents.

CGS hopes to expand the program, just as the undergraduate research program has dramatically expanded over the last 10 years, with the goal of meeting growing student demand for paid internships.

“Students are more eager than ever to get internships—often even before they matriculate at CGS, during their gap semester,” says Dean Natalie McKnight. “Internships help them discern majors and career paths and can add to their sense of belonging. To help students build their professional profile, get the experiences they really need to be successful, and, in some cases, to develop a meaningful relationship with an alumnus, growing the type and number of internships we can support is essential.”

This past summer, five CGS students—Jontae Sanchez, Dylan Huang, Alexander Vlasakov, Caden Wadsworth, and Jack Schnack—received funding through the program to support their internships with the anesthesiology department at Boston Children’s Hospital. Each student received $2,000 through CITL.

Sanchez (’23, Sargent’25) says she learned of SIE through her CGS academic advisor and would recommend the program to other CGS students.

“CGS’ support of student internships is valuable, since it pushes students fresh into college to go into the real working world,” Sanchez says. “I was able to apply the core value of hands-on learning and experience taken from the classroom to collaboration in the hospital setting.”

The internship, which is traditionally unpaid but requires students to be supported either through external funding or college credit, enables students to immerse themselves in the operating room environment, gain access to mentorship and hands-on learning opportunities, and help them decide whether they want a career in medicine.

“Boston Children’s Hospital is one of the best hospitals in the world, so it was an opportunity I could not turn down and was one of the best experiences I have ever had,” says Huang (’23, Sargent’25). “I have learned countless skills that I never thought I would be able to at my age. I found that the most valuable takeaways were the conversations I had with the anesthesiologist and some surgeons. It made me understand the work ethic and dedication required to become a doctor. It gave me a real-life understanding of how much time and sacrifice it took them to get to this point in their career. The experience also solidified my interest in medicine.”

The students’ work had both practical and research components, from assisting hospital staff with prep work for surgeries to researching and presenting on medical topics. Students could also shadow anesthesiologists during certain surgeries.

“It was incredible. I still tell people how I fell in love with the hospital over the summer,” says Vlasakov (’23, Sargent’25). “Everyone is doing their part to the utmost capacity. It was inspiring, and I wanted to be a part of it as much as I could.”

Wadsworth (’23, Sargent’25) says the internship confirmed his desire to pursue a career in medicine and helped him to better understand what it’s like to work as a doctor. “I think my biggest takeaway is how important experience is,” he says. “The knowledge that the anesthesiologists and surgeons gained from their years and years of education, training, and working is almost unfathomable. They do such amazing things, and it was awesome to be a part of it.”