Kate Logan at her internship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. Photo courtesy of Kate Logan

Student Voices

Lessons Learned as an Undergraduate  

A student reflects on the combination of classwork and an internship that are preparing her for a career in medicine

I was drawn to BU Wheelock because of its amazing community and passion for helping others, which can be felt in every course I take here. Throughout my freshman year, I researched many careers having to do with child development and discovered my passion and curiosity for pediatrics. In order to start this journey into the world of child medicine, I decided to specialize in child & adolescent mental health at BU Wheelock while pursuing BU’s pre-health track. This track allows a student to fulfill all necessary course requirements needed to enter most U.S. medical schools.

I’m now a second-year student, and this fall, I began volunteering at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) as a part of the Medical Career Exploration Program (MCEP), which is offered through the hospital to local undergraduate students. As a volunteer, I am the smiling person who walks patients to their appointments and procedures or back to their hospital rooms. I am the one who tries to distract them from the pain and fear of the hospital and get them talking about their children or their pets—or even their philosophy on frying vs. baking their Thanksgiving turkeys.

Over the holidays in December, a local high school student donated art supplies to BWH. I was recruited along with other volunteers in my program to deliver these art supplies to different inpatient units. We were able to talk with patients who had been in the hospital for a while, giving them a little joy and creative fun with watercolors, colored pencils, and origami paper. One man who had been in the hospital for several nights was overjoyed with the supplies and gave us a big thanks. He told us that he had not had the chance to engage in creative fun since he was in elementary school.

Through my position at BWH, I am able to interact and spend time with patients and families who come from diverse backgrounds and have rich histories and unique stories. I am always excited to have conversations with people from different walks of life because they teach me so much about patience, empathy, and the vast world we live in today. Many of the patients I assist are older and have grown wiser throughout their long lives. These are the patients I learn from the most and for whom I am the most grateful.

As a BU Wheelock student, I am taught about diversity, equity, and the importance of including all people, no matter how they identify or where they come from. I am taught to connect with everyone, explore my curiosities, engage in hard conversations, and keep an open mind. In the hospital, I am an active participant and practice these skills every day. As I become more comfortable with my position and the people I work with, I am able to teach less seasoned volunteers how to do the same.

My experiences in both the classroom and the hospital have taught me more than I could have ever imagined before coming to Boston. I have lots of stories to tell and people to admire. I am in awe of the strength and determination of each and every patient who walks or wheels through the doors of BWH every day, and I am so grateful for the time I get to spend with them. And best of all, I now know that frying a turkey is much better than baking it.