Name: Andreas Seas

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: University of Nebraska Medical Center | Title of Your Position: Student Researcher

Major(s)/Minor(s): Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering Track

Expected Graduation Year: May, 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op, research, or service-learning opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

This summer, I interned at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the department of Vascular Surgery. My main project was to design a program to analyze microscopic cross sections of arteries and determine certain characteristics of their elastic microstructure. I also had to see if any risk factors or demographics correlated with characteristics of this microstructure. The ultimate goal of this project was to allow doctors to use patient information to get an idea of the condition of their patients arteries. In order to retrieve more data for this project, I also spent a significant amount of my time dissecting human arteries and testing their mechanical properties. Another project of mine involved performing comparative genomic studies to isolate mutations responsible for causing abdominal aortic aneurysms. Finally, when time permitted, I was able to shadow surgeons in the operating room, and see what the real life of a surgeon is like!

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

Essentially, I searched Google for MD/PhD summer undergraduate research programs and found the University of Nebraska Medical Center's program among my results. Like most other internships, it involved an extensive process of filling out forms and writing essays.

Which of the following resources did you use to find your current experience?

Google Search

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

Honestly, I enjoyed being a part of a lot of unique projects. It was extremely fulfilling to work with so many dedicated and interesting individuals, and to be able to make my own unique contribution to the scientific community.

What have you gained from your experience that you could not have gained from another opportunity?

This summer, I was able to improve my ability to think creatively and come up with new ideas. My lab environment was extremely open and collaborative - all ideas were considered. Also, I gained significant experience dissecting human tissue, as well as a fair amount of knowledge of procedures in vascular surgery.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

My advice would be to apply to as many places as possible, even if some of them seem like long-shots. First, you never know what will happen, maybe they are looking for somebody just like you. Second, the more practice the better - none of the experience filling out applications goes to waste when you eventually have to write grant proposals.

Please provide a short quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / the internship placement process.

I liked that I could have a good conversation with anybody in my department. It was also amazing to be able to contribute to scientific knowledge!