ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (April 22, 2024) — Twelve Augustana College juniors have been selected for the Texas Medical Center Summer Research Internship Program. The students were selected to take part in the paid, full-time, ten-week experience at the Texas Medical Center in Houston this summer.
Philosophy Professor Dr Heidi Storl said participation in this internship celebrates the achievements of selected students and launches their class-based skills into the world of topnotch labs, clinics, hospitals and related departments.
"With placements in medical illustration, health care economics, public health, integrated ethics as well as in more traditional areas of biology, biochemistry, oncology and infectious disease, interns will have the opportunity to explore their chosen areas of interest and build lasting relationships," Dr Storl said.
The following students were selected for the internship:
Erik Bergren, an Economics, Public Health major of Geneseo (61254)
Clay DeBaillie, a Pre-Medicine, Chemistry major of Geneseo (61254)
Kira Nelson, a Biology, Neuroscience major of Milan (61264)
The Texas Medical Center has ten million patients per year and performs over 180,000 surgeries annually. It is home to the world's largest children's hospital and largest cancer hospital, and it is the eighth largest business district in the US.
Internships are available to Augustana students in all majors. Those selected for the opportunity can establish one-on-one mentoring relationships in a variety of areas, including clinical or research medicine, any area of allied health, psychology, neuroscience, or veterinary research. Additional areas of focus include human resources, pastoral care, law, finance, health-care policy, and clinical ethics.
Previous Augustana students have been placed at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world's leading treatment and research centers; Texas Children's Hospital, an international leader in pediatric medicine; as well as Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, and the University of Texas Health Science Center's prestigious Center for Laboratory Animal Medicine and Care.
Interns are selected for their curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and authentic self-reflection. These traits are fine-tuned in a series of spring, summer and fall seminars on campus, with an emphasis on community building, vocational reflection, and ethics.
Augustana College is a vibrant, welcoming liberal-arts college located on a 115-acre campus in the Quad Cities (pop 400,000) along the Mississippi River. Augustana, a residential campus, has 100 majors and programs, 160 student organizations, and 28 varsity athletic teams.
The college enrolls 2,500 students in a metro area that provides access to many career-paths and hands-on learning opportunities, including internships, jobs, student teaching, and research sites.
