My Plans for the Summer
Now that the year is winding down, and finals season is coming to a slow end, I’ve pretty much figured out my plans for the summer. Unfortunately, they’re not very exciting, nor are they terribly unique. But, here they are:
1. Taking Organic Chemistry at a local university.
Rather than taking Gen Chem with Gen Bio (along with their respective labs) my freshman year, I decided to take only the former. This ultimately proved to be a good decision, as I had enough time to study for Gen Chem (which is a very demanding class in it of itself) along with my other classes. This way, I had enough time to ensure I had the concepts down, as it’s primarily the conceptual information that makes General Chemistry at Vanderbilt difficult. Because I decided not to take Gen Bio my freshman year, my advisor recommended I take Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 at a local university in the summer, rather than taking it with Biology at Vanderbilt.
2. Shadowing a local physician.
Since I didn’t really have the chance to do so this year, I wanted to receive some sort of clinical medical experience over the summer. I’m excited to say that I plan on shadowing an Orthopaedic Surgeon over summer, which ought to be a neat and unique three months. The shadowing will give me an opportunity to witness both the clinical side of things (i.e physician-patient interactions) as well as the surgery part of things (anything that happens in the operating room). All in all, it should be a wonderful experience and I’m ready to put in the hours.
3. Research at a local university.
To supplement my shadowing experience in Orthopaedic Surgery, I plan on joining a translational science research project at Washington University in St. Louis, my local university. I currently work at a Neuroscience research lab here at Vanderbilt, so this is me expanding my horizons.
4. Spending time with family and friends.
This is, arguably, the most important activity a college student can partake in over summer break. Though I’m excited to receive a legitimate clinical experience (and take Orgo, I guess), I’m beyond ecstatic to see my family and friends after a few months of hiatus. Because my next few summers will likely be spent here in Nashville (due to research), this summer is especially important. Paired with excellent St. Louis summer weather, this summer should be a good one.
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I plan on updating my blog during the summer, so be sure to keep in touch as I spend the next few months doing everything I described above. And, remember, you can always contact me at neelansh.bute@vanderbilt.com with any questions at all!