Name: Sydney Ondrasik
Year: ‘08
Internship Site: Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, Pediatric Oncology

The Internship: Sydney applied for an internship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center through the Career Center. A Dickinson alum, Dr. Michael Weiner, is the current director of Pediatric Oncology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and offered the opportunity to a Dickinson student.

“ Columbia is a research hospital and I worked with the Clinical Research team. It is the job of the Clinical Researchers to work with the treating physicians and medical specialists to enroll patients in studies in pediatric oncology conducted by the Children's Oncology Group and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. After enrolling, it is the research team's job to ensure that the patients are following the study protocol, that specimens are collected and sent to the research base, and that the health of the patient is maintained.”

The Future: “Not only did this internship allow me to work in a clinical setting, but it also gave me the opportunity to experience a field of medicine that can sometimes be particularly difficult. Professionals in oncology are often confronted with end-of-life situations and being able to observe the special care that is required and the difficulties faced by physicians and caregivers gave me a new perspective on this field of medicine.”

Tips from Sydney: “Find an internship that will give you experience directly related to the career that you are ultimately seeking. Having the opportunity to see what a specific job or career entails is the best way to determine if it is what you truly want to pursue in life. Internships can serve as a great "trial run," either proving that you are on the right track or showing you that you need to reevaluate your desires and interests.”