Hello, I am Ilwad, and during my experience at Fred Hutch, I expanded my knowledge and experience in biology and cancer research. I listened to many different lectures about a variety of topics, which allowed me to see all the different types of research at Fred Hutch. Besides lectures, I took part in hands-on labs on various ideas. I enjoyed all of the labs, but I was particularly intrigued by the CML lab. CML stands for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, and before that lab I learned about the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments for it. When I started working in the lab, we prepared our patient samples and injected them into gel electrophoresis to see which patients were positive for CML. I was able to tell if patients were either positive or negative if a band was visible on the gel.
CML Lab Results My notes on the CML lecture
I’ve stated which lab caught my attention the most, but the lecture that I enjoyed the most is very different from CML, and it’s a lecture about Imposter Syndrome. I found the concept so fascinating because I had never before been introduced to the topic., I was told that the majority of people have it, including myself. There are multiple ways of experiencing it, and there are different levels of it based on how many characteristics you have that align with imposter syndrome. It made me realize that imposter syndrome isn’t as intimidating and overwhelming as it sounds. When I was introduced to the syndrome, I believed that a person with IS would act like a different person just so they could fit in. Throughout the lecture, I realized that imposter syndrome is nothing like that. Instead, there is a wide spectrum of types of IS. The type that I would fit in is a person who does not believe that they are worthy of praise or feel like they have to give their all after being complimented. Although I don’t have a ton of characteristics that align with imposterism, I was drawn into the idea of IS and how common it is.
My time at the Fred Hutch Pathways Research Explorers Program was enjoyable and beneficial for multiple reasons. It helped prepare me for the future because I hope to go into more labs, and it prepared me for future science classes as well, particularly college biology. It helped me build more connections with people who are very experienced in many different types of science and health research and labs. The experiences I gained from the Explorers Program and the community at the Hutch were the best part.
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