Penn Work Study Program Research Assistant (2009-2012)

"I joined CIRP during my undergraduate years at the University of Pennsylvania as a research assistant for the Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center. During my three years, I worked on a variety of tasks, including literature searches, staffing surveys, manuscript preparation, and IRB submissions. Since leaving CIRP, I earned a master's degree in Biomedical Science and am currently (exactly) half-way through medical school.

My time at CIRP provided me with a great deal of knowledge and experiences that have shaped my career plans. This position taught me about the administration behind the clinical research that I would come to love. I was also able to see the work that goes into running a large research center, from grant writing to the collaboration of a large and diverse staff. I’ve already used some of this knowledge on research projects and in running my school’s student-run free clinic. However, the most important effect of my experiences is that I added clinical research and public health to my future career plans as a doctor. I look back on my time at CIRP fondly and am grateful for the amazing mentorship I was lucky to receive."