Step 1: Skills Inventory, Job Description and Rationale
1. Camp Counselor
Geneva Park District, Geneva, IL
Beth Keen
May – August 2007
Lead activities of children in day camp
Howard Hughes Research Internship
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Dr. Dennis Minchella
May - August, 2006
Researched host response to parasite infection
Medical Device Manufacturer
Cook, Inc., Bloomington, IN
Marty Matthews
June – August, 2005
Assembled guide wires to be used by physicians; learned GMP
Busboy
Artist Place, Valparaiso, IN
(formerly Aberdeen Brewing Company)
Skip Bosak
September, 2001 - February, 2005
Attended to customers, assisted in food preparation.
2. No
3. Yes. The Howard Hughes Research Internship that I mentioned in #1. This was a 10 week internship that allowed me to stay at Purdue for a summer and continue my research. I was able to prepare for the project I carried out the fall immediately after the internship ended. The project investigated the effects of two different parasites species, Schistosoma mansoni and Echinostoma caproni, behaviorally and pathologically in the mouse.
4. My freshmen biology course taught me more than biology. It taught me how to work and study. I learned good time management skills from this class that have still shaped the way I study now. I finished a genetics course last semester. It was the first “C” I have ever received. This class taught me that I can not do everything and that there are going to be some things that I just need to spend more time with. It is important that I can grasp all the concepts of the core level. Also, being a Team Supervisor for Boiler Gold Rush has taught me how to mix work and play. It has greatly improved my interpersonal skills and left me able to handle greater roles when dealing with others.
5. I was invited to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine while I was still in high school. I received the Tri Kappa scholarship when I graduated from high school. I have made the Dean’s List three times and Semester Honors twice at Purdue.
6. I am good at working with others both in a group or individually. I feel that I am able to relate to them and like helping others. I am pretty intelligent and able to make tough decisions quickly and correctly. Some of my special talents include being athletic, musical, and unafraid in front of audiences. These skills will help me as I pursue a career in medicine. Being able to make good decisions quickly is essential to this type of career. Teamwork is also extremely important for working in medicine. Everyday teams of doctors meet to treat their patients quickly and effectively. Without teamwork, many medical procedures would not be possible.
7. My working experience has been with young kids, ages seven to ten, college students, and adults. I have never worked outside the United States, but I probably know enough German that I could get by in Germany. I studied since middle school, throughout high school, and for two semesters in college.
8. I am pretty good at working with computers. If I do not understand something I am usually able to play around with it until I can. I know how to use Microsoft Office programs well. I also am a pretty efficient typist.
9. I can use much of the equipment used in scientific labs, especially biology and chemistry. Most of this equipment is designed to identify certain compounds and detect DNA and proteins in samples. From work experience, I can weld tips onto wire guides that are used with catheters that go into patients.