From Navigating Uncharted Water to Swimming with Confidence
June 18, 2023
Hello there! My name is Hassan, and I am currently a rising junior at the University of Delaware majoring in Human Physiology with a minor in Biological Sciences. Growing up, I've always had an interest in science, specifically in healthcare. Being exposed to healthcare settings from a young age has instilled this passion in me. However, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do within the healthcare field. While I knew I wanted to go to medical school, I also had a strong interest (some might call it an obsession) in pathology. This led me to seek out research opportunities that allowed me to work directly with diseases. I have a great love for learning, and I truly believe that knowledge knows no bounds. So, I took a leap of faith to explore what could potentially be my passion.
My fellowship at the Fox Chase Cancer Center is my first research experience, which is both exciting and intimidating. When I initially applied, I wondered why I even bothered, as I lacked confidence in my ability to compete for a research position at such a prestigious cancer center. I mean, why would they choose someone with absolutely no prior research experience over someone with an impressive resume, especially considering Fox Chase has Nobel Prize winners associated with it. Nevertheless, I decided to take the chance and submitted my application. To my surprise, I received an email for an interview, and before I knew it, I was invited to a Zoom meeting for orientation.
The first week was when the intimidating atmosphere truly set in. I quickly realized that I wasn't alone in feeling apprehensive; most of my colleagues felt the same way. Although this was somewhat reassuring, I had to convince myself that there was a reason we were chosen for this program, and I found affirmation in the words of Dr. Purdy and Dr. Leystra. They took the time to ensure that we were well-matched with our labs and mentors based on our learning styles, personalities, and characteristics, which helped break the tension in the room.
Although the first week, known as the "bootcamp," had a very steep learning curve, I appreciated the preparatory skills and background information provided, which ultimately laid a solid foundation for all the fellows. As I write this, we have just completed the second week, and personally, it was equally, if not more, overwhelming than the first.
While my friends started working on actual wet lab experiments (very jealous!!), I found myself still immersed in scientific articles and conducting online research. It was a lot of learning to absorb. However, I consider myself fortunate to have an amazing mentor with a very unique name (Dr. Valentine — seriously, how unique!). With Dr. Valentine's guidance, support, and the assistance of other undergraduate students in my lab, I managed to navigate through the overwhelming workload. Despite the challenges, I can genuinely say that I had fun delving into those articles with my lab friends.
I am very excited to start my actual wet lab experiments next week!! (Finally, the amount of Googling I had to do just to understand even one sentence in those articles was absolutely terrible! Glad that is over). Also, I am very excited to get to know my lab PI, Dr. Abbosh, better and gain insights into his life as an MD/PhD, which is something I'm very interested in striving for.
Forging Bonds
July 9, 2023
Not much has transpired since my first blog entry. The most notable development has been immersing myself in wet lab protocols. I have also grown closer to my lab mates and made a remarkable friend named Ryan; we've basically become lab best friends. Additionally, my relationship with my unique-named lab mentor, Dr. Valentine, has strengthened. Overall, I am adapting well to the lab environment and have great affection for the people in my lab. My initial skepticism about the lab match has vanished as I realize that the lab environment and my colleagues suit me well.
Building friendships and a sense of camaraderie with everyone in my lab has made the experience enjoyable, even amidst heavy workloads. Speaking of which, remember those scientific articles I thought I was done with? Well, it turns out I'm far from finished with them. Surprisingly, I don't mind at all. Some of these scientific articles are genuinely captivating, and as I read more, I am becoming more adept at navigating through all the jargon.
The past three weeks have primarily revolved around learning, writing my own protocols, and executing them. Initially, I observed Dr. Valentine performing protocols and created my own based on those observations. Now, Dr. Valentine entrusts me to work independently on these protocols without constantly looking over my shoulder. I appreciate this level of trust because it makes me feel capable, yet Dr. Valentine reassures me that I can always come to him if I need help or get stuck on a specific part of a protocol.
I haven't accumulated much data yet, mainly due to the lengthiness of my protocols. Culturing organoids, for example, takes weeks, while running Western blots typically spans 2 to 3 days. Conducting the Western blots has been slightly aggravating as we haven't obtained the desired results yet. It has involved a lot of trial and error and attempting to identify potential mistakes in the protocol or even changing it slightly.
Although it can be disheartening, I came into research with the understanding that failure is common. My mentor once told me that research is 90% failure and 10% success in achieving expected results. However, don't let failure discourage you because even unsuccessful outcomes contribute valuable data that can aid not only you but also others in achieving successful results. In research, the experiments we might deem as failures are just as significant as the successful ones.
The Home Stretch
August 25, 2023
As I write this, it has been exactly one week since our Empower Fellowship ended. It feels strange not to enter the lab every single day and not to see the familiar faces of the other fellows. I genuinely miss them and the lab environment. We had formed a tight-knit bond, almost like a family, and transitioning back to our regular lives hasn't fully sunk in yet.
End the sob story. The symposium presentation day was absolutely amazing. I was proud of all of the other fellows and the progress we’ve made in just 11 weeks. While I know many of us were anxious and apprehensive about the oral presentations, I must say that, in my eyes, everyone did amazing. Also seeing our families come to watch us and support us was very heartwarming.
Unfortunately, from my last blog entry post, I ended my internship without getting my anticipated data. While it was frustrating and upsetting towards the end, I realized it was okay. The situation had been stressful, as I felt like I was letting down my mentor and lab PI due to what appeared to be a lack of progress. 
But I had to take a step back so that I could realize how much progress I’ve actually made by comparing myself from the beginning of the summer to now. This progress extended beyond just lab skills, encompassing knowledge, career development, practical lab experience, writing, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to present orally.
While I may not have gotten conclusive data in my summer project (which was another lesson in itself), I’m still happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of this fellowship and I was able to gain so much from my time here at Fox Chase