OHSU-PSU School of Public Health, Center for Infectious Disease Studies, Portland, OR
This summer, I was an intern at the Oregon Health and Science University/Portland State University joint School of Public Health, at their Center for Infectious Disease Studies. The Center specializes in rare pulmonary diseases and has several ongoing research protocols that the group is currently working on. I was able to contribute to several of these protocols through my internship. My main project was conducting patient interviews for a study researching treatment efficacy, feasibility, and patient experience of intravenous and inhaled amikacin treatment for nontuberculous mycobacterial disease. I was supervised on this by Dr. Luke Strnad. The trial was based on the premise that use of aminoglycoside antibiotics has potential to be attractive in treating NTM because of antimicrobial potency; however, there exists no pill based form, so either intravenous or inhaled methods are required. I was able to interact with patients through this project, as well as learn about a potential treatment plan and its current effects on patients with NTM. It was a very intellectually rewarding project, and I am fortunate to have been given this task as an intern for the Center.
In addition to the amikacin study, I also contributed to several of the Center’s other ongoing protocols. The Bronchiectasis Research Registry is a consolidated database of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients from major clinical and research institutions. Its goal is to support collaborative research and assist in the planning of multicenter clinical trials for the treatment of non-CF bronchiectasis. Because of the rarity of bronchiectasis, the database was begun to collect data on the growing population afflicted by bronchiectasis and to hopefully build a knowledge base for future treatment and prevention of the disease.
For the most part, I was conducting data entry, patient visits and interviews, data and file organization, and other contributions to these trials. I became trained in working on several different databases, such as REDCap and DatStat, as well as using Epic for patient chart review and research. I gained valuable insight in how the process of clinical trials works, which has built a strong foundation for my interest in research opportunities in the future. Additionally, I was able to shadow Dr. Winthrop, head of the Center, observing his clinical consults. Many of these patients were also enrolled in several clinical trials, which allowed for an interesting crossover between clinical and research medicine. Shadowing has always been my favorite aspect of working in a hospital setting, because it allows you to observe medicine from a unique standpoint. One of Dr. Winthrop’s consults was for a female cystic fibrosis patient about my age, and it was really eye-opening to observe the dynamic between the doctor and the patient, as well as between the patient and her family, and how Dr. Winthrop navigated that. As a frequent hospital patient myself when I was younger, it also was an important opportunity for me to reflect on my own experiences in the hospital as a patient rather than as a shadow or intern, and how these two differing positions must come together in the hospital setting. I was able to empathize with the patient, and understand how important interpersonal skills are as a physician, which Dr. Winthrop demonstrated well.
Overall, I was fascinated by the Center’s work. Dr. Winthrop runs an incredibly organized, professional group. I was also able to become close with the other college interns at the Center, and it was incredibly inspiring to be able to work with such bright and passionate young men and women every day. There were also several research associates that worked at the Center, many of them heading the projects previously described. Most of these associates were in their twenties, recently out of college, so it was really amazing to see some of the paths that these people pursued after undergrad, and how there are so many ways to pursue careers related to medicine and public health. Megan Wardrop, the HR manager, and Sarah Siegel, the programs manager, were both incredible supervisors and allowed me to have a wonderful internship experience that was not only intellectually rewarding, but a lot of fun. Overall, I was very fortunate to be able to work with an organization full of extremely intelligent and hardworking individuals that made my experience the best it could have been.
As a Williams student on the pre-medical track intending on declaring a major in Economics, I am now confident in my interest in pursuing a dual MD-MPH after graduation. Through this internship, I was able to gain exposure to the multifaceted field of clinical research and epidemiology. I learned an incredible amount about the rare NTM lung disease, its treatment, and the experience of patients with this diagnosis. I also became comfortable with research participant interaction and informed consent, and institutional and federal guidelines governing human subject research. This experience in public health has acted as a bridge between my dual interest in economics and science, allowing me to become familiar with both healthcare systems and health policy. As a student interested in not only pursuing a career in healthcare but also bettering the practices and policies of the healthcare system that I exist in, working with SPH and learning about control of diseases and the policies and decision-making that surround it was an incredibly rewarding experience.
I will always remember the people of the Center for Infectious Disease Studies fondly. I am sincerely grateful to the Class of 1972 for their support of my summer internship.