Hi everyone! My name is Anna Roberts, and I am an incoming junior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry and a certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. Post-graduation, I plan on entering into a graduate program and earning my PhD in Neuroscience so that I can work in scientific research. I am currently working in the ARGO Lab at UPMC where I study functional connectivity changes in the brain in preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease. I hope to continue my work in Alzheimer’s research throughout the rest of my undergraduate experience, into graduate school, and beyond. As someone who is interested in medical research, it is important to think about how my work will reach the general public. I have a strong interest in pharmacology and hope to one day be involved in drug development in some manner. Of course, the hope of this research is that it will be eventually used as treatment, in which case, it is important to know how it is being integrated into medical facilities. 

This summer, I will be interning at the National Care Experience Programme (NCEP), a joint initiative by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE), and the Department of Health in Ireland. NCEP aims to improve the quality of healthcare services in Ireland through surveying patient experiences and taking action based on the feedback received. Here, I will be introduced to the more administrative and governmental side of medical care. Not only will I be able to see quantitative measures of patient satisfaction, but I will also see how organizations like NCEP approach improving on healthcare services. This will be very beneficial and hopefully make me a better professional if I have a more complete understanding of the steps taken to implement my work into not just a healthcare setting, but a successful one. At NCEP, I hope to improve on my organizational and communication skills in an unfamiliar and professional setting. I wish to garner experience that will set me apart from other graduate school applicants and set me up for future success, and lastly, I aim to build strong and lasting connections with professionals who I may later look toward for opportunities and advice as I continue and complete my education. Accomplishing these goals in a new country will not only strengthen these skills and distinctions, but it will broaden my future options so that I might feel more confident continuing my education or working in another place.

I chose to participate in the International Internship Program in Dublin because I want real-world experience in my time abroad. I think the best way to experience another place and another culture is to be fully immersed in it. By working at an Irish organization with people who live and work in the city of Dublin, I hope to have a more in depth learning experience and a better and truer feel for the city I will be spending the next eight weeks in. I’m very excited to be in a place with such a rich and complex history and with so many attractive qualities.

Outside of my academic and professional life, I enjoy spending time outdoors, and so I am seriously looking forward to exploring the Irish countryside and coasts. I look forward to exploring everything that Dublin has to offer as well, especially their historical spots, restaurants and pubs, and street markets, all things I enjoy in Pittsburgh. I hope to share these activities with the friends I make in this program. At home, I love shopping at old thrift stores and bookstores, two things Dublin is quite well-known for. As I journey from my housing to my internship, I look forward to spending that time reading books I can later put on a shelf dedicated to my time in Dublin. I have always loved playing and listening to music, as well, and I look forward to listening to local bands and attending concerts. I hope to spend a lot of my time visiting other cities and towns around Ireland, and I hope to eventually make it to Northern Ireland as well, to places like Belfast and Londonderry. 

I know these next eight weeks will be nothing short of amazing, and that I will come out the other side with experiences and inspiration I otherwise might never have. I look forward to bringing all of this back with me to share with my family and friends and to implement into my own life. I will be documenting my time here, and I’m sure I will cherish these pictures and stories for long after I make my Pittsburgh return.