It’s hard to believe my time in South Korea has already come to an end. These past two months have gone by so much faster than I ever expected. What started as a summer internship quickly became one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had, professionally and personally. Between my internship, traveling around South Korea (and even a quick trip to Japan), and meeting so many amazing people, I’ve made memories that I’ll carry with me long after returning to Pittsburgh.
Professionally, this internship gave me the opportunity to work on projects that felt meaningful. At the Medical Imaging Informatics Laboratory (MediSC) within Seoul National University Hospital, I worked on redesigning clinician and patient applications that will eventually be used in hospital clinical trials. Knowing that my work has the potential to be used in a real healthcare setting made every project feel important. I also had the chance to attend research seminars, workshops, and even observe a live surgery in the operating room. Those experiences showed me how many different fields come together to improve healthcare and reminded me why I became interested in information science in the first place. One of the biggest things I learned professionally is that good design isn’t just about making something look nice. It’s about understanding the people who will actually use it. Throughout the summer, I worked closely with researchers from different backgrounds and learned how important it is to listen, ask questions, and be open to feedback. Every project went through multiple revisions, and I realized that the best ideas usually come from collaboration rather than one person working alone.
Academically, this experience confirmed that I’m definitely on the right path. I’ve always enjoyed design, but working in a healthcare research environment showed me how UI/UX can make a real difference in people’s lives. Whether it was designing interfaces for clinicians or thinking about how patients interact with technology, I found myself enjoying every part of the process. It also introduced me to areas like AI, XR, and digital therapeutics that I knew very little about before arriving in Seoul. I’m leaving with a much better understanding of how these technologies fit into healthcare and how they can improve patient experiences.
Personally, I think this experience helped me become much more independent. Living halfway across the world meant learning how to navigate unfamiliar places, communicate across language barriers, and solve problems on my own. Whether I was figuring out the Seoul subway system, taking a solo trip to Japan, or simply ordering food in Korean, I became more comfortable with myself. A lot of the things that felt intimidating during my first week now feel completely normal.
One of my favorite parts of the summer wasn’t actually work. It was all of the people I met. The other interns quickly became close friends, and my coworkers welcomed me into the lab from my very first day. I’ll always remember our daily lunches, baseball games after work, weekend trips to places like Gyeongju and Jeonju, and all of the random convenience store stops and late-night adventures around Seoul. Those moments outside of the office ended up being just as meaningful as the internship itself. This experience also changed the way I think about working with people from different cultures. Before coming to Korea, I had read about differences in workplace culture, communication styles, and social norms. Actually experiencing them was completely different. When I return to Pitt, I’ll be bringing back much more than memories and an overflowing suitcase. I’ll have more confidence in my ideas, stronger communication skills, and a better understanding of how to work on multidisciplinary teams.
As I start my senior year and begin thinking about graduate school and my future career, I know this experience will continue to shape the way I approach design and technology. It reminded me why I enjoy creating things that make people’s lives easier and showed me the impact that thoughtful design can have in healthcare. More than anything, this summer challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, and I’m leaving South Korea with new skills, friendships, and a new perspective that I’ll carry with me wherever I go next.
Thank you, Seoul. I’ll definitely be back.
