Student Testimonials
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| Carly Craig. |
Carly Craig, University of Alaska, Anchorage
Carly Craig recently participated as a summer intern at NIAID’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana. Although she was initially apprehensive about being so far from her home, family, and friends in Alaska, she was excited about an experience that “would make me grow as a person.” She was not disappointed. The experience exceeded her expectations. “The learning curve was steep,” she said, but not beyond her reach. “I learned so much in such a short amount of time.” She was also pleased with her decision to go to RML. “Montana seemed like the best fit for me. I really like the outdoors a lot and got to see some amazing things in Montana.”
The experience also caused Carly to question her career path. She is not as sure anymore about her desire to go to medical school. “There are so many research opportunities, and I love the field of biomedical research.” She understands now how much biomedical research directly impacts patients and others.
That couldn’t have been made more clear by the research Carly worked on during her RML internship. Stationed in the Laboratory of Human Bacterial Pathogenesis, Carly performed antibiotic susceptibility tests on 10 community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates. MRSA, an infection previously limited to hospital settings and people with risk factors for infection, has emerged as a major public health threat over the last 5 years. Scientists at RML are working to learn how MRSA invades the body, resists antibiotics, and spreads so quickly.
Carly has some decisions to make as she nears graduation from college. A post baccalaureate traineeship is certainly a possibility.
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