WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER
Emily O’Koren

Another terrific participant from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Emily O’Koren was a Dean’s List student in her sophomore year who was running a 3.7 grade point average in early February of 2006 when she applied to the Washington Internship Program for a summer placement. Emily was working toward a Bachelors of Science degree in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in music. She had worked in laboratory settings with molecular and organic chemistry and taken biology courses as well as Calculus III, genetics, and other science classes. She requested a medically-related internship. Emily had won a choral scholarship, and she performed for years. She placed third in the finals for a Music Teachers National Association Student Competition in 2004. Emily traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Florida with different choirs. She also lived in several states as a military dependent. A member of the Lehigh University Choir and an improvisational group on campus, she also served as a cantor at a church. Three months later the Washington Internship Program placed Emily at an internship with a doctor at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where she worked from mid May through mid August at an internship that paid her a stipend. Below is Emily’s account of her summer internship.

“In the summer of 2006, I was an intern in the radiology department at Walter Reed Medical Center. The Washington Internship program taught me a great deal about the art of creating a strong resume and cover letter. It was helpful to have a support team throughout the process of finding an internship –

especially for someone like me who was applying for the first time for an internship. My experience working at Walter Reed was both fun and educational. I helped the doctor for whom I worked to gather research literature on the newest heart scanners. Walter Reed had just begun using a 64-slice computed tomography scanner on patients when I arrived. It was interesting to watch how the doctors became familiar with the scanner and created protocols for it. I was involved in creating a pre-scan checklist that is currently used at Walter Reed. I also devised a database in Microsoft Access to hold patient information. This project familiarized me protocols and privacy protection for patient information. Two other interns worked with me. We took turns being project manager each week. This approach allowed me to hone my leadership skills and learn to work with others when not heading up a project.”

“I also created a PowerPoint presentation for my supervisor that detailed the effects of parameter adjustments on the new 64-slice scanner. It also described the benefits of the scan and who should undergo the scan. The doctor gave the presentation at a Radiology/Cardiology convention in D.C. In addition, I updated a previous presentation for the doctor, which he delivered to the medical staff at the Pentagon. I was able to attend and then go on a tour of the Pentagon.”

“Overall, my internship experience was wonderful. I learned a lot and am looking forward to future internships. The Washington Internship Program did a lot to aid me during the internship application process and provided a lot of unique and educational opportunities in the D.C. area. I highly recommend that anyone in the program take advantage of the activities provided by the Washington Internship Program.”

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