Hi Riley,
This letter marks the beginning of my time in the WAGSFP and I am really excited to see where this goes. This’ll be my first time spending the summer in Ann Arbor (which I’ve already learned is way too hot to not have a bike) instead of back in Arizona with 3 dogs & a cat, but I’d say the research is worth it. Yesterday, we had our orientation for the program, and I can’t wait to hear more about everyone’s research as the summer continues. The seminar topics seem interesting and I’m excited to go to some brown bags since I’ve never been before. Tomorrow I’ll meet with my research mentor to talk about the project timeline and all the details that come with it. All I know for sure is that we’re interviewing female surgeons in different fields to compare their perceptions of control and stress. This is my first qualitative research project, so I’m interested in seeing what the results look like compared to other research I’ve done. Overall, I think this project will really help to round out my research skills going into my junior year, which is one of the reasons that I applied to WAGSFP. I know that the first few weeks are just going to be a lot of literature reviews, but I’ve honestly never minded them. Outside of this research and the lab I’m working in, my summer will probably include reading and crocheting when I’m not hanging out with friends.
Best, Riley