Isabella Marker

Major: Anthropology

Clinical Lab Work Study at Mayo Clinic

How did you learn about this internship opportunity?

Online job board

What is a piece of advice you would give someone in your major looking for an internship?

Don't give up hope if you don't hear back or get rejections, you need to cast as wide of a net as possible to increase your odds of getting an offer. Send in the application even if you think it's a long shot or you're not the perfect candidate because you don't know who will accept you!

What key responsibilities or projects have you taken on during your internship?

I play a key role in the clinical lab space by being the person who loads slides of patient samples (i.e. blood, bone marrow) onto high power microscopes so the metaphases can be imaged for chromosomal analysis. I also sought out additional training and shadowing opportunities to learn chromosome recognition, karyotyping, and technologist work duties.

How has your internship helped build your skills and clarify your career goals? How did being a Liberal Arts student at Purdue apply to your internship?

This summer I have learned about a field I previously had no knowledge or experience in, medical lab science, and I found a deep passion for clinical lab work. I also learned about all of the opportunities that Mayo Clinic employees have, including potential to have higher education expenses paid for. This was a transformative summer because I have decided to apply to the Mayo Clinic to work as a Clinical Lab Technologist for a couple of years before going to graduate school for Genetic Counseling and coming back to work for Mayo. Being a Liberal Arts student and having training in anthropology gives me a very reflective and aware lens through which to look at medical care and the medical field. I understand the human cultural dynamics at play and am well-equipped to communicate cross culturally in a diverse work environment. I also understand the beauty of being able to make "the familiar strange," meaning that I can experience these genetics and biology concepts I have learned in the classroom, in the real world and apply my knowledge while learning their practical relevance.

In what ways has the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University supported your internship journey? How has your participation in our Job-Ready program specifically aided your professional development?

CLA has excellent marketing for the Job-Ready program, so I felt encouraged by professors and peers in CLA to apply for this program even though I didn't know if I would be an ideal candidate as a Degree+ student, and I was reminded to apply by seeing postings in CLA buildings advertising Job-Ready. All professors and advisors in CLA are so supportive of their students and I felt encouraged and equipped to pursue my passions just by being in the College of Liberal Arts. This scholarship made it possible for me to relocate to pursue this excellent internship opportunity because it covers my summer housing expenses. Without the support of this program and CLA, it would have been more financially difficult for me to accept this internship offer, which has been life-changing with the networking and professional development that I have gained.

Could you highlight a standout aspect of your experience in the Job-Ready program that you find particularly noteworthy?

The opportunities that I have had to connect with Genetic Counselors to do informational interviews has been extremely valuable so I can learn about their backgrounds and current work and gain more insight and exposure to the field I want to go into. The connections that I have gained are invaluable. I also had the chance to have my own "mock case" so I could do all analysis on a previously clinical case that came to the lab and get experience doing what technologists actually do every day. Finally, I frequently toured different labs in Mayo Clinic and learned just a fraction of the opportunities that are offered here and some of the wide-ranging expertise that Mayo offers for its patients. This is why this is a world renowned hospital and I feel privileged to work here.