Jolene is a dual MS-MPH student who interned at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Here are some reflections about the experience:
In just a few sentences, please tell us about your summer internship. How does it connect to your personal and professional interests?
As a principal investigator, I conducted my own qualitative study where I interviewed Ghanaian women about their lived experiences with uterine fibroids. My internship/study took place in a Gynecology clinic at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra Ghana, for two and a half months. I was partially inspired by my mother’s experience with a hysterectomy that she underwent in 2018. Both my parents were born and raised in Ghana, and I’ve always wanted to go back for a longer period of time (other than a few weeks) and pursue research. It’s been a 5-year process to finally pursue this dream. After being a two-time semifinalist for a Fulbright research award to Ghana in 2021 and 2022, and acquiring some work experience, I later decided to pursue graduate school to further build my skills.
How did you land your internship? (e.g., networking, searching on the BCC job board, etc.)
Being a dual-degree student (MS/MPH), I pursued this experience through Tufts School of Medicine (TUSM) Global Health programs as there’s already an established exchange program between TUSM and KBTH. During the grad school application process, I intentionally and only applied to schools with connections to Ghana. Initially, I was feeling frustratingly indecisive about what schools I wanted to apply to; my list started at 20. I decided to cut out programs that didn’t have a connection to Ghana and it made the process less stressful. In the second month of my first semester, I went on the TUSM Global Health website to see who I should reach out to about this experience, which is Kimberly Burke (Program Director) and Dr. Libby Bradshaw (Director of Ghana Programs). We connected and I also collaborated with Dr. Si Pearman, Assistant Professor at the School of Public Health, who also was my STEP 1 instructor. Skills & Tools for Engage Practice (STEP) is a 3 course sequence within the MPH program to assist students alongside their internship process. This was instrumental in helping me make concrete steps, goals, and deadlines when it came to planning my study. I started brainstorming my direction of study in October of 2024 and in December I began my literature review for the overall IRB process. Dr. Bradshaw, Dr. Pearman (my co-investigators) and I met almost biweekly starting in February of 2025 to assist me in the IRB process. We finally submitted the proposal in April of 2025.
What did you enjoy about your internship? What did you find challenging?
It felt surreal seeing my goal actualize in reality. My recruitment process went a lot more seamless than was expected, which was such a relief. I really enjoyed simply being back in my homeland, and visiting family- some I haven’t seen in about 20 years. The amount of support I received from family and friends was beautiful and I’m so grateful. I always felt like someone was looking out for me even though I was there by myself. For example, I had an aunt who would deliver me homemade meals to my student hostel, via her own driver, almost every weekend. Being in a place where everyone looks like me felt healing, as finding a black community in Boston has been a challenge- as it is for many black people in this city. I also enjoyed the fact that everyone in the maternity ward research unit are all women. It was only a few of us, but we had such illuminating, educational, and vulnerable conversations, and built familial bonds. The autonomy I had was scary at first but freeing overtime.
What I found most challenging at first was being confident in my position. Estimating how things would operate when writing the IRB proposal was difficult as I had never even been to Korle Bu. I was required to transcribe all my interviews prior to coming back to the U.S., per Tufts IRB data privacy protocol. This was overwhelming to balance amongst interviewing, and having my fun outside of work. I transcribed 13 interviews in a little over a month which unfortunately burned me out. For context, it takes about an hour to transcribe 5 minutes of an interview, and most of the interviews were around 20 minutes. The incessant mosquito bites I acquired was a nuisance as well.
What are the necessary soft and hard skills needed for this position?
Networking
Leadership
Semi-structured interview conduction
Project Management
Curriculum Development
Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge
Conflict Resolution
Scientific Method and Design
Innovation and Creativity
Time Management
Budget Management
If you could offer one piece of internship search advice to your peers, what would it be?
Just start early, and by that I mean, if you’re having even an inkling of what you want to do, start researching companies/people that are affiliated with that thing. Also, try and connect with professors of the specific department/field that you’re interested in that work at Tufts. They most definitely will offer insight/guidance on your journey!
