Intern Spotlight: Rachel Wang
Meet a rising senior aspiring to improve the health of vulnerable communities.
This summer, we welcomed Rachel Wang, a rising senior at CUNY Hunter College who has plans to become a physician assistant. She joined CHERISH through the LifeSci NYC Internship, a career development initiative spearheaded by the New York City Economic Development Corporation that connects undergraduate and graduate students to the life sciences and biotech sector in the city.
Rachel worked alongside Bonnie Tse, communications manager at Weill Cornell Medicine, to develop her scientific writing and gain exposure to substance use, health economics, and health services research. Being the first in her family to graduate this fall with a Bachelor of Science in human biology, Rachel reflected on her summer at CHERISH and how the internship influenced her future career plans.
What responsibilities or projects did you take on this summer?
One of my main projects was to write a research summary about Kathryn McCollister’s latest study, which highlighted the costs of implementing substance use disorder treatment strategies for youth in the legal system. I also wrote social media content for Twitter and LinkedIn to disseminate key findings on substance use and health economics research. Another one of my projects was to conduct a social media assessment, which captured the activity and content of research centers and CHERISH Research Affiliates on three social media platforms, to inform social media engagement strategies.
What does a typical day look like for you as an intern?
My day usually started with a cup of iced matcha or coffee in the morning before diving into my projects. I spent most of my time revising my research summary or collecting and analyzing social media data from research centers and CHERISH Research Affiliates. On certain days, I attended professional development sessions, where I learned about applying to jobs, preparing for graduate school, and gaining practical research skills.
How has this experience shaped your academic, professional, or personal goals?
I have always aspired to pursue a career in physician assistant studies, with the goal of serving vulnerable communities. Through reading research articles on substance use and health economics during this internship, I realized the large-scale impact research can have on improving the health of communities. This experience sparked my interest in pursuing a PhD in public health to complement my clinical goals. I plan to apply the skills I learned during this internship as I work toward becoming a physician assistant and researcher dedicated to improving health outcomes.