Denesha G. (2024)
In Summer 2022, the Social Sciences Division and the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods welcomed its inaugural cohort of 5 visiting students from Chicago State University (CSU). Each of these 5 students chose a methods course to take, participated in our workshops and field trips, and worked as an RA for the summer. Among these students was Denesha, a rising junior majoring in Pre-Med Biological Sciences, and minoring in Chemistry. She learned about SISRM through the Dean of the Honors College at CSU, and decided to apply.
Denesha took the Computing for the Social Sciences methods course, and worked with Dr. Alex Tate on the Hospitalist Project, which she considered to be an immersive and challenging opportunity as an undergraduate student. Reflecting on her time as an RA, Denesha said that her “desire to help patients has grown tremendously, and being a part of the Hospitalist Project has cultivated a new level of aspiration on my [her] journey to the field of oncology.” Her favorite parts of the program were the enlightening and fun field trips and workshops, which included delicious food every day.
Throughout the summer, Denesha learned that it is important to master patient interview skills when seeking a career in healthcare. As such, she has improved her ability to communicate effectively, to problem solve, and to be adaptable when conducting interviews with patients. She is also applying those skills to her academic life as she serves as a tutor for underserved communities for the remainder of her undergraduate years at CSU.
Denesha’s motivation to engage with the community and to keep learning did not stop there. Even after the summer was over, Denesha decided to “make the weekly commitment to engage in meaningful research intended to improve the quality of care at UChicago,” an experience she considers to be very rewarding. Thus, after having such a good experience as part of the Hospitalist Project, Denesha is still assisting in additional research projects at UChicago.