By Rylee Salutregui
Clinical Research Center Intern
Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by medicine and have enjoyed helping others. When you mention that you are a Public Health major and want to work in healthcare, most people assume you’re headed toward pre-med or nursing. They tend to overlook clinical research. But because of my internship at The Corvallis Clinic’s Clinical Research Center, I’ve found a new appreciation for clinical research.
This 10-week internship entailed 360 hours and eight assignments for which I earned 12 college credits. When I started, I felt overwhelmed by the many due dates and short timeline. Yet when I look back on the last 10 weeks, those requirements don’t seem to have been too much of a chore. Throughout my time has an intern, I have gained experience, community, and an appreciation for service.
Getting to experience firsthand the clinical research process has truly been eye opening. Daily I got to witness the time and dedication that goes into clinical research.
Being the low man on the totem pole has its terrors, but in a short amount of time the people working in the Clinical Research Center opened their arms to help me grow and learn. From showing me the different components of lab kits, to explaining why research requires such strict guidelines and protocols, they taught me the ins and outs of clinical research.
While sharing an office space I got to hear heart-warming patient-nurse encounters. The professionals at the Clinical Research Center check in on patients in ways that time-strapped doctors cannot, adding an extra dimension to care. The Clinical Research team members are living examples of how to provide quality patient care. They have shown me, without any intention, about who I want to be as a person employed in healthcare.
As I wrap up my final college term, I look back and wonder how four years can go by so fast. You always hear the cliché, “It goes by in a blink of an eye.” Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the old saying is right. I cannot thank the Clinical Research Center enough for the most amazing ending to this chapter in my life.
– Rylee Salutregui, Clinical Research Center Intern, will be graduating from Oregon State University’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences in June 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health-Health Promotion and Health Behavior with a Business minor
