I never did good research in the past; it just never was of interest to me. And to be even more honest, if you had asked me in August if I would join a research project while at TUSPM, I would have laughed and said no. After my first year at TUSPM, I am officially CITI Program Trained, have a Redcap account, and am a part of two separate research projects with two different professors at Temple Health. When I first offered to participate in these projects, I had to step out of my comfort zone to say yes. At this point, we were swamped with test upon test, and I thought I needed a resume boost due to those tests if you understand. However, now, I have never been so happy to be a part of something at TUSPM. These projects can give a crazy busy first/second/third-year space not to be a student, even if it’s just thirty minutes to take down data; that break from studying is super helpful to the psyche.

Not only is the physical/mental health boost excellent when it comes to research, but if it’s a topic you love, you will have genuine fun taking part in the project. For example, one of the projects that I was a part of this year required extra foot dissections, and since my favorite course in my first year was lower extremity anatomy, I happily said yes, and this was how I got my foot wet in the world of medical research, just being one of the dissectors. Even a “small” role like dissecting feet will probably play a more significant role in this project, and I got to take part in it, all while having a good time in the lab. To conclude, my favorite part of my first year at podiatry school must be stepping out of my comfort zone to take part in research, and I cannot wait to continue doing so during my time at TUSPM.