Every summer as part of their professional development, our fellows gain critical experience in shadowing, clinical settings, and research. Featured below are reflections of those experiences written by the fellows.
I spent the majority of my summer in Dakar, Senegal as a participant of Duke Engage. Duke Engage gave me the opportunity to leave the United States, which is something that I have never done before. I did not know what to expect. After the program I can say that the 8 weeks changed my life. The main role that was required was the role of a teacher, teaching English and digital literacy to a class of 25 adult learners. Myself and my teaching partner taught 4 days a week and formed great friendships with our students who… read more about Demi Wilson '26 - Duke Engage in Senegal »
This past summer of 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to my home country of Accra, Ghana for two months through the fully funded Duke Engage Program, “Mitigating Health Risks and Environmental Damage through Education.” Our project focused on addressing the serious dangers posed by toxic substances, particularly heavy metals found in used motor oil. Although Ghanaian auto mechanics are highly skilled, many are unknowingly exposed to these harmful metals due to poor handling and disposal practices. These heavy… read more about Millie Evonlah '25 Duke Engage Program Mitigating Health Risks in Accra, Ghana »
Duke Engage: BostonDuring the summer of 2024, I completed a rewarding internship with 826 Boston through the Duke Engage Program. 826 Boston is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering students in grades K-12 through writing, tutoring, and publishing initiatives. Our mission is to amplify young voices and develop future leaders.During my time at Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA), a Boston Public School serving immigrant adolescent English language learners, I had the privilege of:-… read more about Cristal Ortiz '25 - Duke Engage and NC Spine Society Conference »
This summer, I interned with Brigham and Women’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Center through the Four Directions Summer Research Program. The Four Directions Summer Research Program is a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, facilitated by Brigham and Women’s Center for Diversity & Inclusion. As an epidemiology research intern, I worked on two research projects based in Boston, Massachusetts and supported by Harvard’s School of Public Health. My primary project was the… read more about Jada Allen '25 - Four Directions Summer Research Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital »
I was an undergraduate counselor at Camp Baker at The Baker Center For Children and Families. Camp Baker is a program premised on the Summer Treatment Program (STP) for children ages 6-12 with ADHD, learning problems, and related mood, emotional, and behavior challenges, and tailoring treatment to a child's individual behavioral, social-emotional, and learning shortcomings. I implemented an extensive positive and negative behavior modification treatment program, including feedback and associated consequences, daily and… read more about Allison Falls '24 - Counselor at the Baker Center for Children and Families »
I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer on the tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique. Grenada is the host country to the renowned St. George’s University Medical School. After being granted permission by the chief medical officer of Grenada to do an observership in two of the hospitals on the island first the general hospital in Saint George (Grenada) , and the Princess Royal Hospital located on the sister island of Carriacou. I was able to get a more in-depth view of the medical system In… read more about Deborah Lendore '26 - Medical Observership in Grenada »
This summer, I had the wonderful opportunity of being a Huang Fellow in the Duke Initiative for Science and Society. I built relationships with my peers and discovered what it means to practice science through the ethical lens. I heard from various professors, deans, and other accomplished faculty at Duke their perspectives on a plethora of topics ranging from AI in health to the social determinants of health. I also had the opportunity to visit places such as the Carolina Tiger Rescue Center, North Carolina Museum… read more about Demi Wilson '26 - Huang Fellowship at Duke »
This past summer, I had the fortunate opportunity to join a cohort of 20 students and participate in Duke’s Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Fellowship (BSURF). This is a highly selective 8-week summer research program where students are placed in a biological or biomedical science laboratory to explore, investigate, and pursue hands-on research directly with a lab mentor. I am grateful to have had the wonderful opportunity to be placed in Dr. Gustavo Silva’s lab where we investigate how cells respond to… read more about Wigdan Hissein '26 - Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Fellowship (BSURF) at Duke »
I spent my summer as a medical scribe at Baylor Scott and White Health Hospital in Dallas, TX through Scribeology. Upon receiving the offer, I was given a 6 week curriculum on anatomical terms; common medications, illnesses, procedures, surgeries; and orthopedic specific terms and smart phrases. I completed this curriculum in two weeks, as my application was expedited, and passed my assessment. As soon as I passed, I began orientation which is when I began to solidify bonds with not only the doctors I was working under, but… read more about Chidimma Umerah '26 - Medical Scribing at Baylor Scott and White Health Hospital »
This summer, I participated in Story + at Duke University. Story + is a summer research experience for students interested in exploring interdisciplinary arts, humanities, and interpretative social science research topics and methodologies. The program combines hands-on research with storytelling to create dynamic outcomes for diverse public audiences. During the six weeks of the program, I was apart of the Healthy Women: Post-Roe v. Wade team. Roe v. Wade was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that established a woman's… read more about Madison Butler '25 - Project Healthy Women Post-Roe V. Wade at Duke University »
This summer, I participated in the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. For this program, I participated in courses such as anatomy and physiology, physics, biomedical sciences, clinical interventions, and more. Some of my experiences here include getting exposure to a Gross Anatomy Lab to learn more about the human body utilizing cadavers, shadowing a neurosurgeon, and learning about emergency medicine! I was able to confirm my passions about… read more about Nia Capers '25 - Summer Health Professions Education Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center »
This summer I was able to attend Howard University Summer Health Professions Education Program. During this program I was able to gain knowledge from a Pre-Pharmacy aspect, Pre Medicine, Pre Dental and Pre Nursing track. Through this internship I participated in multiple courses like biochemistry, genetics, cultural competence, health ethics and policy along with other workshops. I also was able to do clinical rotations in different departments such as surgery, psychology, herbal pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy and more. This… read more about Shaiyan Sanchez '26 - Summer Health Professions Education Program at Howard University »
This past summer of 2022, I was chosen to participate in Project Healthcare; a selective emergency medicine internship located in New York City. I was given the opportunity to hear from and shadow esteemed physicians, including residents, attendings, and chiefs. I also worked with medical students attending the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and made connections with some of the brightest young minds from universities all over the nation. We resided in the New York University dormitories in Manhattan for… read more about Millie Evonlah '25 - Project Healthcare Summer Internship in New York City »
The Perfect Lab is where I found my interest in microbiology. I performed agar microdilution for the pathogenic fungi, Cryptococcus neoformans. In other words, I observed the resistance of 4000 crypto deletion strains at increasing concentrations of fluconazole as a steppingstone in finding the culprit of its resistance and ultimately supporting research in strengthening antifungals. In the image, I am transferring agar with isolates to their plates which would then be left in an incubator to grow. We took images of the… read more about Emily Prudot Gonzalez '24 - Medical Mycology Research in the Perfect Lab »
During the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to participate in research at the Duke Lemur Center under the Drea Lab. The project name is Comparative Neuroendocrinology of Maternal Care in Strepsirrhines with Fast and Slow Life Histories. I work with the Lemur catta and Vareica rubra for this research. The goal of this research is to focus on the hormone oxytocin in the mother of each group. There is behavior observation before, during, and after pregnancy to monitor the maternal and overall behavior of the mother in… read more about Cristal Ortiz '25 Summer Research at the Duke Lemur Center »