Sana Hava: Developing a Manuscript BACK

Published by AFAR

Although I have been heavily involved in clinical research in the past, this is the first time that I am working with researchers to develop a manuscript, which will be the end product of the program. I have very little knowledge about writing manuscripts and have been busy figuring out how to approach it. Fortunately, my mentors and some students in the program are familiar with the in’s and out’s of writing these types of papers, and their advice has been really helpful in clearing up some of my confusion. But there is still a lot that I need to learn in order to complete this part of my project.

I am currently working on a stroke assessment study, with my tasks mainly consisting of data entry and patient follow-up interviews. I have some experience in data entry and conducting patient interviews in the past, so luckily this part of the project was not too hard to figure out. I am also currently trying to keep up to date with different articles in order to prepare for writing my manuscript.

Aside from being able to partake in a great research project, the opportunity to gain clinical experience in a real-world medical setting was another major factor that attracted me to the MSTAR program. So far I have been on rounds in the Acute Care Unit for Geriatrics and Geriatric Psychiatry, and I better understand how rotations help students realize what specialty they may want to pursue for the rest of their lives. The attendings, residents, and third year medical students with whom I have been rounding have truly gone out of their way to help me gain a better understanding of the different clinical scenarios that each unique patient presents with. Seeing everything that I have been learning about throughout the past year being applied to real cases was exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because it’s nice to see all the different connections between everything that I have learned about so far; scary because of how much everyone knew and how much I didn’t know or couldn’t remember! I expressed my fear to the third year medical students and residents who smiled at me and knew exactly how I felt, having been in my shoes not so long ago. They reassured me that eventually, everything I am learning now will come together in my head and things will make more sense, especially once I start rotations. I’m still skeptical, but hopefully I’ll be ok.

One of the best attributes of the MSTAR program has been the exposure and experience with the geriatric population. Although I have gained some knowledge in the classroom about the factors that make the geriatric population unique, it was not until the MSTAR program that I realized the importance in gaining a better understanding of the dynamics of the older population. When I started the program, I did not have enough knowledge about geriatrics to assess how I felt about the field, but this program has provided me with great insight, which is truly helping me realize importance of learning about the unique characteristics that define this specific population.

Sana Hava
New York College of Osteopathic Medicine

 

"Diary of an MSTAR Student" follows scholars in the 2011 Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program, highlighting their summer experiences. As they continue their path of research, training and clinical practice, read their daily thoughts at www.afar.org/mstarblog. New diary entries are posted every day, so check back soon.