As the new semester gives way to shorter days and cooler weather, Franklin & Marshall College students are finding their fall rhythm. For many, the quest for knowledge continued uninterrupted over the summer.
From June to August, dozens of students pursued experiences supported by donor funding through various campus offices, including Office of Student and Post-Graduate Development (OSPGD) and the Public Service Summer Institute (PSSI).
For the final installment of our summer series, two students reflect on their transformative experiences exploring very different sides of the sciences.
Junior Aryaa Ogale billed 340 hours of patient time as a sports medicine intern at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai, India.
Across the globe, senior Madeline Hartley interned at Project Chimps, a sanctuary for retired medical research chimpanzees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.
The experience, said Hartley, “gave me insight into the ins and outs of working at a sanctuary. It's hard work, but worth it for the moments when I can engage and build relationships with the chimps.”
Now back on campus, she’ll apply her knowledge to the capuchin research team at the F&M vivarium.
Ogale’s interest in physical therapy stemmed from her own experience as a standout squash player at F&M. A particularly compelling case was working to rehabilitate a patient struck by lightning.
“He was under my department trying to regain his motor control and pelvic stability, “ she said. “[It was] amazing to learn and see as he progressed toward getting better with improved body mechanics.”
Learn more about each internship below.
Aryaa Ogale ’24Summer Experience: Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation Location: Mumbai, India
Funded by: Rackow-Kaminsky Endowed Fellowship for Pre-Health Students
Major: Biology
Tell us about your summer experience. What was a typical day like?
I interned under the sports medicine department with a sports physical therapist.
I had my first patient at 8:30 a.m. and then an inflow of patients until 4 p.m. Some patients are regulars who are doing rehabilitation post-invasive surgery, and some patients come in for curing the ailments caused due to old age. I got to learn about patient care and machine usage on patients for speeding up the healing process, design and execute programs for patients based on their particular condition and age, manual therapy, and several other techniques that the physical therapists use.
What inspired you to take on this experience?
I have been a professional squash player for over 12 years now and have suffered three injuries. One of the major injuries forced me to pull out of the Indian team, which was extremely heartbreaking for me. After that day, I took my workout routine seriously and over the next few years I gained a deeper interest in human anatomy and body mechanics. I decided that I wanted to be associated with sports, but also pursue my passion for the human body and return to sports mechanics, so I decided to take up physical therapy.
After my major injury, I came to Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation hospital. The only place I wanted to intern was this hospital because I wanted to be on the flip side from being a patient to observing how the doctors treat them.
Why did you choose to attend F&M?
I chose F&M due to its small college community, great and challenging academics, and an amazing squash program. I was honestly attracted to its location, small community-like life, and good connectivity to nearby big cities while allowing me to focus on my academics as well.
Madeline Hartley ‘23Summer Experience: Intern at Project Chimps, a sanctuary for retired medical research chimpanzees
Location: Morgantown, Ga.
Funded by: F&M General Summer Experience Funds
Majors: Animal Behavior and Spanish
Tell us about your summer experience. What was a typical day like?
I spent my days taking care of the chimpanzees. We give them breakfast, clean their enclosures, and then distribute lunch and enrichment. There was a break in the afternoon where I had a variety of activities – taking courses in animal welfare and training, working on my individual research project, and helping with meal/enrichment preparations. After that, I participated in dinner service and said goodnight to the chimps.
There is a sanctuary-wide morning meeting every day and team meetings a few times a month that I also attended, which gave me insight into the ins and outs of working at a sanctuary. It's hard work, but worth it for the moments when I can engage and build relationships with the chimps.
What inspired you to take on this experience?
I was inspired to take on this internship by our capuchins! I am on the behavioral research team in Franklin & Marshall's vivarium and have worked closely with them for about a year now. The capuchins have had an incredible influence on my time at F&M and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to get to know them. Learning how to cooperate with primates and interpret their behavior has given me an advantage in this field and this internship.
Why did you choose to attend F&M?
I chose to attend F&M for a variety of reasons. Franklin & Marshall is a very small school, so the community really feels like a family. My classes are usually 15 or so students, which means I am really able to get to know my classmates and my professors on a personal level.
Lancaster is full of small family-owned shops and restaurants, and I love Central Market! F&M has amazing financial aid as well, and was able to work with me to meet my needs. I was also drawn to the school by the vivarium and the ability to do research with animals as an undergraduate student, which is definitely a unique experience I would not have gotten anywhere else.
Original source can be found here.
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