On new experiences

I‘m far from the most eloquent writer out there, which is why I don’t post much on this website. However, with the other interns wrapping up their summer experiences with one last post, it seemed appropriate to write something.

Saturday was the last day of my internship with the National Marine Life Center. This summer was an amazing experience, one that I am incredibly honored to have had.  As an animal care and environmental education volunteer, I got to work with the patients in our hospital as well as the children who came in for our educational programs. Each experience was rewarding, though I do admit I have a particular fondness for the time I spent with the seals for treatment. Even the simplest of treatments, such as an ear flush, was interesting to learn about about and administer. Rounds on Tuesdays were my absolute favorite hands down- I always picked up such interesting tidbits of information and got to watch the on staff veterinarian do exams.

Another great part of this internship has been my coworkers. All of the staff and volunteers are very kind and knowledgeable, eager to share what they know and easy to work with. I learned something from every person that I got to work with, which has helped me develop my school and career goals as well as given me valuable knowledge and skills. Before coming into this internship I knew I wanted to go into veterinary medicine; however, my experiences at the National Marine Life Center have inspired me to consider more non-traditional routes such as working in rehabilitation, emergency care and infectious diseases.

While I only interned at the NMLC for three months, I feel like it was a defining experience that I will look back on years from now with fondness.

Posted by Dimitria G.
Dimitria is a Summer, 2013 Intern at the National Marine Life Center. She is a sophomore at U Mass Dartmouth majoring in Biology.