Science Internship Reflective Portfolio by Sandy Huynh

shuy0007 — 2024-07-22 02:33:24 UTC

Reflection on My First Day at VetCheck

My first day at VetCheck was an enlightening and engaging experience. The day began with a warm introduction from Amanda, my supervisor, who shared the organization's vision and goals. Meeting Amanda and my fellow interns from RMIT and Monash University was inspiring. We spent some time introducing ourselves, discussing our academic backgrounds and future career aspirations. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals passionate about veterinary science and animal care.

During the morning, Amanda provided an in-depth overview of VetCheck’s aims and objectives. The organization’s commitment to advancing veterinary care and enhancing animal health was evident, and it was exciting to learn about their innovative approaches and high standards. This introduction set a clear and motivating context for our work. Our supervisor then detailed our goals and expectations. During this internship, my peers and I will create medical handouts, blogs, social media posts, and graphics to educate pet owners and veterinarians.

After the introduction, we started working on medical handouts with important, easy-to-read information. I learned that some human medications/drugs are sometimes used in animals and are called "off-label" use.

Overall, I am looking forward to this internship as I share my personal connection to veterinary care. As a cat owner who deeply loves my pet, this internship aligns perfectly with my interests and passion for animal welfare. My first day was a valuable introduction to the internship, and I am eager to immerse myself in the opportunities and challenges ahead.

shuy0007 — 2024-07-31 08:40:42 UTC

From the 'Excel Tips and Tricks' course, I learned how to get organised by customising tabs in Excel. This includes creating new tabs, reordering them, hiding and unhiding tabs, and changing tab colors. These techniques enhance workbook management and data organisation. Since I frequently use Excel for collecting and analyzing data in my pharmacology units, these skills will help me maintain a well organised dataset and prevent data confusion.

shuy0007 — 2024-07-31 09:06:19 UTC

From the Getting Things Done module, I learned that organizing tasks involves categorising them into specific lists, such as Next Actions, errands, agendas, waiting-for, and projects. This method helps manage tasks efficiently by context and maintain a clear overview of responsibilities. For example, Next Actions lists track tasks not tied to specific dates, while project lists help manage broader goals. This skill will be particularly useful for balancing both university and internship work at VetCheck.