My Summer Internship at Harvard

Hello, I’m Salih. I have just entered my fourth year in the English-language medical program at Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine. This summer, I completed a 1.5-month internship at Harvard Medical School. My internship was based at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Doing an internship in the United States offers many benefits, and I will share many of them with you.

Education

I spent most of my time in the laboratory where I was accepted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The research focused on how androgen level disturbances regulate their effects on capillary vessels, and I participated in the part of the study involving retinal vessels. As someone aiming to become an ophthalmologist, I did not find it sufficient to spend all my time in the lab alone, since ophthalmology is also a surgical specialty. Therefore, it was an excellent opportunity for me to observe the operating rooms and clinics at Harvard. During the remainder of my time, I met with academic staff from ophthalmology and ear, nose, and throat (ENT) departments. This allowed me to observe both clinical and operating room environments in both specialties. In terms of clinical facilities, there was little difference compared to hospitals in Türkiye; however, accessing doctors in the United States was significantly more difficult. When it came to the operating rooms, especially in ENT surgeries, more advanced technological equipment was used. However, it is also important to note that the surgical techniques I observed among U.S. surgeons seemed more basic to me. This is because the number of surgeries performed by a single surgeon over their entire career in the United States can be matched in Türkiye within just a few years, giving us a distinct advantage in surgical outcomes.

From a nasal surgery I observed

City and Social Life

Boston is located in the eastern part of the United States, in the state of Massachusetts. When asked by people from Türkiye, many describe it as one of the two most livable cities in the United States. During summer, the weather is highly pleasant, with temperatures ranging between 20 and 25 °C. Although Boston is not widely known for its tourist attractions, it is home to several of the world’s most renowned museums. Approximately 40% of the city’s population consists of students. Because of this, you frequently encounter opportunities to meet people and build networks through sports events and other activities. Moreover, each university or faculty has a student club called the Muslim Student Association (MSA), where you can meet people from diverse parts of the world and form meaningful friendships. I participated in the MSAs of both the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard. Socially, making new connections is essential when you are there, because during your first days you are literally on the other side of the world, with a seven-hour time difference from Türkiye — a factor that can be profoundly isolating. Even communicating with your family is limited due to the time difference. Having friends there makes the experience much more enjoyable. In my case, this experience was somewhat different. I had been accepted to Harvard at the same time as one of my closest friends from high school, so I did not experience the initial feelings of loneliness. If possible, I recommend going with a friend.

View of Boston from the Charles River