During the first part of the summer, I spent my time doing clinical research with the Department of Family Medicine at New Jersey Medical School. At this time I was introduced to a new research project, which targeted the African American community of Newark, New Jersey. The purpose of the project is to determine if the mortality and morbidity rate of African Americans can be decreased if prevention services were to be provided for this ethnic group. Funding for this research project has not been granted as yet. My role was as a catalyst for the process: to recruit participants for this research project, a crucial step without which funding could not be procured.

The second part of my summer I spent in the Student For Medicine and Dentistry Program. In this program I had conducted a physical examination, shadowed a doctor during clinical rotation, participated in workshops including sessions on how to finance medical school, time management, and mock interview, admissions, personal statement The core was two intense courses: physiology and gross anatomy, prerequisites for a full understanding of the body and its workings. During this time, I was able to meet many different individuals including medical students, physicians, and members of the admission committee. This six-week summer medical enrichment program was the highlight of my summer exposure in the field of medicine. The program's structure was set up to give participants insight of the career field they were making a commitment to for the rest of their lives. There were a lot of new faces and challenges to meet. However the most beneficial thing of all was the exposure gained. I was able to reflect on how far I've come along and look into how much further I had to go to reach my goal.