Emily Schneider

Education: St. Olaf College  
MD Mentor: Various
Staff Mentor: Kate Jappe
Project: Sponsored Clinical Trial

How did you hear about the MHIF internship and why did you want to participate?

I first heard about the MHIF internship through the nursing department at St. Olaf and I was encouraged by my advisor to apply. After looking into this opportunity, I knew this would be a great way to expand my nursing knowledge into the field of research. After a fulfilling summer as part of the intern cohort last year, I knew as soon as I left that I wanted to come back for another summer of learning and fun!

What sparked your interest in the field of research, medicine and cardiology?

I have always been interested in the field of medicine and understanding the human body. I started working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in high school because of this interest in medicine, which solidified my desire to be a nurse. I knew that I wanted to take on the role of caregiver, supporter, and advocate. Prior to last summer, I didn’t realize that nursing expanded into the field of research. But after a fulfilling summer as part of the MHIF internship cohort, working alongside so many supportive people and diving into multiple areas of research, I quickly knew that I wanted to pursue research further. My interest in cardiology closely couples my interest in research. After having the chance to dive into cardiology research last summer and absorb a deeper knowledge in this area, I gained a profound appreciation and interest in the field of cardiology. I am excited to dive back into this focus over the summer and gain knowledge that I can apply to my learning in the fall.

What is your desired career in medicine?

I plan to pursue a career in nursing, though I am currently undecided on which field of nursing I want to pursue. One of the appeals of nursing is the wide range of areas to explore. I am very interested in cardiac nursing, and I hope that my experiences this summer as well as my schooling in the fall will help me grow my knowledge in this area. Additionally, after my wonderful experiences last summer, I hope to one day enter into the field of research nursing.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I am excited to reconnect with the welcoming and kind people I met last summer, including my staff mentor, and I look forward to getting to know the interns in this year’s cohort.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

Now that I am further into my nursing education, I hope that I can apply more of my classroom learning to my experiences this summer and further appreciate all of the intricate details that are involved in research nursing. I am also excited to take my experiences this summer back to campus with me in the fall and use them to deepen my understanding of nursing from all perspectives.

What are your plans after the summer?

In the fall, I will return to St. Olaf to begin my senior year. I am looking forward to our cardiac nursing unit, gaining hands-on cardiac nursing experience, and applying my learning from this internship experience to the classroom setting.

What is a fun fact about you?

Music has always been an instrumental part of my life! I started playing piano when I was in kindergarten and French horn when I was in fifth grade, and I still play both today!