For many students pursuing careers in medicine, the journey from graduation to the medical field can feel uncertain. Five BYU–Hawaii students got a jump on their journey through the Summer Pre-Medical Research Internship (SPRI), from conducting independent experiments to addressing healthcare shortages in underserved communities. Their internships challenged their abilities and helped them recognize the impact they could make in medicine.
Potential, promises, purpose
Founded in 2017 by Joshua Jaramillo and Dr. Britlyn D. Orgil while at Harvard Medical School, the SPRI program began with five interns before expanding to include BYU students in 2018. The purpose of the program is to provide aspiring medical professionals with hands-on research experience, mentorship, and financial support for transportation, housing, and other living expenses.
"SPRI elevates what you think you can do, as well as what medicine can do," Jaramillo said. However, he said these opportunities also come with a responsibility for students to represent their universities and communities.
"You're really a diplomat ... because you are representing more than yourself," he explained.
Responsibility in representation
For Sherwin Quimguing, a senior majoring in biology from the Philippines, becoming the first BYU–Hawaii student to participate in SPRI at the University of Utah brought both excitement and responsibility.
"It was a bit overwhelming knowing that I would be carrying my name, as well as BYU–Hawaii's name with me since it was the first time our school was sending a student to this program," Quimguing shared. "I wanted to commit to upholding our standards and contribute something before the end of my time at my internship."
Under Dr. Norman E. Taylor, Quimguing researched chronic pain through animal models. After two months of studying existing research, his questions led him to develop and conduct his own experiment, with the possibility of receiving authorship upon publication.
For BYU–Hawaii alumna Lehua Foma'i from Alaska, responsibility took a different form as she navigated an unfamiliar environment, language barriers, and the challenges of preparing for motherhood during her internship in American Samoa.
Through her public health research internship, Foma'i gained clinical experience and developed the confidence to communicate with healthcare professionals across cultural differences.
"My internship was challenging — I know that sounds scary, but it was challenging in a really good way!" She shared, “The most important thing I learned was trusting in the Lord and trusting in myself ... I wanted to prove to others, to my son, and to myself that I can do hard things."
Connecting research with community
BYU–Hawaii senior Carson McCulloch contributed to the INSPIRE lung cancer screening study at Massachusetts General Hospital, connecting with potential participants through community outreach.
"Outreach informs research, and research informs outreach," he explained.
For Meah Jensen, a junior majoring in biology from Kauaʻi, SPRI opened the door to an internship at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, where she researched healthcare shortages and conducted educational workshops under Dr. Kelley Withy. The experience strengthened her desire to address the physician shortage in her hometown.
"My internship gave me the opportunity [to] truly serve my community," said Jensen. “I really learned how to put myself out there ... push myself out of my comfort zone and feel confident in my abilities to come up with ideas and get things done.”
While their internships offered a glimpse into the future of medicine, the students discovered that the journey was just as much about who they could become as it was about the difference they hoped to make.
