Audrey Park, staff writer
At the end of the school day, students empty the halls as they either head to sports practices, SAT prep centers, tutors or their respective houses to relax. Meanwhile, every Monday afternoon, junior Rachel Eshtiaghpour goes straight to the doctor’s office.
Eshtiaghpour’s initial interest in the medical field motivated her to begin seaching for internship opportunities in Beverly Hills.  Through her participation with the Medical Science Academy and ROP, she had the opportunity to job shadow a professional at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
However, Eshtiaghpour decided to look for a separate internship at a smaller private clinic in order to develop close relationships with the doctors.  After emailing a few local doctors, Eshtiaghpour was eventually accepted as an intern at an obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) center in Beverly Hills.
“I knew I wanted to be an intern at a doctor’s office, but I didn’t want [it] to simply be a doctor for colds and the flu,” Eshtiaghpour said. “I decided to take an internship at an OBGYN’s office because I think it is one of the most interesting fields of medicine.”
Medical Science Academy Director Colleen Lynch is confident that internships are a “wonderful asset for students” that help guide them in choosing a career in a field they may be interested in pursuing.
“These experiences [internships] may help to shape future decisions that students make about their career aspirations,” Lynch said. “In addition, they are making contacts within this field that may help them achieve goals in the future.”
One unique trait about the OBGYN field that struck out to Eshtiaghpour is that OBGYN doctors don’t just prescribe medication, but they build relationships with their patients, according to Eshtiaghpour.
“I find OBGYN interesting because while most other doctors just see patients and prescribe medication, doctors in this study get to see the same patients and build lasting relationships with them,” Eshtiaghpour said. “Although during my internship I don’t get to work with patients often because of privacy issues, I still enjoy being in that environment. Personally, OBGYN is the most interesting field of medicine that I don’t think I can get bored of.”
Eshtiaghpour’s favorite aspect of the internship is having the opportunity to develop relationships with doctors while experiencing a glimpse of her intended career.
Through the internship, Eshtiaghpour was able to learn how a medical office is run. Learning the process of how to treat a patient was eye opening for Eshtiaghpour.
“I think it has really opened my eyes on how to treat patients well,” Eshtiaghpour said. “Patients are people who doctors need to take care of. You need to be able to provide the care that the patients need while helping them as much as possible.”
Lynch believes that internships are a “great way” for students to identify their interests while gaining exposure in the medical field.
“Students may discover what they may like or not like to pursue before they enter college or have to declare a major,” Lynch said. “In addition, students are able to take advantage of the contact with health care providers, who may be experts in their field and could give insight or guidance.”
The Medical Science Academy is a three year program beginning sophomore year; it’s designed to give students exposure to the medical field.
Students interested in joining can speak with Lynch in room s302.