34 Research Reflection by Hunter Blake Carlson

Faculty Mentor: Jesse C. Christensen (Physical Therapy & Athletic Training, University of Utah)

My undergraduate research experience started out as a way for me to build my CV for medical school applications. It evolved into one of the most critical parts of my undergraduate experience and enabled me to closely work with my mentor and start to look at other options besides medical school. I found myself in a lab, applying for grants and scholarships, creating posters, and using my research as my thesis for graduation. This experience has transformed my perception of academia, research, and the health field as a whole. It helped cement my desire to go into the health field and contribute to finding solutions to some of the most pressing issues that we are facing. I will continue to seek out more opportunities for research, continue to work with my mentor, and continue to work towards my career goal of orthopedic surgery; if anything, this research experience has added even more fuel to the fire.