92 Research Reflection by Minahil Usman

Faculty Mentor: Lauri Linder (Nursing, University of Utah)

This was my first time working on a research project from start to finish, and I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to guide me through every step of the process. I started this research as part of my Honors thesis, but it quickly became more than that. In addition to helping me advance my research skills, it also helped me further my passion for medicine and decide what specialty I wanted to pursue. I always knew I loved being around and working with children, but I didn’t realize that it could be something I could do for the rest of my life or that this project would have such a big impact on my life at all. Cancer patients are especially close to my heart because of my experience working with them as a camp counselor at Camp Hobe and because my grandmother suffered from leukemia. So, understanding what their symptoms meant to them was something I was very passionate about, as it could help improve their care and possibly also extend their life expectancy. Every time I picture a child, I picture them happy, playing with toys, running around the block, laughing, etc. And to think that some children can’t have the same experience as others due to a God-given illness is just so heartbreaking to me. But at least we can perform research studies like this one and play a role in trying to give them a chance at a somewhat normal life.