Mikayla's Digital Portfolio

Senior Internship

Senior year, students choose a second internship focused on researching an essential question. We spent two days a week at a professional company for four months, creating original research. I interned with the Director of Clinical Research at CORE Orthopaedic Medical Center in Encinitas, CA. CORE Orthopedic Medical Center is a clinic which treats orthopedic injuries ranging from osteoarthritis to sports injuries. CORE is also a research site which recruits patients for studies proposed by outside corporations. For example, when a company develops a new surgical procedure and is in stage two clinical trials, the company will reach out to sites. These sites are chosen based upon the surgeons who practice there, the facilities available, and the previous history of the site. Once a clinic makes an agreement with the company to run the trial, the doctors at said clinic begin the recruitment of patients. All procedures are conducted at the site and any adverse events are monitored by the research coordinator. For my research, I looked at patient responses to Platelet Rich Plasma, a relatively new treatment for orthopaedic injuries.