Summer Adventures: Zahraa Salloum

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Zahraa Salloum is an incoming senior biology major on a pre-med track and she sat down to discuss her summer adventures!

What are you doing this summer?

I am doing research in Dr. Katz’s lab as a part of the LeeSIP program working on neurogenesis. I’m learning more about neuroscience and I’ve only had one experience researching neuroscience in the past so I am glad for this opportunity. I’m also an EMT crew chief and I get to respond to calls. 

I like the adrenaline rush when I respond to these calls and the satisfaction of helping people. I really cherish that a lot. I'm also studying for my MCAT.

What are you doing in the lab? What skills have you developed so far?

It's my first time in the lab at UMass. I've been at Boston Children's Hospital before, also doing neuroscience. Some new skills I've developed are the type of lab assignments I'm doing. I've never taken care of sea slugs before. So taking care of animals is something new. In this experience, I am learning how to detect DNA and proliferating cells using techniques like EdU labeling, for example, or high res hybridization chain reactions. 

How did you get started as an EMT? What are your experiences like?

I started volunteering as a patient transporter at a hospital, and then I worked as a patient care associate. I wanted to know if I'm actually fit for dealing with patients. Since I worked in the emergency department before as a volunteer and as a patient transporter, I wanted to stay in the emergency department and work in that fast paced environment. So I thought: why not try and be an EMT?

Then I got my EMT certification, and I wanted to volunteer instead of work so I'm a volunteer right now. I really liked it and I was interested in becoming a crew chief. So I trained to become a crew chief and I found that it's something that I really like and it just reinforced the fact that I enjoy working with patients.

I’ve learned a lot about leadership. I need to know how to delegate to people around me. I needed to let people feel comfortable telling me what is right to do. And at the same time, I wanted them to have trust in me and follow instructions at the same time. I want their input in everything I'm doing. I also learned that there's a lot of responsibility. So if I'm not sure what I'm doing, I need to consult whoever is with me. And this helped me be a little bit more down to earth and get used to listening to people around me. 

I've learned technical things with patients. I've learned to recognize symptoms and ask about more symptoms and then do my primary diagnosis for myself. I'm not allowed to diagnose as an EMT, but I do it between myself so I can know how to treat the patient. I've built a huge network with other EMTs and I have a lot of connections now.

How are your summer experiences setting you up for success in the future?

I am on a pre-med track and I was not sure I was going to do further research.  But doing these things over the summer has only helped me further my experience and interests. I’m very interested in neuroscience. So the trajectory of my career seems to be going towards neurology and neuroscience. So that's why I'm taking on this internship and that's why I'm doing research. I'm planning on doing more research when I graduate.

And as for being an EMT, it's just more patient exposure, more dealing with patients and I really like it. Even when I am in medical school doing only coursework for the first couple years, I am willing to keep doing this because I really love it.  

Being an EMT prepares me for patient care and the clinical aspect of health. Doing research is the scientific side of healthcare, so if I combine both, I think it's going to be a good mix for medical school.

You are starting your thesis and have a full course load this semester. How are you balancing your academic responsibilities with your career responsibilities like studying for the MCAT?

It’s been a challenge for me but I was able to find a balance. During work days, I make sure to devote my mornings and afternoons for work and research. My mentor is very understanding, she knows that I would like most of the latter part of my afternoon and evening for studying. I go back home, I study for a few hours, and then I make sure to spend the rest of my night destressing and re-energizing myself for the next day. I volunteer on Saturdays as an EMT so Sundays are for relaxing and destressing.

What are you doing to relax this summer?

I love spending time with my family and my life partner. We play board games, we go out to the city, watch Broadway shows – I appreciate spending that time with my family. I also try my best to find time to work out because it's really important. I also enjoy swimming and I play the piano. It helps relieve that stress so I try to find time in the day to practice.