This past summer, I completed my practicum at the Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center, a specialized center within the Inova Schar Cancer Institute that provided high-risk patients with cancer screening, genetic counseling, and lifestyle management. The center focused on helping patients with hereditary cancer risk factors receive earlier detection and more personalized care.
I found the site by looking through the Inova website and contacting the internship organizer, Stephanie Van Bebber. I reached out to express my interest in the program, and she informed me about the timeline of the application process and the expectations for interns. I later went through several interviews and was eventually selected for the program. The application process itself was very competitive, so being accepted into the practicum gave me confidence that I could contribute meaningfully to the research and clinical environment at the center. I would advise future SGC Scholars to directly contact supervisors or coordinators early and express genuine interest in the organization’s work. Being proactive and asking questions about the program helped me better understand what the practicum would involve and demonstrated my enthusiasm for the opportunity.
The first week of the internship was a bootcamp where various people who worked at Schar came to talk about the different aspects of research, patient care, and provider roles that existed at the center. We had the opportunity to tour several areas of the institute and learn about the technology and community-based initiatives used to support patients at Schar. During these sessions, I learned how physicians, researchers, genetic counselors, nurses, and patient coordinators all worked together to provide comprehensive care. Seeing the collaborative nature of cancer treatment helped me understand how many different specialties contribute to patient outcomes.
I was assigned to work in Saville on a project that compared how patient treatment aligned with NCCN guidelines for cancer screening within Saville versus outside of Saville in the rest of Inova. The goal of this project was to better understand gaps in care so Saville could more effectively address the needs of patients with hereditary cancers that made them high-risk. This required me and other interns to comb through the medical records of more than 2,000 patients, taking into account their surgical history, screening recommendations, genetic testing results, and cancer outcomes. Data was entered into an Excel spreadsheet where we could compare whether patients were appropriately recommended by providers to conduct screenings based on their age group and risk level. Through this process, I learned how clinical data is organized and analyzed in large-scale research studies and how detailed patient histories can guide treatment recommendations.
Besides research, we attended twice-weekly learning sessions conducted by neuro-oncologist Dr. Adam Cohen, where we learned about different types of cancer, cancer treatments, and the social factors involved in cancer care. These discussions explored topics such as targeted therapies, immunotherapy, disparities in healthcare access, and the emotional challenges patients experience throughout treatment. Hearing directly from physicians about real patient cases gave me a better understanding of the complexity of oncology and the importance of compassionate care in medicine.
Through this experience, I learned about the various molecular pathways involved in cancer and its treatment. I gained a stronger understanding of the steps involved in clinical research and how new therapeutic treatments are tested, evaluated, and eventually made available to the public. I also improved my ability to analyze medical records, work collaboratively with a research team, and communicate scientific information in a professional setting.
This experience helped me see how scientists and physicians within this field are innovating new ways to treat cancer from multiple perspectives. Cancer researchers take advantage of the systems already in place within the body and, with knowledge from previous methods shown to work, continue developing patient care procedures that support both the physical and mental wellbeing of patients. I plan to continue working with this site remotely, as I have for the past year. Being introduced to the team at Inova has given me the opportunity to observe different physicians and researchers at work and better understand the realities of patient-centered medicine.
Beyond science, this experience strengthened my appreciation for the connection between medicine, research, and society. I saw how healthcare access, patient education, and socioeconomic factors can significantly affect treatment outcomes. Working with patients who were considered high-risk for cancer emphasized the importance of preventative medicine and early intervention. This practicum also reinforced my interest in pursuing a career in medicine that combines research, patient advocacy, and clinical care. Observing the physicians and researchers at Inova shaped the kind of physician I hope to become one day and motivated me to continue pursuing opportunities that allow me to contribute to both patient wellbeing and scientific advancement.