Week 4: Gabriella G

It is hard to believe that this week marks the halfway point of summer immersion. It feels like both both a long time and yet that it has gone by too quickly. 

This week, I continued making progress on my research project. I focused on compiling all of the work I created while conceptualizing the study into a navigable shared drive for the broader research team. Building on that work, I also finalized a first draft of the data analysis plan, which has lead to fruitful discussion with my summer immersion PI about potential analytical directions. 

In addition, I conducted three more interviews. It was fascinating to hear the range of perspectives and areas of interests across participants. It was particularly interesting to hear what each interviewee highlighted as their primary concerns or key tension points within the healthcare system. While all agreed that the current healthcare system has flaws and is under significant stress, they emphasized different systemic issues that burdened the system, such as socioeconomic disparities, funding concerns, affordability, and trust in science. 

I also had the opportunity to observe my first surgery, a prostatectomy performed using the Da Vinci robotic system, which was very technically interesting. 

Looking ahead, I have one more interview scheduled for next week, with three additional conversations pending. There are also a few more individuals I would like to reach out to. I anticipate that I will soon be able to complete my data analysis and thus begin the writing process. 

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