Name: Akosua Boatemaa Sarpong
Class Year: 2027
Major: Chemistry

Internship Organization: Bryn Mawr College Summer Social Science Research
Internship Title: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA

What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!

This summer, I conducted an extensive literature review on dizziness, vertigo, vestibular migraine, and post-viral syndromes through a historical, medical, and social science lens. I searched databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Zotero to identify research gaps and synthesize evidence. I contributed to the development of a dizziness syllabus by researching topics such as the history of dizziness, diagnostic classifications, gender bias in diagnosis, patient experiences, medically unexplained symptoms, and the societal impacts of chronic illness.

I also designed semi-structured interview guides and survey questions to better understand patients’ experiences with dizziness and post-viral conditions. Throughout the summer, I critically evaluated the existing literature, traced historical terminology and disease classifications, identified areas where evidence was lacking, and explored how cultural and social perspectives influence the understanding and treatment of vestibular disorders.

Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because I worked on it last summer and I was genuinely interested in continuing this internship further. I’m specifically interested in this research because it’s an opportunity to speak up for people who have lived with contested illnesses in a society that doesn’t bat an eye towards their illness.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

My favorite part of this internship has been finding answers to questions that was seemingly impossible to find. I enjoyed the struggle and the reward of finding useful information.

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?

I was curious because I was constantly asking questions and exploring new areas of research, even when there wasn’t much literature available.

I was persistent because many of my searches came up empty or required tracing citations and trying different approaches before finding useful information.

I became more analytical as I learned to critically evaluate the literature, identify research gaps, and connect ideas across medicine, history, and anthropology.

Research – I spent most of my internship conducting literature reviews, searching databases, and synthesizing evidence.

Discovery – I enjoyed uncovering historical perspectives, new terminology, and interdisciplinary connections that I hadn’t encountered before.

Growth – I developed stronger skills in literature searching, critical thinking, and designing interview and survey questions

Name: Akosua Boatemaa Sarpong
Class Year: 2028
Major: Chemistry
 
Internship Organization: Summer Social Science Research at Bryn Mawr College
Internship Title:   Research Assistant
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
 
What’s happening at your internship? We would love to hear what kind of work you are doing!  

My internship involves researching into vestibular migraines, migraines, dizziness and broadly chronic illness. A typical day involves a mix of searching for articles from a range of databases such as google scholar, PubMed and PubMed Central, ProQuest and Tripod, as well as doing some readings, scouting the internet for blogs and listening to podcasts on the topic.
 
Why did you apply for this internship?  

I applied for this internship because I’ve always been interested in social medicine, oddly enough for a STEM major. It was the perfect internship: a mix of the social construction of migraines and the medicalization of it. It was perfect!

Was there anything special about how you found this internship? 

This was a Bryn Mawr Summer Social Science Research Pilot Program and I think it’s a really great initiative by the school to foster creativity and exploration.

What has been your favorite part of this internship?

 My favorite part of this internship has been learning about contested illnesses such as vestibular migraine as well as the (de)legitimization and the role gender and racial stereotypes play. Getting to put myself in the shoes of the patients and living life through their eyes has also been rewarding. 

What is something you have learned from your internship that you didn’t expect? 

I learnt how to think critically as well as outside the box. Being a STEM major for me meant following a set of already given instructions sometimes without even thinking through it, simply just following directions. However, I learnt how to make inferences, as well as consider multiple perspectives and draw logical conclusions. 

Can you talk about the skills you learned and why they are important to you? 

I’m learning communication skills, teamwork, critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving and adaptability. These are important to me because they’re all skills that are necessary to be able to work effectively, especially as I prepare to enter the work filed one day. 

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced during your internship? 

The biggest challenge I would say I faced was working as a team. Throughout my high school years and first year of college, I typically worked alone and studied alone however for my internship, I had to learn how to coordinate with and discuss ideas and initiatives with my research partner. It was hard in the beginning, being unable to work on my timing at my own pace, having to always confer with a second person before proceeding to do anything. As time went on, I slowly began to get more comfortable with working as a team and I realized I actually enjoyed it! 

Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience? 
fun, thought-provoking, exciting 

What is most rewarding about your internship? 
The most rewarding part of my internship is the perspective I’ve gained into social medicine, specifically the social construction of illnesses and how it differs from the medical construction.

Was this internship what you expected it to be? 
Yes. It is was exactly as I expected and more. Everything outlined in the beginning has been achieved and more.