“Centre has taught me how to work with a team, which is crucial to success in all areas of the medical field.” “Centre has prepared me for this internship position by teaching me self-discipline, strong study habits that encourage learning, and pushing me out of my comfort zone to achieve at the next level.”Īs a student-athlete, Akers also claims that her time on the College’s swim team has contributed to this preparation. “This motivation will continue to push me in the years to come.”Ī typical workday for Akers includes observing in the operating room and behind the scenes of various procedures, such as: pre-op, post-op, round, pathology specimen dissections and “lots of note taking.” She attributes her preparation for this work to her Centre classroom experience. “Hearing words that go way above my comprehension-and that I cannot even begin to spell for purposes of looking up later-has fueled my desire to learn more in hopes of someday being on a medical professional’s level,” she says. The experience is providing a fully immersive, hands-on opportunity in the medical field she plans to pursue.Īn intended biochemistry and molecular biology major and mathematics minor, Akers is putting her skills to use throughout her three assigned medical rotations at the clinic: Cardiothoracic surgery, Interventiona l Cardiology and Breast Oncology Surgery. Akers was one of 25 interns selected for the intensive six-week Summer Scholars Program. Teamwork, communication and self-discipline are all skills rising Centre College sophomore Haley Akers ’22 (Danville, Kentucky) says she’s gained through her Centre experience-both in the classroom and as a member of the College’s swim team-and now she’s applying that preparation to her summer medical internship at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida.