Jemma Geoghegan

Rectum...nearly killed 'em

I feel like I need to explain the title of this one...

So today I proved that I have the coolest internship ever! (sorry interns but I totally do!) For the past two weeks I have been researching one of the most successful products that my department has invented.  It's an adhesion barrier used in surgery to prevent adhesions such as bowl obstructions in the intestine or obstructions in the uterus after a Cesarean section etc.  Today I got to see it in action so after scrubbing up (Grey's Anatomy style) I went into surgery.  In the room were around 10 sales reps who we (Royal we) were teaching how to use the product, and they would then show the doctors how to in surgery.  When the reps left I was allowed to stay and help suture which, believe me, is harder than it looks.  The product is now widely used in surgery all over the world and is now being researched for it's other uses.  Next I watched laparoscopic surgery (I got to hold the camera at one point!) while we tested different samples of new products being developed. 

Although Genzyme is a business, and like all pharmaceutical corporations there is money to be made, it is such a patient focused company.  Their goals are all centered around their patients and it makes it feel so rewarding being a part of that. 

So to sum up, the title...a little surgeon's joke for you.

Let's go Red Sox...

It's been an eventful week.  Work is going well, I haven't been given my project yet but hopefully I will have more of an idea what I will be doing this week.  I have been let loose in the lab by myself now though so I must be doing something right.  Our work outing was a great day; ate way too much BBQ food, got soaking on the bumper boats and it was an open bar so...let's just leave it at that. 

On Friday I turned 22 (21+1) and so I got taken out for lunch by my boss to an all you can eat Chinese buffet and then got to go home early to start celebrating.  I have to thank Helen Sayles for her generosity.  I don't know how she managed it but we were given 4 tickets to the Red Sox v Yankee game which made it a memorable birthday to say the least.  Her son, Iain, showed us the ropes and explained the game to us (thanks Iain).  Although the Red Sox lost it was a great atmosphere at the game and a brilliant way to spent my birthday. 

There are lots of interns at Genzyme and so Chris and I have been put in charge to reach out to them and organize social events etc.  The four interns I work with are all going to Medical School next year so needless to say they are very bright people with lots of ambition.

I treated myself to a new SLR camera so will post photos soon.

Jemma

P-Town Adventures

So working 9 'til 5 is quite different from student life where everyday can be a weekend.  I understand now why my parents always go to bed so early.  We headed to Cape Cod (aka: The Cape) for our first weekend away.  Stepped off the ferry into Privincetown...which is culturally diverse to say the least!  There was a gay-pride festival on so it was a pretty interesting experience.  Among the crazy bars and drag shows we found a bit of jazz to boogie to and chilled on the beach for the rest of the time.  The four of us have a lovely glow of pink now from the sun. 

I experienced that Monday morning feeling getting up for work after recovering from the weekend.  I feel really settled in work now which is good and I've made some good friends.  I'm working in the analytical chemistry group just now which is quite daunting but I'm learning a lot and actually surprising myself about how much I know on the subject!  We have a work outing on Thursday, going to a BBQ and playing mini golf and bumper boating which sounds like a lot of fun. 

Boston is such a great place.  A few nights a week we will go into Harvard Square and watch the street performers or walk down to the Charles river and day-dream of being able to afford a boat.  We're starting to get to know the area well and really settling in.  The four of us are getting along good so far (the guys are surprisingly good shoppers!)  Its my birthday in a few days so I'm sure we'll have some stories to tell later in the week. 

Bye for now

Jemma

1st week

I can't quite believe it's been a week now since I arrived in Boston. My first day at work Chris, the other interns and I were shown the Genzyme Centre building (which happens to be about 100m from my front door!) which is one of the only buildings in the world to have platinum rating for being so 'green'. I am working out of town at another Genzyme building in Framingham which is the science centre. My supervisor, LiPing Yu, and her team are working in the biomaterials side working with naturally occuring biopolymers that have many medical implications. The projects they have been working on sounds so exciting and I think I'm going to learn a lot while I'm here. I've met lots of interns in a similar position to me and we're planning a work outing next week sometime. We have also organized a car-wash fund raiser which sound like a lot of fun :)

There has been a lot of play time too though...

The first weekend we did a lot of exploring the city and took a duck tour (a bus that goes in and out of the water) and it was a great way to see everywhere. Our apartments are pretty amazing and we're in such a nice part of town. The other night we went for a walk down to Charles river and ended up jumping in...the locals probably thought we were crazy like we would if someone went swimming in the Clyde!

I'm looking forward to next week at work and getting really stuck into the projects. I have also signed up for salsa classes at MIT in the evening so I'll keep you posted how that goes!

Better be off to work now,

Jemma

The night before...

It's 4pm the night before and I've just realised I have to get up in 12 hours to make it through the T in the Park traffic to the airport.  I have packed and unpacked my bag about 3 times to try and get it all in (I think that's me done).  It still hasn't sunk in yet that I'll be in Boston this time tomorrow and have to start a new job on Monday, of which I don't know much about.  I have heard great things about Genzyme so I'm sure everything will be fine.  I'm looking forward to getting there and spending the weekend exploring in Boston.  I feel like the luckiest student ever getting this opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it. 

Well farewell rainy Scotland...