[ad_1]
This publish about Padmini was one in a collection by which interns within the Winter 2023 cohort interviewed previous interns about how Concussion Alliance impacted their lives going ahead. The above interview follows-up with Padmini, a junior biology main at Carleton Faculty. To be taught extra, see Padmini Konidena’s profile page. This interview was performed by Ella Gullickson, a sophomore historical past main at Carleton Faculty. See Ella’s profile.
Ella Gullickson:
Hello, I’m Ella Gullickson. I’m right here interviewing Padmini. She is a previous intern for Concussion Alliance. So, Padmini, if you wish to introduce your self just a little bit, that will be nice.
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah, so I am Padmini, she/her. I did a summer season internship at Concussion Alliance final summer season, and it was actually nice. Obtained a whole lot of enjoyable details about concussions, and it was actually enlightening as a result of Covid was taking place throughout that point as nicely. So I acquired to consider each Covid and concussions, which may be very cool to see.
Ella Gullickson:
Superior. Okay, so I’ve just a few questions. When did you begin working with Concussion Alliance?
Padmini Konidena:
It might’ve been 2022.
Ella Gullickson:
What drew you into Concussion Alliance?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah, so I’ve been desirous about science basically and my place in science. So I am a junior in faculty, and final 12 months I might’ve been a sophomore, one 12 months youthful, however I have been desirous about what I wish to do post-graduation.
So the Concussion Alliance was a cool solution to be taught some science as a result of whereas I used to be there, I learn a whole lot of articles and research principally, so formal literature. So I acquired a whole lot of good expertise in that space, and I needed to get publicity to this particular space in addition to the abilities of science writing, simply as a base-level understanding.
Ella Gullickson:
I believe that is a extremely sensible factor to do. I believe it is actually essential for somebody who desires to enter STEM to begin studying most successfully learn all these articles and glean probably the most info that you could, even should you’re not an professional on that topic. I have been having to discover ways to do this too.
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. Hopefully you have had some enjoyable too.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah, for positive. What had been some highlights of your Concussion Alliance internship?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. I suppose I actually preferred our remaining mission which we acquired to decide on a subject primarily based on what Connor and Malayka had chosen on a webpage that they want for his or her web site, and so I actually preferred creating it.
My webpage was on Lengthy Covid and chronic post-concussion signs, so I actually loved trying into that. In order that made it actually pleasurable.
Ella Gullickson:
I used to be taking a look at a few of your work earlier immediately. I’ve by no means thought that there was kind of a typical theme between Lengthy-Covid and chronic post-concussive signs, so I believe that is actually cool. What was your largest takeaway from relating Covid to concussion?
Padmini Konidena:
Effectively, I suppose my largest takeaway basically, and never fully referring to the subject, was simply that there are such a lot of interrelated issues occurring, and that was actually cool to see simply when it comes to generalizations which might be made about every of those diseases. That was attention-grabbing as a result of these are two diseases that appear so unrelated.
It was cool to see that among the identical remedy conditions might be utilized to sufferers with Lengthy-Covid. It was very, very new after I was taking a look at it too. So the research that I used to be taking a look at had been actually simply revealed, perhaps a pair months, a month or so, and it felt like I used to be on the innovative, which was actually, actually nice. A very nice feeling.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah. That is actually cool. You had been undoubtedly on the innovative. I wager it felt such as you had been proper on the market on the entrance strains with all these researchers doing all of the work. That is actually cool. What was it like writing for publication synopses?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah, the publication synopses had been good as nicely as a result of we acquired to learn a present research and summarize it in about 300 phrases, which typically was just a little onerous to do as a result of there was so much to unpack and translate, however I really feel prefer it made me perceive the literature a lot better as a result of I used to be translating one thing that was all science discuss into one thing that most people may perceive with a really, very base degree information.
And in order that made me dig into extra of the phrases that I used to be seeing, extra of the technical jargon, and I really feel prefer it made me higher at studying scientific literature and likewise gave me new views as a result of all of concussion literature that I had been studying was about Lengthy-Covid and concussion. So I acquired some new materials about concussion and about synopses.
Ella Gullickson:
So you’ll say that the synopses helped you perceive the Lengthy-Covid stuff that you just had been studying too?
Padmini Konidena:
I suppose form of. One in every of them was about irritation, which can be seen in Lengthy-Covid. So yeah, I might say form of. It is peripheral. There was one which I did on electro-acupuncture. I had simply regarded up these to be sure that I knew what they had been, however there was one on electro-acupuncture, and I do not assume that is been fully examined with Lengthy-Covid as a result of it is pretty new with concussion as nicely, so far as after I was studying it was pretty new.
So I would not say they’re fully associated, but it surely did deepen my understanding of concussion as a complete.
Ella Gullickson:
Did you might have a favourite synopses that you just wrote?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. I did actually just like the irritation one, simply because I believe I preferred trying up all of the technical phrases and with the ability to form of glean extra info from what they’re saying as a result of the article is actually full of phrases that I do not know on my first learn by way of, which may be very scary and intimidating, however I really feel prefer it was my first one which I did, and it felt actually good to have the ability to translate what was being stated into completely different language and understanding it higher and with the ability to create a cool article from it.
Ella Gullickson:
So it was like the educational arc that made it your favourite, you’ll say?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. In all probability.
Ella Gullickson:
What made you wish to come again to Concussion Alliance as a volunteer?
Padmini Konidena:
I suppose I am nonetheless interested by concussions. I do not assume I am going to ever lose curiosity. I’ve been writing a few synopses. I believe I’ve written two since I left final 12 months after my internship with them. However I really feel prefer it’s a superb space of analysis, and I believe the mission of Concussion Alliance is basically nice, simply spreading information to individuals who might not know as a lot about concussion as a result of it’s so essential, and I really feel occasions are altering, and persons are giving concussions extra weight, however I really feel like typically folks do not perceive that issues are issues, and I determine with the mission of Concussion Alliance. So I believe it is one thing that pursuits me, in order that’s why I have been persevering with.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah, concussions are a extremely large public well being challenge, clearly, and I believe that there is not sufficient info going to the general public, and it is like a domino impact. It is backwards and forwards.
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah.
Ella Gullickson:
How, if in any respect, did Concussion Alliance affect your plans for the longer term?
Padmini Konidena:
It form of cemented the truth that I do have to do one thing in science for my future profession. I suppose it helped me have the ability to learn scientific literature. So as a result of I’m desirous about going to med college now, and that requires a whole lot of work and plenty of technical stuff, technical phrases and all of that.
So it is made me extra positive that I am going to have the ability to do it as a result of it was undoubtedly tough to, at first studying a bunch of issues and being like, “What is that this?” and all that, however I believe it helped me in that side. And likewise, science writing is so cool. I really feel like simply studying stuff that different folks write is nice, and I’ve a newfound appreciation for it.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah, I believe the scientific neighborhood is cool in the best way that there is a lot of communication between analysis. I believe that is a extremely distinctive space of research, and I believe you may undoubtedly do that med college factor. You appear tremendous on high of it.
Padmini Konidena:
Thanks.
Ella Gullickson:
Has Concussion Alliance related you with extra externs or professionals since your internship program?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah, so I have not related with different folks. Malaylka has supplied. I simply have not. Yeah.
Ella Gullickson:
Cool. How did the internship enable you to extra broadly?
Padmini Konidena:
Extra broadly, I really feel like, as a sophomore. I used to be just a little intimidated by doing something just about as a result of it was like I had a ton of time over the summer season, and I did not know what I used to be going to do, and I used to be like, what am I going to do for the remainder of my summers and all of that.
However I really feel like, I do not know, Concussion Alliance, simply the internship helped me form of cope with my time and be taught that there are alternatives on the market that I am going to discover that I wish to do. And I had been searching for weeks, and I used to be like, “There’s nothing that pursuits me, and I do not know what I will do.”
But it surely was very nice to search out this chance. Truly, a buddy who I did the internship with confirmed me this and informed me I ought to apply, and that was very nice. So I suppose it simply informed me that it helped me take into consideration the truth that there are issues on the market that I ought to discover and I am going to get pleasure from. In order that was actually nice. The neighborhood can be actually nice. It was good interacting with everybody that I interacted with by way of Concussion Alliance, in order that’s good.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah, I really feel like for everybody, that first step of “what am I going to do” is so daunting, however I am actually glad that Concussion Alliance and simply kind of taking that first step was useful in that approach.
Did what you find out about concussions by way of the internship influence your relationship with others?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. Not vastly, however simply when folks point out concussions, I’ll look in the direction of them and be sure that what they’re saying will not be dismissive of them. And I’ve informed individuals who’ve gotten them, “Take this critically. Do not simply brush it off as a result of it will be important and you’ll find yourself with a whole lot of long-term issues.”
However yeah, it is undoubtedly given me a brand new perspective on how we cope with issues, and it is also an invisible sickness. So it is given me a brand new perspective on how we cope with these as nicely. Since I’ve taken the category referred to as psychopathology, I took it final trimester really.
Principally a bunch of psychological diseases, and so these are additionally invisible accidents, diseases, or nonetheless you wish to categorize it, and I suppose it modifications the best way that I have a look at the world, not how I have a look at folks basically, however simply taking issues extra critically. Generally we have to give issues extra weight than what we expect, however that is simply what they deserve.
Ella Gullickson:
Yeah, for positive. I believe it is actually essential that you just’re persevering with to advocate for invisible diseases aside from concussion as nicely. Have you ever ever skilled a concussion?
Padmini Konidena:
I’ve not, no.
Ella Gullickson:
Good. I am so glad to listen to that. How did your internship expertise at Concussion Alliance change your perspective on how folks expertise concussions?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah, I suppose it gave me a brand new respect for the way the mind offers with trauma. I do not know if that immediately solutions your query. It is form of roundabout, but it surely’s loopy how the mind can simply form of take a shock, take an influence, jar round in there within the cranium, after which it is going to bounce again ultimately. I imply, it takes time. There’s a whole lot of info and all of that, however I really feel prefer it’s so cool how that occurs and all of the processes that go on in our brains to make it higher.
Ella Gullickson:
I spotted I hadn’t requested, so this might be my final query, however are you majoring in biology or what are you majoring in?
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. I’m majoring in biology and doubtlessly chemistry, so yeah.
Ella Gullickson:
That is tremendous cool.
Padmini Konidena:
Yeah. I am very interested by that.
Ella Gullickson:
Effectively, that is all I’ve. It was fantastic speaking to you.
Padmini Konidena:
It was nice speaking to you as nicely. Thanks for the little interview.
Ella Gullickson:
No drawback. Have a pleasant night. Get house secure.
Padmini Konidena:
Thanks. You too. Bye.
[ad_2]
Source link