Sophie Epstein is a 2024 graduate of Fordham College Rose Hill. During her time at Fordham, she was the founder and president of Women in STEM, as well as a concertmaster and executive board representative of the Fordham Symphony Orchestra. She will become a clinical research assistant (CRA) in the neurosurgery department at Mount Sinai Hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side as part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
How did you find this opportunity? Is it related to your major?
I found this opportunity by reaching out to research staff to ask for a meeting to discuss their career paths and my interests (don’t be afraid to email your CV to a department you are interested in– online applications aren’t the only way to make connections!) It is related to my majors in both Integrative Neuroscience (Cell/Molecular Track) and Sociology (focused in Health and Inequality).
What are/were you most nervous/excited about as you start(ed)?
I am most excited to see a new angle of research. My undergraduate experiences in the lab affirmed my passion for the research process. Now, in this position, I will see what additional steps are included in clinical trials to maintain ethics and accessibility.
What were your most valuable resources at Fordham?
My most valuable resources at Fordham were: my lab experiences and my mentor’s guidance, the departments that supported my pursuing an interdisciplinary major and a cross-disciplinary double major, the pre-health committee’s generosity with their time — in sum, incredible faculty!
Did you do internships during your time as an undergrad?
I was an educator in a program called Peer Health Exchange. I also interned as a mentor at the Niño de la Caridad foundation on Fordham Road. No external internships, just research projects in psych/sociology and bioorganic chemistry.
In general, what are your future career goals?
I am applying to medical school now in pursuit of a career in pediatric neurosurgery as a physician-researcher.
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