Neha Motwani '20

Hi, Neha! Would you tell us a little bit about you to help us get to know you?

I am and always will be a student. One reason I want to go into medicine is that it is a field in which you continue to learn. The learning never stops and no matter how much of an expert you become, you are still a student inside, at the end of the day, because you keep on learning something new every single day. Another thing is that I love to sing. It gives me an outlet for expressing my emotions.

Describe your experience this summer. 

I was part of SHPEP, which is hosted in 13 sites around the country. I was fortunate enough to be at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Through this internship, I was able to meet health professionals from the field. Students from many different states were at this location which gave me an opportunity to network and learn from others.

Students from all different health professions such as nursing, physical therapy, and dentistry help you realize how interpersonal these disciplines are and how you need to understand each other. There was a huge focus on interprofessional education to foster the skills necessary to be successful in the field of medicine. The internship included clinical opportunities such as emergency simulations, triage, shadowing doctors, looking at ultrasounds of hearts, identifying murmurs, suturing, learning how to perform a patient's checkup, examining case studies, and being exposed to cadavers.

What classes and activities at Knox contributed to your selection of this internship?

Being part of the TRIO Achievement Program and Pre-Health Club had strong influences in my selection of this internship. I was able to learn about this opportunity through these outlets.

Why did you choose Knox?

Honestly, to get the human-powered experience. I came from a huge high school of 4,300 people so I was looking for something smaller, in which I could have deep relationships with people and get to know individuals. I knew that at Knox, I would have a lifelong community of support. I also wanted a place where I could meet with my professors directly and be not too far from home.

What about who you are now would surprise your high school friends?

I have become more extroverted after coming to Knox. I often start conversations with random people that I meet and the next thing you know, I am friends with them. In the past, I would have never done this.