Student Testimonial: Boston Leadership Institute

Isabella-Marie - Boston Leadership Institute

Academic Growth

Through my summer course at BLI, I grew in too many ways to count. However, I can briefly touch on some of them. First of all, I grew academically. During the first part of the day, when Dr. Robin would teach us physiology and anatomy, I learned how to be observant and take thoughtful notes, as well as most importantly, asking relevant and beneficial questions. I learned that lectures are so much more than being given information, rather, one needs to actively listen and inquire when need be to fully gain the entire benefit of the lesson.

Hands-On Experience

In the second half of the day, when we would work in the lab, I learned how to apply topics from the lectures in a tangible manner. I was able to experience hands-on experiments in a way that I never thought I would be able to at my age. In fact, my dad is a neonatologist, and told me that he only learned how to tie sutures and surgical knots well into med school... Definitely not within the first three weeks. He also said that I've done more mock surgeries in my short three weeks than he has ever done in his life. It was incredible to be able to experiment with different parts of the body and physically attempt real life surgeries, such as a CABG or a gastric bypass.

Leadership and Collaboration

Aside from this, I also learned how to collaborate with my peers when we worked on presentations. I learned how to listen to everyone, take in their ideas, and compromise. I learned how to be effective in regards to research, and how to amplify my voice when presenting. Through all of this, I learned how to be a leader. In school, now the head of two clubs and an attendant of the Student Led Diversity Conference, I have been able to take the skills that I learned from the BLI course into so much more than just medical scenarios. While it was incredible to conduct so many mock surgeries, I learned much more than merely that-- I am now a stronger, more thoughtful, and more proactive person than I was before.