NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Carleton College men's soccer players Trevor Jones and Justin Crawmer utilized the summer to springboard their post-graduation plans with internship and research opportunities in the medical field.
 
Crawmer was in Boston, Mass., working as a research assistant in the Radiology Department at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was part of the Quantitative Musculoskeletal Imaging Group (Q-MIG), which specializes in developing software image analysis methods to quantify structural changes related to musculoskeletal diseases.
 
Jones stayed in Minnesota and worked as a Medical-Surgical Patient Care Assistant at Mayo Clinic Health System. This was a direct patient care position where his main job tasks involved taking care of patients recovering from surgeries and other hospitalizations. He also spent time playing in USL2 with the St. Croix Legends, allowing him to improve as a player while competing with the best college and pre-professional players in the nation.
 
What specifically did you do during your research/internship opportunity?
JC: I started working as a research assistant under Dr. Jeff Duryea, an alum of Carleton. My primary role consisted of making longitudinal anatomical measurements on radiographs of the medial and lateral compartments of the tibiofemoral joint to evaluate osteoarthritis (OA) progression and risk factors. Our metric of assessment for OA progression is the minimum joint space (mJSW) between the articular cortices of the femur and tibial plateau. The measurements I made contributed to training an automated software, enhancing its reproducibility to delineate the edge of the femoral condyle, identify the tibial plateau, and calculate the mJSW.
 
I also worked with MRI images, editing the software's delineation of the femoral and tibial cartilage on each slice. This enables estimation of the total cartilage volume at a given point in time for a patient, allowing us to conduct longitudinal comparisons of knee cartilage volume and effectively assess the development of OA. Working with the different imaging modalities to assess OA has deepened my understanding of knee anatomy and the epidemiology of musculoskeletal diseases. After working full-time this summer at Brigham, I will continue part-time remote work this fall and plan to return full-time in January 2024 after I graduate.
 
TJ: I worked with the medical/surgical nursing staff to support patients as they prepare for surgery and imaging procedures, recover from operations, and heal from various diagnoses causing their hospitalization. My day-to-day tasks involved obtaining patients' vital signs, measuring glucose levels through blood sampling, assisting in caring for wounds and surgical sites, and managing other needs for patients. Ultimately, the goal of my work was to improve patients' outcomes by providing compassionate care throughout their hospitalization. I worked as a personal care assistant (PCA) throughout the whole summer.
 
How did you find these opportunities?
JC: I was connected with Dr. Duryea through Pam Middleton, the pre-health advisor here at Carleton. From there, I set up a Zoom meeting to learn more about his research and after several calls committed to working for him.
 
TJ: Last summer, I had an internship in clinical research at Mayo Clinic and appreciated the alignment between my values and those of Mayo Clinic, which strives to always put the needs of the patient first. I loved interning at a hospital with this mission at its core. As such, I wanted to return to Mayo Clinic this summer in a primarily patient-facing role, leading me to apply for the Patient Care Assistant position after I saw the job posting on Mayo's website.
 
What excited you the most about these opportunities?
JC: Before I started, I was most excited about moving to the East Coast and working in one of the world's best hospitals. I anticipated it would bring many opportunities to meet professionals in fields that I am greatly interested in. This experience has definitely done all of that and some! My research is extremely interesting, assessing different factors that put individuals at risk for cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis. From investigating how the hip-knee-ankle alignment predisposes individuals to osteoarthritis to understanding the current application of deep learning in medical practice, I have gained a wide range of knowledge. I have even gotten the opportunity to shadow various physicians. Each experience has introduced me to different pathways within medicine and connected me with amazing mentors.
 
TJ: The most fulfilling part about my job was building relationships with patients as I helped them improve throughout their stay in the hospital. I love getting to know patients so that I can provide them with the best care possible given their personalized needs. Doing so and helping them recover is a great feeling.
 
What was your housing situation during the summer?
JC: I did research and found an apartment to sublease for the summer. I got super lucky and actually found a two-bedroom apartment that I only pay half the rent for and live with no roommate. My place was within biking/walking distance of work which was super convenient.
 
TJ: I lived in an apartment with Daniel Linder, one of our goalkeepers, and another teammate from my St. Croix SC USL2 team that I am played for this summer.
 
How did Carleton prepare you for these opportunities?
JC: Carleton has instilled in me the curiosity to explore different interests of mine as well as the comfortability to cold email individuals to meet with them or shadow them. I have learned through my time at Carleton that people are more willing to do this than you would think. My outreach has led to amazing experiences and growth in my pursuit of medical school.
 
TJ: No two patients present the same in the hospital. The Carleton education is all about applying knowledge to new situations. Learning to think on my feet to solve problems in my biology and biochemistry courses translated very well to working in healthcare.
 
What skills—from being a part of the Carleton men's soccer program—really assisted you (no pun intended) in performing well during these summer positions?
JC: Being a part of the Carleton Men's Soccer program has taught me the importance of accountability and communication, both of which have proven valuable in my research. My boss and I have intermittent overlap in our work schedules, which means I am often in the office by myself. This means I have to complete each task he assigns me efficiently and accurately so we can continue to progress our work the next time we meet. Being a part of the Carleton Men's Soccer program has taught me the importance of being accountable so the collective team can achieve success. Therefore, I strive to go above and beyond in my work, finding alternative tasks to pursue if I have extra time after completing my needed assignments. It has also given me the comfort to approach my boss if I have questions and to clearly communicate if I am confused or have messed up. Combined, it has resulted in a highly successful research experience that will continue for the next year.
 
TJ: Much like it took year-round effort to lift the MIAC trophy, it takes constant effort to ensure that our patients have excellent outcomes. Training to succeed on the soccer field requires high-level attention to detail. Translating this attention to detail to working in the hospital helps me take care of patients with complex cases requiring unique care protocols.
 
How have these opportunities enhanced your academic experience and/or fit into your post-Carleton plans?
JC: During my time at Brigham, I have taken advantage of working in a world-renowned hospital by shadowing physicians in various specialties to gain valuable insight into the daily realities of each profession. I have shadowed emergency medicine, pediatric oncology, sports medicine, rheumatology, and surgical oncology physicians. Each experience has enriched my understanding of the field and introduced me to the many pathways within medicine. This has been extremely helpful as I am currently applying for medical school. Many individuals I have interacted with have given insightful perspectives that have enlightened me on the profession I am pursuing and given me things to reflect on. Further, it has reinforced my passion for medicine as I immerse myself in the hospital environment, making me confident I am making the correct decision in my pursuit of a medical career.
 
TJ: I am driven to become a physician that provides compassionate, personalized care to my patients. Providing such care to patients this summer has given me incredible clinical experience that will help as I continue serving patients in the future.
 
What would be your ideal job after your soccer playing career is over?
JC: I aspire to be a physician in the future, but I do not know what specialty yet. My shadowing opportunities as well as medical rotations in the future will allow me to decide that once I find the profession that I am passionate about!
 
TJ: I hope to become a physician that integrates clinical research into patient care so that I can provide outstanding care for patients while advancing the field of medicine. I would love to continue playing soccer at the highest level possible in the coming years as I simultaneously pursue a career in medicine.