Guest Blog Post: Mayara Fontes, was a student in my International Research Training Program. Originally from Brazil, she has a Master’s Degree in Economics from University of Massachusetts. After completing her Master’s Degree, I sent her to work with my colleague, Dr. Leslie London at University of Cape Town, South Africa. The international research experience and the mentoring that we were able to offer Mayara opened new horizons for her career path. After her summer internship a few years ago, Mayara returned to South Africa to pursue her doctorate degree. Here is Mayara’s account of her educational trajectory from an unsure student, to a published research author, to a student with a clear career path and a bright future in the field of international health economics.
------------------ My name is Mayara Fontes Marx. I am originally from Brazil but moved to the USA when I was 18 years old. When I arrived to the USA, I could not speak or write in English. I started to study English at a community college where I participated in student clubs, served as a mentor, and received many accolades including a study-abroad scholarship to China. To continue my education, I transferred to the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where I graduated in 2014 with a Master’s in Applied Economics. Even though I had graduated with a master’s degree, I must say that I was completely lost. I knew I wanted to continue to do research, but I did not think that I had enough experience to pursue this path. It was then when my mentor, Eduardo Siqueira, advised me to apply to the International Exchange Program for Minority Students at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, directed by Dr. Luz Claudio*. Reading more about the program and their alumni, I felt like a minority inside of a minority program because my background was in economics and I had little experience in the medical sciences. However, I was determined to be part of this great program and had mentors that believed in my capacities and supported my application. I was fortunate to be selected to participate in the International Program and work on my own research project under the supervision of Dr. Leslie London at the University of Cape Town. One of the requirements of the program is to write a report in the form of a scientific paper worthy of publication. I never thought of myself as being a great writer, specially writing a scientific paper in my second language. I was not aiming for publication, but just to have the program requirement done. However, my mentors had a different plan. They gave me the support and the strength to pursue the most exciting accomplishment that an aspiring researcher could have- having their research published in a prestigious international journal. It was because of that perseverance, determination and outstanding mentoring that I finally, after three years, published my first scientific research paper as a first author. The excitement of collecting my own data, analyzing it, and co-authoring a manuscript, strengthened my passion for research and it became clear to me that a doctoral degree would be the path towards achieving my future career goals. Looking back, I remember the exciting challenges that I enthusiastically embraced. During those years I faced struggles, but they have helped shape the person that I am today. The Mount Sinai International Program also connected me with amazing PhD mentors in South Africa, Dr. London and Dr. Ataguba, whom I would not have met if it hadn’t been for the Mount Sinai International Research Training Program. My main career goal now is to work for a research non-profit organization doing health policy analyses. I really believe that research can improve people’s health. With perseverance, determination and my mentors backing me up, I am certain that I can accomplish my future goals.
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This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings: Current Number Of Columns are = 1 Expand Posts Area = 1 Gap/Space Between Posts = 8px Blog Post Style = card Use of custom card colors instead of default colors = 1 Blog Post Card Background Color = current color Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color Blog Post Card Border Color = current color Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results AuthorDr. Luz Claudio is an environmental health scientist, mother and consultant, originally from Puerto Rico. She is a tenured professor of environmental medicine and public health. Luz recently published her first book: How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper: The Step-by-Step Guide. Dr. Claudio has internship programs and resources for young scientists. Opinions expressed in this blog are solely her own and may not reflect her employer's views. Categories
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