Eastern Student Njeri Dodson of Bridgeport Completes Successful Internship

2017 Jan 18

A number of Eastern students commit to student internships as an on-site practical work experience with a company or organization that can provide them with firsthand knowledge of a career field. The internship is usually related to the student's major or is directly related to the student's career interest. They often complement the student's coursework, can incorporate skills and classroom experience into the workplace and assist the student in developing new abilities and skills.

Njeri Dodson '17 of Bridgeport completed an internship with Dr. Stephen Stanley of Pyramid Family Dental Care in Hamden. Dodson's major is Biology.

As part of her internship she shadowed Dr. Stanley for approximately 80 hours. According to Dodson, "I spent most of my time observing procedures carried out by the general dentist including fillings, root canals, crowns and extractions. I enjoyed the exchanges between coworkers, the staff/patient relationships and the general environment of Pyramid Family Dental Care. I truly enjoyed, and now miss, the office culture there now that my internship is complete."

Dodson believes that Internships help students choose their career through the hands-on exploration involved. "In my case, the experience I gained really solidified my decision. The internship helped me by reinforcing my motivation to complete dental school, in hopes of achieving a D.M.D. degree."

Dodson was informed about the position via her freshman year hall director.

She started school at Eastern intending to become a physician. "Then, I participated in a program at Yale University called the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) and was allowed to shadow several physicians. It was there that I decided that I did not truly want to become a physician, but as part of the program I was introduced to dentistry and decided to shadow. I really enjoyed the experience."

Dodson says, "Choosing a favorite Eastern professor seems impossible because throughout my four years at Eastern, every faculty member that I have come to meet in the Biology Department has been nothing short of exceptional. Not only are they brilliant instructors, but they are also all-around great people that truly care about the success of their students. When I was accepted to grad school, every faculty member knew without my telling them, which made me feel so accomplished and grateful for choosing Eastern to pursue a B.S. in biology."

Dodson applied and was accepted to Columbia University, Tufts, Detroit Mercy and the University of Connecticut. She has decided to attend UConn and will be joining the Class of 2021.