This summer, I had the privilege of participating in the LiA with the Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D²4H), which offered me invaluable experiences that have significantly contributed to both my professional and personal growth. My journey involved various responsibilities, from data collection and audio verification to assisting with taster lectures and participating in university welcoming events. Each week brought new challenges and learning opportunities that have shaped my understanding of health technology, leadership, and collaboration.

The first two weeks were a mix of excitement and apprehension. My primary tasks included preparing materials for taster lectures aimed at high school students and collecting data at Queen Mary Hospital (QM). While preparing lecture materials was straightforward, data collection was a completely different experience. As a non-medical student, I was unfamiliar with auscultation, the process of listening to the internal sounds of a patient’s body using a stethoscope. I had to watch numerous tutorial videos and rely heavily on the guidance of a medical student who patiently walked me through the process. Her support was crucial in helping me build confidence in accurately collecting heart rate data.

Assisting with the taster lectures was another highlight. Although the sessions went smoothly, we encountered some technical issues during the hands-on activities, particularly with Google’s Teachable Machine. Not all students had laptops, so we quickly adapted by having them work in groups. This experience taught me the importance of flexibility and problem-solving in real-time.

By Week 3, I had gained enough confidence to conduct data collection independently, even in the more challenging environment of a hospital ward. This experience was markedly different from working in a clinic, as I had to navigate a busier and more complex setting with multiple patients.

The third week also introduced me to a new project involving the verification of consultation recordings for a family medicine project. These recordings, in Cantonese, were to be used to train an AI language model for educational purposes. My role was to verify the AI-generated transcriptions and translations, which turned out to be more demanding than I initially thought. Some of the audio recordings were difficult to hear, requiring multiple replays and a great deal of focus. This meticulous work was tiring but also rewarding, as it played a crucial part in developing a medical chatbot aimed at improving medical education.

In Week 4, I became even more comfortable with my data collection tasks, and my efficiency in verifying audio recordings improved. I also assisted with another taster lecture, this time for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The lecture, conducted in Cantonese, focused on medicine, AI, and genome sequencing. Despite some technical glitches, the session was successful, and it was gratifying to see the students actively engaging with the content.

As the summer progressed into Week 5, my tasks became more routine, but I had developed a rhythm that made the work more manageable. I had also refined my approach to organizing and processing data, which allowed me to work more efficiently.

Week 6 marked the end of my LiA experience and brought new opportunities outside of my usual tasks. I helped with freshmen welcoming events at my university, leading a group of ten new students alongside a classmate. We guided them through their first-year experience and conducted a campus tour, which was both fun and rewarding. The week culminated in attending a high table dinner, a historical tradition at HKU, which was my first time participating in such an event. The atmosphere was lively, and it was a perfect way to conclude my summer experience.

Looking back, my LiA experience was a journey of growth, learning, and self-discovery. I not only gained technical skills in data collection and audio verification but also developed a deeper understanding of leadership and collaboration. Leading the freshmen group and assisting with taster lectures taught me the importance of adaptability, communication, and preparation.

As I move forward, I aim to continue developing my leadership skills and seek out more opportunities to mentor and guide others. This summer has shown me the value of stepping out of my comfort zone and embracing new challenges, and I am excited to carry these lessons into the next stages of my academic and professional journey.