Emily Leboffe ’17 was determined to make the most of her study abroad experience.
“I really wanted to involve the medical field in some way,” the biology major from Hartwick, N.Y., said.
Leboffe decided her best bet was Susquehanna’s GO Your Own Way option, which allows students to fulfill the Global Opportunities cross-cultural requirement through self-designed programs or those available outside of the university’s offerings.
In her search, Leboffe came across Global Semesters, which offers a five-week internship, hosted at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus. It includes courses and labs, as well as tours of the university’s medical school and in-country travel.
“I took two courses while I was there. I enjoyed Clinical Anatomy because the medical school had a cadaver lab, and we worked with actual doctors,” she said. In addition, her Health Management course compared health systems around the world, with a particular focus on the differences between those in the United States and other countries.
In addition to her overseas internship, Leboffe has taken part in summer research at Susquehanna since her first year on campus. She was one of the first students to be named a McGrath Scholar., in honor of Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Thomas F. McGrath, who introduced summer science research to the university.
“Coming into Susquehanna, I didn’t think I liked research. Now, my perspective has changed. My research experience has made me more of a competitor in my field.”
Fueled by her research experiences, Leboffe is pursuing her M.D. at Penn State College of Medicine.
