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Bc. Ondřej Peller, UCT Prague,
ročník 4About the country
Location of the place
It's the fourth largest city in the US.
City
Houston generally felt quite safe, some parts are safe during the day only, some not at all, but I was quite daring (I would say) and had no issues (as a man). Public transport was free for students and worked fine, but if you don't have a car, opportunities are limited. The temperatures ranged between 27 °C at night and 35-40 °C during the day, every day, high humidity.
Surroundings (possible trips, ...)
NASA museum and Galveston (beach area) are usually recommended, otherwise there isn't much.
Employer
Employer
Baylor College of Medicine was absolutely fantastic, real high level institution. Everyone was professional, kind and welcoming. Made a great impression on me.
Work description
I spent the first half of the internship pretty much shadowing my mentor. Otherwise I did western blots, protein/RNA extraction, PCR, IF, IHC, microscopy, cell culturing (I had my own little project). Working with my mentor was awesome. He was really helpful and made sure I learnt as much as possible and had fun.
Salary (sufficient for local conditions?)
The gross salary was about 3000 USD, which was enough to cover my accommodation, food (ate out a lot) and some of my travel expenses.
Language requirements
English.
Accommodation (price, who provided it)
Accommodation was arranged by the employer and cost 1200 USD a month. It was a decent 3-star hotel with a pool and a gym. I had one roommate. It was a 20-minute walk to my workplace.
Social life
Meeting IAESTE members (pick-up at the airport, organized events...)
There was no IAESTE activity.
Meeting other foreign students
I was the only foreign student in my program. I did hang out with American students, though.
Sport and culture
There are great places to run and do sports (Rice Campus, Hermann Park). The local galleries have some great art collections. The Miller Outdoor Theatre has free concerts and performances during the summer.
Food, local specialties
There is a ton of good places to eat. Rice Village has some great bars and restaurants. But getting ridiculously huge and unhealthy meals in local fast food chains was of course particularly fun.
Other information
Possibilites to communicate with the Czech Republic
Anything.
Recommendations for students who will go to the same place
Travel out of state. You can get pretty cheap flights to some interesting cities. Ideally, rent a car and drive around the US for a bit.
What not to forget with you
US socket adapter.
Benefits of the internship
Countless. I got to experience research work at a high level institution, learnt many new skills, improved my English, traveled around the US, experienced so many things. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life.
Cooperation with IAESTE in the foreign country
I cooperated with Cultural Vistas (through IAESTE). It was okay, they did what was expected.
Overall experience with IAESTE
Good, within expectations.
Student's website
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ond%C5%99ej-peller-75101b206/
Employer's webiste
https://www.bcm.edu/
Other useful links
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Other comments
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