My name is Christine Park. I grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey, but love to spend a lot of my time exploring the ins-and-outs of New York City. I am a rising Junior at Binghamton University studying Economics and Accounting. My past work experience at an orthodontist’s office submitting documents and insurance claims introduced me to my interests in both Healthcare and Business. I wanted to apply my knowledge from school and the skills from my prior work experience to work for an organization that makes a meaningful impact. This summer, I worked as a Quality Assurance Intern at The Eye-Bank for Sight Restoration. My goal was to learn more about the behind-the-scenes documentation process needed to make eye donation possible, and to experience how such a specialized organization operates.
Before starting my internship at The Eye-Bank, I knew very little about eye banks or how they worked. While I had previously heard about organ donation, I knew little about the idea of corneal transplants and donations. As a detail-oriented person, I was intrigued to learn about the precise process behind each donation and transplant. At the beginning of my internship, I learned all the steps that go into a cornea donation, from Eye-Bank lab technicians recovering corneas from eye donors, to all the compliance work that is done by the Quality Assurance team to confirm the tissue is safe for transplant.
As my internship progressed, my work revolved around helping to ensure compliance with strict regulatory standards. For example, the Quality Assurance team is responsible for ensuring that all donor and recipient records are accurate, which requires time spent reviewing donor charts, filing important documentation, and confirming there are no discrepancies that need corrections. One very interesting part of my time at The Eye-Bank was partaking in an audit of the process of preparing cornea tissue for endothelial keratoplasty procedures. These procedures involve removing a thin layer of the posterior side of the corneal tissue, which the surgeon will then transplant to a patient. What made my internship experience so interesting was the level of detail that went into every process. Everything the Quality Assurance team does is important for the success and safety of the corneal transplant for the recipient.
As I wrap up my summer and go back to college, I am truly happy and thankful for my experience at The Eye-Bank. I have learned so much about how important and life-changing the work of The Eye-Bank is. Agreeing to be an eye, organ and tissue donor can change the trajectory of someone’s life forever, and I am grateful to have been a part of that process.