Coding for Medicine for High School

Feedback from our three R Coding Camps in Texas and Seattle (Summer of 2018)

"I initially thought R was a very complicated languages (in terms of syntax). However, I found it quite easy to learn." - A.S.

"I especially liked how it is very easy to pick up. It is very helpful." - J.M.

"I was surprised at what R could accomplish." - H.R.

"I enjoyed the very fast paced lessons in which we learned a lot" - A.C.

"R was so efficient and easy to use" - A.M.

"I enjoyed how the instructor individually helped us if we had trouble" - S.B.

"This is my first real experience with a programming language outside of robotics and I really liked the seamless connections to biology and data science. I also liked using real data like the Pokemon and World Cup stats." - R.K.

"I enjoyed learning about what code is. I have never touched coding before this....I was surprised at how I was able to code complicated things without having any prior knowledge." - E.T.

"It was very enjoyable sequencing DNA and making calculators.....It was a pleasant surprise to know everything you could do with R." - V.A.

"This course was challenging because I had not had experience with programming before, I most enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment as I got better with R....I found it quite uprising that the course began to feel easier after progressing pass the second day. R strikes me as a fantastic tool to make long work easier." - B.A.

"This course was fun, especially because R was challenging but not too hard so it was easy to make progress. It was also really fun being able to choose our own projects based on what we were interested in.....I was surprised by how easy R was to learn and remember." - E.D.

"Yes, it has been a very fun course. I enjoyed the graphing in ggplot and data table analysis the most....I enjoyed the simpleness of R compared to other languages and the vast variety of things you can do in it." -A.P.

"I was surprised with how powerful R was, especially with the ggplot functions." - M.M.

"It was better that what I had in mind.....It made me love programming even more." - D.P.

"R was more intuitive than I expected." - I.H.

"It was challenging the first day due to my lack of experience with coding. However, Dr. Samanta was an incredible teacher and made the class very fun and easy to comprehend." - L.M.

Feedback from students after 2017 sessions

"Yes I most enjoyed programming challenges in Python and how it connected to bigger projects (like RNAse P)."

"It was challenging and exciting and I enjoyed incorporating genomes into the programming."

"Its more meaningful than pretty much anything else available to HS kids. Excellent!"

"Yes It seems to be an incredible new field with countless things to research."

"I loved the assembly of genomes and just coding and learning more about genetics."

"I have previously looked at coding from a video game perspective but now I see other uses for coding."

"It was really Challenging and I loved the part when I finally found the solution."

"I really enjoyed learning about new technologies like CRISPR and organoids."

"I was interested in coding and biology and I took basic biology and coding in school . I wanted to go more in depth and this course has made me even interested in the fields."

Feedback from parents after 2017 summer sessions

"Thank you so much! P*** really enjoyed the course and was very motivated and curious about the content. He did not have any previous coding experience and enjoyed it immensely."

"M*** really enjoyed this class. I heard about it with enthusiasm every day….."

"Thank you for organizing the camp and Dr. Samanta for teaching the kids interesting bioinformatics knowledge. My son F*** enjoys the camp."

"My son enjoyed the advanced course a lot and was talking about it at home (unusual)."

"I am very glad that S*** took the class and she seemed to like it. She has had very little computer experience up until now (one other summer camp experience) and I think it was an excellent prelude to the AP Computer Science course that she will be taking her senior year at International School. Now she is not going into that "cold". Also, she is very interested in biology and genetics, so the class was a very good experience for her. –---- Thank you!"

"J*** enjoyed the camp and thought it was a great experience :)"

"Really interesting class with focus on exposing kids to emerging fields to explore and think of for future educational and career choices."

"The exposure was wonderful for B***."

"Very well organized and communication was really good."

"Liked the challenge of solving the problems."

Feedback from students after 2016 summer sessions

"This class has gotten me re-excited about coding mostly but biology is also super-cool"-BP (8th Gr)

"Bioinformatics has piqued my interest because I did not realize how computer programming and biology go hand in hand"- MF (9th Gr)

"It has piqued my interest because I was comfortable with biology but being able to learn programming while applying it to biology was a terrific experience" – JN (11th Gr)

"I found the class challenging and interesting! I loved the debate and biology research pieces and Burrows-Wheeler puzzles" – RH (9th Gr)

"I enjoyed the learning experience in the biology area so that it could prepare me for my upcoming sophomore year"- AA (9th Gr)

"I most enjoyed learning about the several different applications to modern biological issues with the knowledge of coding and analyzing genes” -AR (8th Gr)

Feedback from parents after 2016 summer session

"Thank you so much for teaching such a wonderful class! Every day B*** has told us about the things she is doing with an excitement and understanding that is really impressive. She is learning such amazing skills, as well as why they are useful and important. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for data science with these young students!"

"We were really happy to see a dedicated individual do this for the same of the genuine interest and in the process influence the younger generation towards solving important and tough problems."

"I just want to say "thank you" again for this wonderful camp. A*** has learned and practiced a lot, and we all felt fantastic to work with a real scientist -- not only learning the knowledge but also learning how to plan and conduct a research! It is especially touching that both of you have enthusiasm about educating young students."

Feedback from students after 2015 summer session

"Yes the course challenged me everyday as we learned new code and techniques daily. I enjoyed working on the large project the most so we can apply our skills to a large problem."-VC (9th Gr)

"Yes ! Although programming may not be my thing, this class reinforced the fact that I really want a scientific career."- MS (11th Gr)

"I was surprised by the amount of coding needed for this class. It was not difficult but I had no idea how important a role computers played."-YS (10th Gr)

"Yes, I love this course. I will definitely recommend to someone interested in this field." - JC (11th Gr)

"Yes, it has. I have developed skills in coding and programming that I can use for jobs and internships."-GC (11th Gr)