Blog #8: What I've Learned So Far

1) What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?


throughout this senior project, one of the most important things that i have learned to do was to treat my volunteer hours as an actual apprenticeship or "service learning" opportunity, rather than just an opportunity to rack up community service hours. 


Every week when I go to the Kaiser LAMC Emergency room, I make sure to leave with a bit of knowledge that i didn't know before. From watching surgeons perform surgery, to asking nurses questions, I gain a bit of experience and knowledge every Sunday at Kaiser. 


So far, I've learned to a vast quantity of knowledge about medicine and the medical industry. From placing an EKG monitor on patients (i'm allowed to do this), to seeing a catheter inserted into patients, I've learned much first-hand. Also, alot about society through the medical industry; i learned facts such as 50-60%of homeless people in America have schizophrenia. 50% of patients admitted into the ER are due to drug and alcohol related emergencies. A large percentage of patients admitted into the Kaiser LAMC ER are homeless; i look at this large percentage from a humanitarian perspective about society. 


I am the only 17 year old that volunteers at this facility because it is mostly geared towards interns and students entering medical school, but luckily for me I have hookups that got me into this program (my mommy). I am very grateful and i make sure to take full advantage of this opportunity every week.


2) This is the badge that i take with me every week. I have access to any room and elevator because of this bad boy.

3. There wasn't a specific piece of research that changed my attitude towards service learning. however, psychiatryonline.org had a few articles that talked about the humanitarian aspect of medical care. So articles from psychiatryonline.org have allowed me to view patient care with a sense of empathy. Also, learning about medicine from a biology aspect made it easy to understand medical jargon and phrases, so that made it easy for me to focus on what exactly the doctors and nurses are performing.

Blog #7: Independent Component 1 Plan Approval.

1.
For independent component #1, I will be volunteering at the Kaiser LAMC Emergency Room. Through this volunteer program, i will be shadowing doctors (general surgeons, ob/gyn's, psychiatrists, etc...) as well as EMT's and registered nurses.

2.
I will drive down to LA every Sunday where i will do my 8 hour shift for the rest of senior year. so i will meat my requirement, and then some.

3.
My EQ is "what is are the best ways to becoming a successful psychiatrist?" I believe that being exposed to a wide range of medical practices ranging from setting up an EKG to surgery under local anesthetic will broaden my knowledge of the medical field as well as desensitize me a little bit. Also, i am able to sit in on psychiatrist, who come into the hospital daily, while he does evaluation on a mental health patient in the ER.

Blog #6: Defining the Essential Question.

1) What is your EQ?


My eq is "What are the best ways to becoming a successful psychiatrist?

2) Define the words in your EQ to make sure we are on the same page regarding what your EQ means.


By using the word "successful" in my EQ, I mean somebody who has mastered the study and medical treatment of mental disorders through psychiatry.


The "mental disorders" that i speak of are affective, behavioral, perceptual, and cognitive abnormalities in a human being. 


I used the plural form "best ways," because i don't think there is ONE right way to become a successful psychiatrist. There are alot of pieces to the puzzle and i hope to figure out the true correct answer to my EQ through this senior project. 



3) What are some possible answers to your EQ so far? 


a) The modern study of the human psyche is still a brand new topic in the field of medicine, so don't be afraid to refute notions in the treatment methods of psychiatry. 

b) I learned through my interview, that with with any line of work regarding the treatment of another human being, you must approach the patient with a sense of empathy and modesty. You have to be able to relate to the patients experiences and to his/her suffering. 



c) As a scientist, you must devote a large quantity of time studying the sciences outside of the office. Medicine and science are constantly changing before our eyes every single day, and if you must be able to keep up.




4) What has been your most important source and why?  Be specific.  If it is a person, name them and what they do, if it is an article, book or video, name the title and author.  


I have used a few quality sources through books and articles, but my most valuable source in terms of quality was Interview #1. I conducted the interview with my father, Dr. Bishara Shahin, who has worked in a private practice as a psychologist for over 25 years. With a lengthy career studying human behavior and mental illnesses, Dr. Shahin's answers were of top quality and provided me with a great deal of knowledge. 

Blog #5: second interview questions

I will be interviewing Dr. Owen K Tsuchiya, MD. Dr Tsuchiya is a Psychiatrist, and has been a good friend of my father for many years. After knowing Dr. Tsuchiya for all these years myself, I have taken great interest in the field of psychiatry. Dr. Tsuchiya is one of the smartest men i have ever met, yet he is very down-to-earth, so I know that he will answer my questions with honesty and with great knowledge. As a possible mentor, Dr. Tsuchiya is very qualified to teach me the ins-and-outs of psychiatry.



1) What initially attracted you to the field of psychiatry?
2) What were the rigors of medical school?
3) What is a typical day for you?
4) In your opinion, what is the best part about being a psychiatrist?
5) What did you major in college? why?
6) With today's competition, what do you think i should major in college?
7) What are the advantages of owning a private practice?