Blog #10: Self Reflection

1. Currently,  I am receiving a P+ in senior project. I'm at a point where I can either let the dreaded "senioritis" take over, and start doing mediocre work to receive an average mark of a P or lower; or, i can go into 2nd gear and start doing extraordinary work to receive a much higher grade. I have been doing what is asked of me: research checks, interviews, and other tasks for senior projects, all of which have been at an above average standard. 
2. I am very proud of my current accomplishments for senior project. I have well above the required amount of service learning hours, and have all my independent task hours complete as well. However, I am most proud of my above average work on research checks; every piece of research I've noted have been rich and useful pieces of research. Whether it has been video lectures from Yale regarding genetics role on mental health, to scholarly journals from Cal Poly's research databases, I am learning something new every single week..
3. While most of my work has been above average, maybe I can start getting ahead of schedule by doing far above the required research requirements. Right now, we are all kind-of in a limbo due to model assembly, but the next time I pick up a video game controller on my time off, I can due a couple sources of research instead.

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 Entry #1 What is your topic? Why?

The topic that I chose for my senior project is Psychiatry. I chose Psychiatry for many reasons; all my life I have been exposed to psychology due to the fact that my father is a psychologist. Whether it's the occasional newspaper article regarding psychology in the news, slid under my door, or teaching me how to deal with difficult personalities through a scientific method, my father has made the study of the brain a passion for me. However, a dream of mine would be to become a physician, but at the same time, psychology has always been embedded into my life. So why not combine the best of both worlds? As a psychiatrist, I can study the mind, brain, and behavior but at the same time I can prescribe medication, conduct physical examinations, and order & interpret laboratory tests like any other physician. 

After I spend a year studying this topic in high school, I hope to pursue my goal of medical school and residency once i finish my undergrad work.