Author: black.865

Career

During the summer of 2017, I had the amazing opportunity to work at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates as a visual field technician. This was a great and fulfilling experience as I was able to get a small idea as to what working in the medical field is like. As part of this job, I had the responsibilities of updating and handling patient charts, dilating patients’ eyes, and performing corneal pachymetry tests, optical coherence tomographies, and visual field tests. This job helped me to learn the inner workings of a medical office and the most beneficial ways to work with patients and medical professionals. Though I was the youngest employee there, I was quickly able to catch on and perform my tasks well as I learned the correct ways to operate each machine and diagnostic test. In addition to working at this job, I was also able to indulge in the medicine behind the tests and diagnoses that I was surrounded with, and as a result, I received a deeper understanding of basic ophthalmology. One of the most memorable moments of this having this job was being able to shadow one of the doctors during surgery. I was invited twice during the summer to watch one of the ophthalmologists in the office perform surgeries, which included cataract repairs and glaucoma surgery. This was an unforgettable experience that I will always be grateful for. Having this job has helped to solidify my desire to have a career in the medical field.

Artifacts

When I was in my senior year of high school, I received “The President’s Volunteer Service Award” for completing over one hundred hours of community service in one year. Volunteering and performing community service has always been a large part of my life. I feel as though it is imperative to give back to others whenever possible, and for me, I was able to do this during my high school years by volunteering at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

About Me


Hi everyone! My name is McKenna Black and I am a first year student at OSU from Columbus, Ohio. Both of my parents went to OSU when they were in college, so it’s great to be able to carry on the tradition as a buckeye. Here at OSU, I’m majoring in Medical Laboratory Science. Ever since I was young, I have known that I want to work in the medical field and help others through health care. This idea has been solidified from taking certain math and science courses in my high school that sparked my interests, such as physiology and calculus. In addition to this, through volunteer opportunities that I’ve had, such as the teen volunteer program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, I have developed a passion for helping others. Throughout high school as well, I was enrolled in spanish courses, so if possible, I would like to explore spanish as a minor while I’m here at OSU. In college, I hope to not only get good grades and work as hard as I can through my courses, but understand the course material at deeper levels so that I may pursue a meaningful education. Additionally, I would love to look into studying abroad because I’ve always had a strong interest in traveling. After I finish my undergraduate studies, I plan to apply to PA schools in order to later become a Physician Assistant. I’m excited to start my journey here at OSU and can’t wait to discover the opportunities it holds for me!

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]