Informational Interview

For my informational interview I talked with Allie Porter, a graduating  senior who will be attending medical school at Ohio State next fall. I chose to talk to Allie because our goals and passions align very nicely. I met Allie through my pre health sorority, Delta Omega Kappa. Along with sharing the similar goal of becoming a physician, Allie and I also have the same major, Public Health. Getting the chance to talk to someone so similar to me, a few years down the road was very beneficial and inspiring, showing me that I will one day get into medical school as well.

During our conversation, Allie and I discussed the nuts and bolts of the preparation necessary to be a successful applicant. We talked about the MCAT , how she recommends studying for it, and when I should take it. She also stressed the importance of being a well rounded applicant and how there is more to your application than your MCAT score. Next, we talked about the importance of being involvement such as leadership experience, research, and other things that show your interest in wanting to become a physician. Allie mentioned the importance of being involved in a few meaningful things rather than a large amount of experiences that you are not very invested in.

Overall, my conversation with Allie was very helpful and reassuring. She was very open about her GPA and MCAT rankings along with how many schools she applied to and got accepted to. It was also a great experience to get to talk to someone about why they wanted to be a doctor. It was so inspiring to see Allie achieving her goals and starting the next chapter of her life. I am very happy that I got the chance to talk to Allie and am more confident about my abilities to attend medical school after our conversation!

Second Year Service Project

For my second year service project, I volunteered at the James Cancer Hospital throughout fall and spring semester for 2 hours a week. I worked specifically with the restful nights program. My job was to go around to all of the inpatient floors on the hospital and ask the patients if they wanted in complementary amenities. We traveled to the floors with a cart offering the patients magazines, books, lotion, chapstick, playing card, cross word puzzles, and other similar items.  The purpose of my job was to help the patients feel more comfortable, brighten their day, and offer them a chance to talk to someone if they are in the mood. My volunteering has been a very rewarding experience, teaching me the importance of being a good listener and how much a smile can brighten someone’s day. There were a few specific patients that I encountered whose stories resonated with me, allowing me to connect to the patients on a personal level, teaching me the importance of listening to everyone’s story. The position also allowed me to become more familiar working in a hospital setting, preparing me for my future career as a physician. Overall, I am very thankful I got the opportunity to volunteer with the restful nights program at the James for my second year service project. This experience has been very beneficial to my future goals, and is something I plan on continuing throughout the rest of my time as an undergraduate at Ohio State.

Year In Review

Looking back at where I was a year from now when I was deciding to come to Ohio State, I see how much I have changed overall as a person. Reminiscing on my first day of college classes, it is remarkable to see how much I have grown as a student. Throughout this year I have learned what it is like to be challenged, what it is like to fail, and also what it is like to succeed. These moments have shaped who I am and have shown me who I want to be. I can say that I am proud of my academic achievements my freshman year of college. Some of the courses I have taken, especially Chemistry, have challenged me. I have learned how to study and also how to take tests. This is a valuable skill that I thought I already had before coming to college, however, it is something that developed through my experience as a freshman. After making it past my freshman year, I am confident that I will be able to succeed as a student and know that if I preserve, I will be able to get through any other obstacles I will face during my education.

I have also greatly grown as a person over this past year. One thing I am most proud of while making my transition to college is being able to live on my own and take care of myself independently. Over this past year, I have stepped out of my comfort zone; learning how to talk to my professors, talk about myself in interviews, and give presentations to large groups of people. I believe that all of the things that I have done are a part of growing up and becoming a successful adult and professional. Over this year, I have learned more about myself, what my passions are, and what I want in life. I have found a major that I am confident in and enjoy, gotten involved in different clubs and organizations, and have made friends that I know I will stay close with for the rest of my life. Overall, my first year in college has impacted more than I thought it could and I look forward to the rest of my journey at Ohio State as I continue to grow and learn!

Eat Go Do

DO:
For the do of my eat go do project, I went to the play Hairspray, put on by the student theater organization on campus, “Off the Lake Productions”. I found the play very interesting and well put together. It was clear that the cast and crew put alot of time into the prodcution. There was a good ammount people that came to watch the play. I enjoyed the play and look forward to going to more plays put on by “Off the Lake Productions” again soon!

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Eat Go Do

GO:

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For the go of my eat go do project, I went to Illinois for a gymnastics meet. One organization that I am involved with on campus is club gymnastics. We compete against other college club teams at different universities. I had the chance to travel to the University of Illinois for one of our meets. I like getting the chance to see what a different university is like, comparing it to Ohio State. Overall, this was a fun experience and I am looking forward to more trips that I will take with the club gymnastics team.

Final Strategic Life Plan

Looking back on the previous assignments done within my scholars seminar class, I am able to see how the assignments connect to my life plan here at Ohio State. To begin with, I have gained a greater understanding of my current major, Public Health and also my plan B major, Health Sciences through research done in this course. I know more about the requirements within each major along with how the application process works. Tests such as the FOCUS assessment helped me to see my strengths and how they can be related to majors and future careers.

Outside of the realm of academics and career planning, I have learned the importance of having a well-balanced college life. The personal health and wellness modules that we completed opened my eyes to the importance of mental, physical, and emotional health within my life. I am now aware of the importance of eating well, exercising regularly, along with learning how to manage my time and stress in healthy ways

Overall, I believe that if I continue down the path I have been taking, I will be able to be successful in college and beyond. I see the importance in planning for the future, along with maintain a happy and health life style. I will utilize the wisdom given to me by faculty members and upperclassmen by remembering what they have said to me and keeping note of their advice when I encounter difficult situations .I also know that I can reach out to these mentors any time during my college career when I need guidance. I hope to continue my growth at Ohio State through the knowledge I will gain in my coursework with the experiences I will encounter outside of the classroom as well.

(Attached are 3 Photos that reflect my journey at OSU so far along with my journey in the future.)

3 Photos

 

G.O.A.L.S.

Informational Interview

For my informational interview I talked with Allie Porter, a graduating  senior who will be attending medical school at Ohio State next fall. I chose to talk to Allie because our goals and passions align very nicely. I met Allie through my pre health sorority, Delta Omega Kappa. Along with sharing the simmilar goal of becoming a physican, Allie and I also have the same major, Public Health. Getting the chance to talk to someone so simmilar to me, a few years down the road was very beneficial and inspiring, showing me that I will one day get into medical school as well.

During our conversation, Allie and I discussed the nuts and bolts of the preparation necessary to be a successful applicant. We talked about the MCAT , how she recommends studying for it, and when I should take it. She also stressed the importance of being a well rounded applicant and how there is more to your application than your MCAT score. Next, we talked about the importance of being involvement such as leadership experience, research, and other things that show your interest in wanting to become a physician. Allie mentioned the importance of being involved in a few meaningful things rather than a large ammount of experiences that you are not very invested in.

Overall, my converstaion with Allie was very helpful and reassuring. She was very open about her GPA and MCAT rankings along with how many schools she applied to and got accepted to. It was also a great experience to get to talk to someone about why they wanted to be a doctor. It was so inspiring to see Allie achieving her goals and starting the next chapter of her life. I am very happy that I got the chance to talk to Allie and am more confident about my abilities to attend medical school after our conversation!

Career

Professional Resume

Ariana Cucci

EDUCATION

The Ohio State University                                                                 Columbus Ohio

B.S. in Public Health                                                                           Expected May 2019

Area of Expertise: Environmental Health

Magnificat High School, Rocky River, OH – Graduated May 2015, GPA: 4.2 (Honors Diploma)

SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Hospital Volunteer                                                            May 2013 – May 2015

Cleveland Clinic, Fairview Branch                                                          Fairview Ohio

  • Improved the efficiency of the hospital by performing tasks such as discharging patients, delivering pharmaceuticals, and retrieving specimens to take to the laboratory.

Tutoring Peer Leader                                                  January 2013 – June 2015

St. Rocco’s Grade School                                                                      Cleveland Ohio

  • Traveled to a local grade school and tutored a child while also serving as a mentor watching the child grow over the years
  • Held a position as a peer leader, organizing events for the students as well as solving conflicts and answering the questions of my fellow high school tutors

Immersion Participant                                                   June 2014 – May 2015

Study Abroad Experience                                                       Guayaquil, Ecuador & Cleveland, OH

  • Developed a more globalized view of the world through interaction with the Ecuadorians
  • Created several projects over the following year that dealt with helping the people of Ecuador

SHADOWING EXPERIENCE

Shadowing of a Clinical Geneticist             May 2015 (2 weeks – 40 hours)

  • Explored different career paths within the field of Medical Genetics
  • Analyzed genetic tests to diagnose patients alongside physicians and genetic counselors
  • Researched the new diagnostic tests and technology used within the field of Medical Genetics

Shadowing of an Infectious Disease Physician                                       August 2014 (1 week – 20 hours)

  • Experienced the roles of a Infectious Disease Physician in a hospital setting
  • Observed patient interactions and did research on the different types of illnesses commonly treated by an Infectious Disease Physician

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

  • Foreign Language: Conversational skills in Spanish

HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

College

  • Member of Health Science Scholars
  • Member of the Premedical Honorary Society, Ohio State branch, Alpha Epsilon Delta
  • Member of Buckeyes for Public Health
  • Member of the Ohio State Club Gymnastics Team

High School

  • Captain of the Magnificat Gymnastics Team (October 2014 – May 2015)

Eat Go Do

EAT:

FullSizeRenderFor the eat go do project, I ate at the North Star Café, a restaurant in the Short North. At the restaurant they had a variety of foods, mostly American favorites such as hamburgers and fries. The restaurant also things like burritos, chips and salsa and different types of pasta. The cool thing about the restaurant was that it served healthy food. For example I had a veggie burger and sweet potato fries. I normally do not eat veggie burgers, however was very surprised by how good this particular veggie burger was. Overall, I am glad that I tried the North Star Café. It is a place that I will definitely continue to visit!