Year in Review

As a high school student, I quiet and withdrawn. I had very little self-confidence, and had trouble interacting with people I didn’t know very well. I was afraid to attend such a large university as Ohio State, and thought I would struggle to make meaningful connections. However, since coming to OSU, I have seen a dramatic personal change. I have much more confidence in my abilities, even though I now have to work harder to do well in my classes. It is much easier for me to connect with new people, and I am more outgoing than I ever thought I would be.

 

In addition to being afraid of the college environment in general, I also had doubts about HSS, convinced that it would be a cut-throat, competitive community. It took very little time for me to realize how wrong this assumption was. The people in HSS are always willing to help each other out, whether it be for academics or social/emotional well-being. I have also come to realize how beneficial this scholars program is for my career path. Not only does it provide opportunities to get involved in volunteering and research, it also allows me to learn more about the healthcare field in general and be more prepared for a future in medicine. As a second year, I plan to take more advantage of these opportunities.

G.O.A.L.S.

As of now, I have no major, and no clear idea of what I would like to study. However, I am on the pre-med track. Because of this, I chose to interview my RA, Dan Sosh, who is also pre-med.

Dan originally intended to major in Biochemistry, but switched to Food Sciences. He grew up cooking, and fell in love with Chemistry in high school. When he heard that OSU offered a major that combined the two, he decided to give it a try. He describes the major as “interesting,” but wishes he had chosen a course of study more relevant to his plans for the future.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Dan intends to attend medical school. He has not started applying, but plans to turn applications in to at least fifteen schools, with Ohio State being his top pick. He is most interested in primary care and internal medicine, but would like to try different fields before making a final decision.

When asked about preparing for the MCAT, Dan recommended enrolling in the KAPLAN review course. This course provides review books, videos, practice exams, and other useful materials. While it is expensive, Dan said they do offer financial aid for those who qualify.

Dan also highly recommended getting involved in volunteer work, shadowing, and research as soon as possible. He is currently working on a research project through the Food Sciences department. His research involves designing food that will keep people full for longer periods of time. In particular, he is working with soy pretzels and testing the health effects they have on post-menopausal women.

As of April, 2018, Dan has been accepted to The Ohio State University’s Medical School, and is excited to start in the fall. He is still interested in primary care and internal medicine, but plans to gain experience in several different fields before making his final decision.

 

Most of my 25.5 hours of service over the past year has been through my church, H2O. Every month, H2O has “Community Engagement Day.” This is a day where we are encouraged to go out and do service in various communities. On my first Engagement Day, I helped organize and clean a safe house for victims of human trafficking. The second and third times I went to The Miracle Garden, a community garden in the middle of one of Columbus’ poorest areas. This area is called a food desert, meaning there is no source of fresh food for at least five miles. The garden provides residents with fresh food, as well as a source of pride and beauty for the community. Each of these days lasted three to four hours. I have also volunteered with Pay It Forward, participating in both Community Commitment Day and MLK Day of Service. For Community Commitment, I spent five hours cleaning up trash in nearby neighborhoods. On MLK Day, I spent 6.5 hours visiting patients in a nursing home. My last four hours were spent preparing care packages with HSS Support for Soldiers, volunteering at a blood drive, and handing out packed lunches to the homeless with an organization called Crosswalk Outreach.

Out of all the service I have done this semester, the most memorable was with Crosswalk. Every Sunday afternoon, a group of about twenty volunteers gives out packed lunches to the homeless of Columbus. Though I was only able to join them for two hours, I was able to witness the passion they had for helping those in need. I was also able to see a different side of Columbus, and have a better understanding for the problems many people face. If given the chance, I plan to continue joining this group.

Career

After completing my education, my hope is to become a pediatrician. I love being around children, especially children with disabilities. As a doctor, I plan to work internationally, probably with a group such as Doctors Without Borders or Samaritan’s Purse. I am especially interested in working with children in developing countries.

Even though I have a firm plan for after graduation, I do not have a clear choice of an undergraduate major. Because there is no “best major” for the pre-med track, I have freedom in my decision. I would like to find a major that interests me and gives me a secondary option if I choose not to continue in medicine.

As an Exploratory student at Ohio State, I have been exposed to numerous resources to help me in my decision. Some of these include career counseling, online services, and the opportunity to connect with faculty in different programs. Even though I am still unsure as to what I want to study, these resources have helped in the decision-making process.

At OSU, I have become involved in several student groups. One of these is H2O, a student church on campus. I began attending on the first Sunday of the semester, and was immediately plugged into a small group in my area of campus. I have also become involved in a group called Volunteers Around the World, which is a medical outreach to people in developing countries. This May, I will be traveling to Panama with VAW to work in a medical clinic.

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Artifacts

For my second year service project, I volunteered at Kamp Dovetail, a summer camp for children and young adults with developmental disabilities. At Kamp, volunteers have the opportunity to interact one-on-one with children with a wide variety of disabilities, from ADHD and depression to autism and Turner’s Syndrome. Volunteers are responsible for the well being of one or two individual campers, as well as other campers in the group. It is the volunteer’s job to ensure the campers are safe and well cared for, as well as maintaining a fun and exciting summer camp environment. For many of the kids, Kamp is a place where they can feel accepted for who they are and free to be themselves. They are often able to experience things they normally would not have the opportunity to do, such as riding horses and going boating.

About Me

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Caitlin Foley is a first year at The Ohio State University. Currently, her major is exploratory, though she is on the pre-med track. She grew up in Hillsboro, Ohio, a small farming community about an hour northeast of Cincinnati. She attended the local public high school, where she ran track and cross country. She also participated in other extra-curricular activities, including Spanish club, concert band, and National Honor Society. During the summer, she volunteers at a camp for children and young adults with disabilities. She is very passionate about community service, and is excited about the opportunities available at OSU and in Columbus.