Review of Ochem 2510

One of the most impactful courses that I have taken thus far is Ochem 2510. I went into this course worried for what was to come after hearing all about its difficulty. This class definitely lived up to its expectations and was challenging. Although, I was able to learn a lot of content as well as how to be a better student. I had to be disciplined in order to stay up to date on the content while also taking four other classes during the semester. During this class, I learned more effective ways to study and prepare for weekly quizzes and exams. I was able to change my study habits and how I review and practice the content. Organic chemistry was something that I had never been exposed to before, so it was really interesting to learn more about. I felt engaged throughout the course, and I was able to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Taking Ochem 2520 during my spring semester allowed me to build upon the foundation of knowledge that I had learned in Ochem 2520, and I was able to use similar study techniques in order to do well in this class as well. Ochem 2510 changed the way in which I managed my time and studied, which has impacted my performance in other classes. I plan to use what I learned as a result of Ochem 2510 in order to do well in other courses throughout college and my future educational endeavors.

 

End of Year Reflection (2nd Year)

I was able to learn and grow a lot this year as a result of the challenges that I faced each semester. I went into my third semester nervous for the class schedule that was ahead of me. I had heard all about organic chemistry and how difficult it was, so I was not looking forward to having to take it. By the end of my first year of college I thought that I had learned the most effective ways to study and manage my time. It turns out that this method was not as effective with my new courses and schedule. Taking organic chemistry and physics along with three other classes was a challenge. Staying on top of the material and leaving enough time to study for each class was difficult. Although, I was able to change the way that I studied and manage my time better in order to prepare myself for quizzes and exams. Autumn semester pushed me to a level of adversity that my course schedule had not done before. This being said, I learned a lot about myself and the steps that I need to take in order to stay organized and do my best. I learned that I can push through these challenges with hard work, and that I should not hesitate to ask for help.

Spring semester allowed me to put the time management and studying skills that I had learned to the test. My course load was equally as challenging as the previous semester with more difficult courses to take. Although, I was able to ensure that I took more time to do the activities that I enjoy in order to have a better mindset during the semester. I signed up for a soccer class so that I could have a scheduled time where I would be able to exercise and do something that I enjoy. Taking this class allowed me to de-stress and start out my mornings on a positive note. Another change that I made in the spring semester is that I made more of an effort to volunteer and be active in my clubs on campus. I was able to go on a trip to Knoxville, Tennessee with Remote Area Medical in order to volunteer at a free clinic. I was also able to volunteer with Project Sunshine at the Ronald McDonald House a couple of times each month. Overall, my fourth semester allowed me to find my rhythm and show what methods work best for my schedule.

 

Vision Statement/ Statement of Action

In my remaining time on campus, I plan to focus on my future goals and show my passion towards a future in medicine. I want to find more opportunities that can build upon the experiences that I have had thus far. I will look for more opportunities to volunteer in a clinical setting, get involved in research, and shadow different medical professionals. I will also take the steps that I need to in order to be a competitive applicant to medical school, such as taking the MCAT and asking for letters of recommendation. 

 

Volunteering in a Free Clinic

This year I joined a club at Ohio State called Remote Area Medical (RAM). As a part of this club, I have the opportunity to work in free clinics across the U.S. in order to help people in need of medical care. This semester I was able to go on one of the trips with the club to a clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee. During this trip, I was able to volunteer for over 20 hours in the clinic where I sorted through donations, directed patients to their locations, and scribed patient conditions during examinations. I spent the majority of my time in the dental section, where patients were able to receive fillings, get an extraction, or a cleaning. I was able to see how dental hygienists complete initial examinations, and learn the terminology that they use to describe the procedures that need to be performed. It was also interesting to be able to watch some of the dental procedures that were taking place in the clinic. 

This experience has shown me another aspect to medicine that I had not really been exposed to before. I enjoyed being in this medical setting and being able to see the effect that this clinic had on the patients. In total, this clinic helped over 1,050 patients receive free medical care over the course of 3 days. I now am more aware of the need that many people in the U.S. have, and how impactful access to free medical care can be. I hope to build on this experience by going on another RAM trip during a future semester at Ohio State. I would like to be able to go to a different community and see the impact that a free clinic can have on the area. Along with that, I hope to volunteer or shadow in other areas of the clinic such as vision or other medical services.

 

Volunteer Reflection

The Covid- 19 pandemic made it more difficult to find traditional volunteer opportunities while on campus, but I was still able to find other ways to help out the community. This year I was able to learn and try new things, such as socializing with bunnies through Ohio House Rabbit Rescue, tying pieces of plastic together in order to make sleeping mats for the homeless, and assembling harm reduction safety kits for Safe Point. These experiences were completely new to me, and they were able to show me how volunteering and helping the community can be done in ways that I might not have initially expected. This year, my favorite volunteer experience would have to be when I was able to make “plarn” out of plastic bags. It was nice to be able to reuse the plastic bags that I had accumulated while on campus, and put them toward something that could be useful to people throughout Columbus. I was unaware of how tying and crocheting pieces of plastic bags together could be made into waterproof sleeping mats for the homeless. I had never heard of “plarn” before, so it was really exciting to learn something new that can be done easily and safely during the pandemic. I am thankful for this experience and what it was able to teach me, and I hope to continue it when I return to campus.

Year in Review

Semester in Review (1st Semester)

I have grown and learned way more than I could have ever expected this semester. Before coming to Ohio State, I was so worried about being able to find friends and having the opportunity to get involved in activities that interest me. With coronavirus restricting most in- person events, I thought that I would be confined to my dorm for the semester. Despite the circumstances, I can say that I have been able to meet new people and try new things. I joined three different clubs, which has allowed me to further explore my interests. I decided to join Running Club in order to meet new people and to continue to do something that I love. I also joined Project Sunshine and BuckeyeThon, which have allowed me to get involved in service opportunities on campus and in the community. Along with that, being a part of Biological Sciences Scholars has allowed me to get more involved this semester. I have been able to meet new people with similar interests, and find groups to study for classes with. I have also had the opportunity to learn more about certain topics through the events that I was able to join and reflect on. This semester I have opened up more and challenged myself to go outside of my comfort zone. It was difficult to adjust to college at first, but I have learned how to manage the different aspects of my life so that I can fit everything in to my schedule.

The classes that I have taken this semester have challenged me and helped me to find what study techniques work best for me. I was most worried about taking Chem 1210 because of what I had heard from students who had taken it before, but I was able to surprise myself and do better in the class than I expected. This course has taught me a lot about discipline, and I have significantly changed my work and study habits as a result. Another course that I was nervous about was EEOB 3310.02 because it is an upper level class. When I learned that not many freshmen take the class until later on, I was worried that I would be unprepared and feel out of place. Although, I have definitely learned the most in this class, and it has made me more confident in my abilities. Along with that, this semester I have learned the importance of staying ahead on class work and not allowing myself to procrastinate too much. I also learned that office hours are a great way to ask questions and deepen my understanding of the topics discussed in class.

Overall, I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish this semester, and I hope to continue to grow and learn moving forward.

Career

Job Shadow at Dayton Children’s Hospital

January 3, 2020

I was able to shadow a pediatric nurse at Dayton Children’s Hospital in order to see what a typical day at the hospital may look like. I learned the routines that nurses and different doctors normally follow. I was able to learn a lot about safety and the steps that need to be taken in order to maintain a safe environment for all. Since it was flu season, I learned about the extra precautions that are taken when dealing with patients.

Job Shadow at PriMed in Centerville

February 11, 2020

I was able to shadow local physicians in my community a total of 4 times at PriMed in Centerville. I was able to shadow 2 different pediatricians, and 2 different physicians focused on family medicine. I hope to be a pediatrician in the future, so this experience was beneficial for me in order to see what goes on in this type of clinical setting. I was able to learn about the process that these doctors go through and what a typical day for them may look like. I was also able to see a swab test be performed, and I got to see how it is tested in the lab in order to determine what the patient may have.

G.O.A.L.S.

I chose to join Biological Sciences Scholars because I want to challenge myself throughout my time at Ohio State. I hope to get involved while on campus, and prepare for my future career. The G.O.A.L.S of the Honors and Scholars program match the personal goals that I have for my future.

G stands for Global Awareness, which focuses on learning and appreciating our differences. I have always been curious to learn about others’ lives and what is happening throughout the world. If I get the chance to, I would love to study abroad for a semester so that I can experience something new. I believe that I can learn more about myself while gaining a deeper understanding of a different culture.

O stands for Original Inquiry, which means getting involved in research opportunities. I am very interested in getting involved in research at Ohio State, and I think it is important toward furthering my learning and understanding. By my sophomore year I hope to have a position in a research lab with a professor on campus. I think it is rewarding to not only gain some experience in a lab, but to also be able to answer questions and learn more about a particular topic.

A stands for Academic Enrichment, which stresses the importance of academic excellence both inside and out of the classroom. I have always chosen to challenge myself because I believe that it allows me to learn and grow. I think it is more beneficial to push through something that may be challenging rather than choosing the easier option. This being said, I choose to sign up for courses that I know will challenge me in order to get the most out of my experience. I plan to continue to take challenging courses in the future in order to get the most out of college, and to really expand my learning. Outside of the classroom, I have gotten involved in many different clubs and activities to further add to my experience.

L stands for Leadership Development, which focuses on developing and demonstrating leadership skills. I believe that it is important to set an example for others to follow in order to better our communities. Seeing others around me make a difference has led me to want to do the same. I want to lead those around me to challenge themselves and do something for others. In college, I plan to be a leader to the youth in the Columbus community through the clubs Project Sunshine and BuckeyeThon. In the classroom, I hope to challenge my peers to think deeper and to help whenever they may need assistance.

S stands for Service Engagement, which means committing to help and serve the community. Volunteering has been a very important part of my life thus far, and I hope to be able to continue it throughout college and in the future. I have volunteered at Dayton Children’s Hospital for the past three years, and I hope to be able to this year as well. I also joined Project Sunshine and BuckeyeThon this semester, which are both clubs focused on service and helping others. I have had the opportunity to volunteer a few times with organizations in Columbus, such as socializing with bunnies for Ohio House Rabbit Society and learning how to reuse plastic bags in order to make blankets for the homeless. I hope to continue to get involved with service opportunities throughout college, and give back to the community.

 

Artifacts

I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Dayton Children’s Hospital for the past three years, where I have done anything from cleaning waiting rooms to visiting patients in long- term care rooms. Volunteering at Dayton Children’s Hospital has allowed me to further explore my academic interests and goals for the future. I am proud of the connections that I have made throughout my three years, and how much I was able to do during that time. I have come a long way since I first started volunteering, and I have learned a lot throughout my time there. As a result of this experience, I have learned about how a hospital typically operates, and what it is like to work there on any given day. I have also learned a lot about myself and what I might want to do in my future. Being in this environment has shown me how much I enjoy working around medicine, as well as how I am passionate about doing what I can to help those in need.

I have truly grown and changed as a result of volunteering at Dayton Children’s Hospital, and it has taught me to be more aware of my community. This experience has led me to volunteer and get involved with other organizations centered around helping kids such as BuckeyeThon and Project Sunshine. Along with that, I hope to build on this experience by volunteering at Nationwide Children’s Hospital while on campus, and continue to explore my interests. Overall, volunteering at Dayton Children’s Hospital has directed me toward a future where I can make a difference and do something that I am passionate about.

About Me

Hello! I am a first year at the Ohio State University, and I am majoring in biology on a pre- med track. I am also a part of the Biological Sciences Scholars program.

I am a curious learner who is always interested in educating myself on new topics. I love to challenge my thinking and expand my knowledge whenever possible. I like to stay up to date with what is happening in the world, and I enjoy researching current events and the impact that they have on others.

In high school, I was involved in many different clubs and activities that helped me to grow as a person as well as enhance my ability to collaborate with others. I was a part of the Centerville Girls Cross Country team, which allowed me to challenge myself as well as learn leadership skills that can be applied to other aspects of my life. I was also involved in many service based clubs such as Lunch Buddies, Elk Connectors, and Key Club. These extracurricular activities allowed me to embrace my passion for wanting to make a difference in my community, and showed me how giving back to the youth can be so rewarding. Along with that, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Dayton Children’s Hospital for the past three years, where I have done anything from cleaning waiting rooms to visiting kids in long- term stay rooms. During this coronavirus pandemic, I had the opportunity to direct patients to their appointments as well as assist in escorting patients to get tested for the virus.

This being said, many of the clubs that I chose to get involved in this year are significant to me because they expand on what I had done in the past, and allow me to have more opportunities to showcase my personal values and what is important to me. I am now an active member of Running Club, BuckeyeThon, and Project Sunshine. BuckeyeThon and Project Sunshine will allow me to continue to help the kids in my community, and hopefully give me the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. This year, I also chose to get involved in the Biological Sciences Scholars program because it will allow me to meet new people as well as have the opportunity to take my education to new levels. I hope to get involved in research and service that will allow me to apply what I have learned to the community around me. Along with that, I hope to continue to find more to get involved in, and truly expand on my learning in college.

After my undergraduate studies, I hope to apply to medical school so that I can become a pediatrician and make a difference for the families in my community.