Author: pugh.230

Service Engagement

I have had many opportunities for service during my time at Ohio State. As a Freshman, I volunteered for the Wexner Medical Center, serving at both the Martha Morehouse Outpatient Care Center and the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital. Also, being a part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a service based organization, has allowed me to serve the Columbus community through clothing, food, or school supply drives. These experiences have shaped me into a better community member and have showed me the impact giving back can have on groups of people.

In my second year at Ohio State, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Columbus Free Clinic. The Columbus Free Clinic aims to provide healthcare services to those who do not have or cannot afford health care. The patient population seen at the Columbus Free Clinic, and many other free clinics alike, is very diverse. When I first started volunteering, I was surprised at the number of patients that spoke a different language and at how many did not know English. Volunteering at the Columbus free Clinic, I learned so much about different cultures right in my own university community. Volunteering at the Columbus Free Clinic was also a great opportunity for me as a student interested in a health related career because I was able to gain a better understanding of disparities in health. I valued this experience because I realized how expensive health care is in the United States. Witnessing the demographic of patients at the Columbus Free Clinic has inspired me to one day become an advocate for people living in the United States who do not have access to health care. All people have the right to live a healthy life, but not all people have the resources to do so.

My Career At Ohio State Thus Far

I have had many opportunities that have contributed to my professional development at Ohio State, such as my positions of leadership within student organizations. I currently serve as the Service Chair for the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (M.A.P.S.) as well as the secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Theta Chapter. These organizations have left with great communication and organizational skills, experience planning events and programs, as well as offered many opportunities for networking and mentorship. However, I believe my greatest opportunity for professional development has yet to come, being the start of my undergraduate research in the Kopp Lab, beginning in the Fall of 2020. The Kopp Lab focuses on the outcomes of Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle- Cell related Lung Diseases. My goal for this research opportunity is to effectively carry out lab experiments related to the research. I want to make sure that I am keeping up with both what I am learning through studying the diseases, but also what I am learning through laboratory techniques and ethics. When I do conduct my experiments, my goal is to analyze data so that it may be of use to advance developments for treatments. It will be imperative that I keep a record of all the data I will be analyzing in my research, so that I may make connections and critical decisions about past and present findings.

Another goal I have for this project is to be able to present my research findings at the Autumn Undergraduate Research Festival following my summer of research, as well as the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum in the Spring. Presenting my research will be just as important as conducting it, in that it will show that I was able to understand the data, discuss the results, and receive feedback, which will help me to take a step further in advancing the project as a whole. A long term and more professional goal I have is to gain further exposure to the field of Pediatrics, which has been an interest of mine from the beginning of my pre-medical journey. Working at Nationwide Children’s Hospital will allow me to interact with more Pediatricians and expose me to their choices in subspecialties, such as Dr. Kopp and Pulmonary Medicine. As a future advocate for health and health equity, I wish to study the effect one’s community has on adverse lung health outcomes. I believe I will find that patients with Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Disease that are subject to the stress of their socioeconomic status or poor-quality air and water in their communities will have more negative outcomes than those who are not. This will be transformational in my view of the world in that it will allow me to acknowledge that certain groups of people require more education and public help when it comes to controlling their health. I believe this experience will encourage me to continue research, especially on health disparities, after graduation and as I venture into life after Ohio State. I believe by accomplishing these goals in the Fall when I am able to start my research journey, I will have improved my undergraduate experience at OSU and become more aware about my future career.

Shadowing at John Stroger Hospital

This past summer, I had the opportunity to shadow under Dr. Mope Akintorin at the John Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL., where I was able to witness the effect of health care disparities firsthand. Dr. Akintorin is a Pediatrician with a specialty in Neonatology. I was able to observe her research clinical that follows babies that were born preterm after they have been cleared from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and monitors the progress of their health. Coming in contact with the mothers of the NICU children and their stories allowed me to learn the truth about healthcare in America: Blacks and other minorities, particularly women, are often discounted by their doctors and do not receive the quality health care that Whites are provided. The women complained of expressing concerns to doctors only to have these concerns disregarded, of being denied pain killers or treatments, and even of being questioned of their ability to pay for treatment. Dr. Akintorin is among the many physicians in Cook County, a community that faces poverty rates higher than the national average, that are working to bridge this gap through medical research. Medical research that is used to eliminate health and healthcare disparities is important to society because racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive quality medical care, and in turn, face higher morbidity and mortality rates. Medical research can provide important information about disease trends, risk factors, and outcomes of treatment for the primary groups of people that are affected by health care disparities, such as Blacks and Latinos. Medical research concerning these groups may also work to raise public awareness of health care disparities. More importantly, I believe the awareness of these disparities in health will rise in physicians, forcing them to be more cognizant of their actions as well as the actions of their counterparts.

Original Inquiry

As a Pre-medical Student, I have many experiences with research and creative thinking through my sciences classes. In my Biology 1114 lab, we completed a research project called SEA-PHAGES. SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) is a semester long, discovery-based undergraduate research course. The lab focuses on the investigation of the diverse bacteriophage genome and the exploration of the dynamic mechanisms that produce and sustain the bacteriophage population. In the course, the bacteriophage genome was characterized via the isolation, purification, and application of phages from environmental samples using a specific host, Arthrobacter sp. By doing this, we were able to extract and carefully analyze the genetic material of these organisms. The SEA-PHAGES program equips students with a variety of microbiology techniques and aims to increase undergraduate interest in the biological sciences through research. 

In the Fall of 2020, I will begin my undergraduate research within the Kopp Laboratory at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The Kopp laboratory focuses on the impact host-pathogen interactions have on chronic respiratory diseases, specifically cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as lung diseases related to sickle cell. As an undergraduate researcher in this lab, my responsibility will be to not only develop and perform my independent research on the role of macrophage health and non-genetic influences on Cystic Fibrosis outcomes but to collect appropriate information for statistical analysis of the research at large. Through this experience, I not only hope to enrich my experiences of original inquiry, but develop myself professional and learn more about the research aspect of medicine.

 

A Closer Look at Sophomore Year

My Sophomore Year was one of the best learning experiences of my time at Ohio State so far. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I had the goal of becoming more involved in my campus community. I believe I did accomplish this, having joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Theta Chapter and M.A.P.S., and holding leadership positions within those organizations. Upon joining AKA, I accepted the position as Chaplain and volunteered to be on the planning committee for the 2019 Undergraduate Regional Conference. Additionally, I was elected Service Chair of M.A.P.S. which, at the time, was at the beginning of its partnership with the Columbus Free Clinic. Accordingly, I began volunteering for the Columbus Free Clinic weekly. However, as I continued to pursue further involvements and opportunities for leadership, I would soon learn that it is better to put your all and complete effort into a few projects rather than a little effort into many different ones.

Having become so much more involved in my campus community, I began to underestimate my workload in combination with rigor of my courses. In the fall semester, I began my journey with Organic Chemistry. I received my first F on a college exam on the first Midterm of Organic Chemistry I and, to say the least, it was devastating to me. I began to imagine the very worst-case scenarios: Failing the class, my GPA falling tremendously, and never getting into Medical School. Soon after receiving my exam grade, I began to reevaluate my intended career path and whether or not I was good enough for Medicine. At this point in my life, I was afraid of failing. I feared failure so much, that I almost decided not to pursue my dream anymore. However, in a time in which I need it most I was introduced to the teachings of Dr. Sandra McGuire and the LSU Study Cycle she had developed. I read Dr. McGuire’s book, “Teach Yourself How to Learn” and it instilled in my a newfound hope for classes like Organic Chemistry and taught me that failures are just tremendous opportunities for growth and better learning. 

My first Organic Chemistry exam did not teach me I was not good enough, but it taught me how to become better. I changed my approach to learning that once worked in high school and even my freshman year of college. I asked more questions in class. I studied ahead of time. I lived in my professor’s office hours. I ate ethers for breakfast and epoxides for dinner. I did everything in my ability to do well and decided that if I still did not perform at the level I wished on the following exam, I would try again. I ended up with a B+ in Organic Chemistry I, which I was very proud of having started the course failing. However, my biggest accomplishment academically was that I found a new love for Organic Chemistry. The challenge it provided for me slowly turned it into my favorite class. In fact, in the Spring semester, I went on to receive an A in Organic Chemistry II.

As for my professional developments of sophomore year, I was finally able to secure an opportunity for undergraduate research. In February, I was accepted into the ASPIRE Medical Research Experience, which aims to provide research experiences for OSU undergraduate students from underrepresented and/or disadvantaged groups who “aspire” to make a difference in the field of medicine. Through this program, I would be conducting research in the Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Lab of Dr. Benjamin Kopp at Nationwide’s Children Hospital. The two main areas of this research laboratory are 1. how immune cells called macrophages fail to regulate infection in chronic lung diseases and 2. elucidating biomarkers/pathways of early inflammatory airway disease. I will be researching the role of macrophage health and non-genetic influences on Cystic Fibrosis outcomes.

Unfortunately, my research and the ASPIRE program were set to begin during the summer of 2020. These plans have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, and have accordingly been postponed until the fall. Although I was disappointed that I could not start my research sooner, I am extremely excited to enrich my college experience through undergraduate research and become better aquatinted with the field of Medicine.

Sophomore Year in Review

Sophomore Year at a Glance

  • Began shadowing the summer of 2019 in the NICU at John Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL
  • Worked on the planning committee for the 2019 Alpha Kappa Alpha Undergraduate Roundup Conference
  • Elected Service Chair of the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students
  • Organized my first program for the campus community
  • Began volunteering at the Columbus Free Clinic
  • Began working for Residence Life as an Office Assistant in Smith- Steeb Hall
  • Elected Secretary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Theta Chapter
  • Accepted into the ASPIRE Medical Research Program through OSUCOM
  • Offered and accepted position in the Cystic Fibrosis Lab of Dr. Benjamin Kopp at Nationwide’s Children Hospital
  • Accepted a position as a Resident Advisor for the 2020-2021 school year
  • Participated in Women in Medicine Mentoring Program-Mentee
  • Made Dean’s List in the Spring semester

Black Arts Movement Program

In February of 2020, I chaired an educational Black history program on the Black Arts Movement through my sorority. This Program paid tribute to African-American poets and artists during the era, and provided am overview of the political climate during The Black Arts movement. The program featured a presentation by Dr. LaTashia Reedus, an adjunct faculty member of Sociology at Columbus State Community College and Franklin University. Dr. Reedus earned her Bachelor’s in Sociology and African-American Studies from the University of Cincinnati. She also holds a Master’s and Doctorate in Sociology, both from The Ohio State University. About 40 people attended this event and the opportunity to learn more about Black History. 

2019 Undergraduate Roundup Conference

Last year, I had the opportunity to serve on the planning committee for the 2019 Alpha Kappa Alpha Great Lakes Region Undergraduate Roundup Conference hosted in Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference was compromised of about 97 undergraduate chapters across the region. This annual conference serves as an opportunity for opportunity for members to be in fellowship, learn more about membership and programs, and receive the tools to ensure the success of the targets of our Exemplifying Excellence Through Sustainable Service Program. As an undergraduate representative on the planning committee, I was able to develop my professional and communication skills. At this conference, I was rewarded for showing Academic Excellence for the 2018-2019, having had above a 3.5 GPA for both the Fall and Spring Semester.