Sophomore Year Review

This year I have grown more as a professional, student and club member. My second year service project over the summer immersed me in the professional environment of a hospital and I was blessed to learn from extraordinary therapists. These past two semesters, I have learned a lot about the human body and have gotten to take classes in my major as well as complete more prerequisites for graduate school. Fall semester I was able to volunteer with Dodd Rehabilitation Services and learned about how much work it is to maintain a clean and organized hospital environment for patients. This semester, I began observing with The Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Department at Wilce Student Health Center; I have really enjoyed being able to experience a different environment with therapy and getting to know more physical therapists.

This year I took on two small leadership positions in organizations on campus. I was a Commillee Captain in the Boo Radley Society which gave me the ability to aid in the organization and creation of events as well as provided experience in working with a budget. I was a peer mentor for Health Sciences Scholars which allowed me to connect with a first year student that was new to Ohio State. Both of these positions taught me more about coming out of my comfort zone and engaging with people that have other interests than me but have similar goals for the club or future.

For this fall I have arranged research that is related to concussion recovery and Tango dancing with a faculty member of the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. The research will put me out of my comfort zone as I have not participated in serious research before. However, I am eager to learn from my faculty mentor and look forward to working with more diverse populations. I will also begin volunteering with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital physical therapy department or with the DPT student-run clinic in Columbus. Either volunteering opportunity will provide new experiences in PT and with diverse populations. I also participated in the STEP program and plan on attending an international Buck-I-SERV trip to Ghana in order to volunteer with women and children to learn about their health and education in Winter 2019. I have applied to be an Anatomy 3300 TA which will help me thoroughly learn the human body and provide a new leadership opportunity–fingers crossed! 🙂

All in all, I am thankful for the opportunities that OSU has provided for me and I look forward to growth in knowledge, empathy, diversity and leadership in the coming semesters!

Original Inquiry

I am a member of Buckeye Flutes, a flute choir for non-music major students. At the end of every semester we perform a concert of the music we prepared during class. Last semester we performed Christmas music and other various pieces in the Union. I always learn a lot about kindness from other people stopping and listening to us as they walk by and go about their day. Music is a very important part of who I am and is important to many other people as well. At the end of this semester we will perform on the oval, weather permitting. So, come by and enjoy a nice performance of flute music!

Second Year Service Project

For the second year service project I volunteered with Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital as a Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Volunteer. I went into the hospital once a week for around eight to nine hours. I assembled standard and geriatric walkers, helped set up the bathroom appliances in the new wing of the hospital, assembled patient information packets, cleaned the therapy office and assisted therapists in various activities. I learned a lot from all of the therapists and patient interactions and fell in love with Acute Care. I completed over 80 hours of service with the hospital over the summer of 2018 and completed around 20 in December. This experience immersed me into the field of physical therapy and solidified my interest and passion for the field. Attached are some images of the assembles walkers and labels as well as the patient packets.

Service

Fall and spring semester I was a University Ambassador for The Wexner Medical Center. I assisted patients to their destinations within the hospital. I volunteered two hours a week and enjoyed every hour! I learned my way around the hospital and learned how to assist patients with wheelchair needs. I am looking forward to volunteering there again this fall.

Academic Enrichment: HSS Mentor Interview

My peer mentor is majoring in Health Sciences and is planning on applying to graduate school to receive her doctorate of physical therapy. She became interested in physical therapy because her father went through it when she was in middle school. She tagged along and instantly fell in love with the profession and began volunteering at a hospital near home. She suggested observing physical therapists not only in different areas of expertise but also in several different types of regions such as urban or suburban to ensure that the experience is diverse. She also suggested to observe one main physical therapist to build a strong relationship as well as observing some other physical therapists in different areas to get a wide variety of experience.

The hardest part of her undergraduate experience was completing the science prerequisites for graduate school, she had trouble completing these in a timely manner. However, she loved her major classes and enjoyed the diversity of online and in-person lectures. She did comment on the difficulty of obtaining letters of recommendation from professors because the majority of classes were online. However, if we are conducting research, the supervising professor would be appropriate to request a letter of recommendation from.

Lastly, she plans on taking the GRE exam May of this year–her junior year. She bought physical flashcards for vocabulary which are portable and easy to study at any time. She also bought several books and will study more intensely through the month of May after exams are over. She did agree that taking the GRE earlier or at a better time where the course work is light would be the best option for completing it. The GRE  exam should be taken only once, so a lot of preparation and effort should be taken in preparing.

This interview helped confirm what I have learned from the Pre-Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Club about when to take the GRE as well as when to take prerequisite courses. I feel like I am in a good position in the amount of courses that I am taking as well as my plans to observe physical therapists with different areas of expertise this summer. This interview was very helpful!

About Me

My name is Karlen Rolsen! My favorite season is fall which is why I posted a picture of me in autumn. 🙂  I am from Hudson, Ohio. I love playing with my two standard poodles–Teddie and Tobi–and cuddling with my two cats–Terry and Tabitha. If I’m not with my family or pets I’m either with friends, working on class work, playing flute or volunteering in my local community. I learned that through service, one can connect with people that do not make regular appearances in one’s life. I will be a freshman at the Ohio State University this August. I am a band “nerd” so being in the Ohio State University marching band was my dream since I was a child. Notice the word was. To my dismay, I learned that only brass instruments are in the band, but I will be a member of Buckeye Flutes which is a flute choir. Close enough, right? I am a Health Sciences Scholar and I will be majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in music to satisfy my inner band nerd. I hope to become a physical therapist to help musicians like me who may suffer from the physical strain instruments have on the body. I am extremely hard working, passionate and determined to help others. I am excited to experience every wonderful opportunity that the Ohio State University has to offer.

Freshman Year Review

The start of fall semester in 2017 was a little rough. I was homesick, away from all of my friends and just getting used to taking college courses. I had a rough time adjusting and now as I look back on my state last semester, I’m glad that I have come this far. I am much happier this semester than I was last semester. I focused on grades only and was minimally involved in my clubs. However, this semester I feel like I have really gotten to a good place in balancing classes and clubs. I feel like I have found good friends and I am not as stressed out from Chemistry as I was last semester. I started participating in clubs more and found a place that I feel like I can completely be my self–The Boo Radley Society! I am surrounded by wonderful people who are positive that I get to volunteer my time with to do enriching, fun and rewarding random acts of kindness with. I have grown a lot in my flute playing and am enjoying Buckeye Flutes more now that I know more people in it! Overall, I have improved greatly this semester.

If I had to give advice to freshmen it would be to relax! The first semester can be easy for some or tough for some others like me. I wish that I would have realized how fun OSU was last semester because I may have enjoyed it more. Instead, I stressed myself out way too much over Chemistry when it ended up being better than okay! I would also suggest for them to try and find a club that they’re really interested in and that they’re happy in. Being surrounded by a support system of friends makes going through homesickness and tough classes so much better. I would also say to never put something off for later. I am not one to procrastinate, but most of my friends are. Waiting to work on lab reports or term papers or studying for tests leaves a looming, stressful cloud hanging over your head that you can’t help but be stressed about. Jumping on assignments early and completing small portions at a time will make you feel so much better.