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Year in Review
This school year so far has been a time of exploration and acclimation to life in college. Although I attended classes here at Ohio State as a senior in high school, there are still adjustments to be made as a full-time student living on campus.
I am currently taking the introductory course for the neuroscience major, and find the material to be very interesting, especially given its connections with my own medical history. I have also learned what is required to be a competitive applicant to medical school, and have started to plan the rest of my college career accordingly.
Outside of the classroom, I have become involved with the Ohio State Table Tennis Team in addition to training to represent the United States in the Pan American Games in Costa Rica in late November. Additionally, I finished work on Everyone Can and have begun preparing for the first school visits, which will start later this month.
Next semester I plan on volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Columbus as well as beginning my research project studying the genetics of Campomelic Dysplasia.
G.O.A.L.S.
Global Awareness: I will be taking coursework, including Spanish 1155 and African American Studies 4557, which will provide exposure to other cultures and their history in the classroom. Outside of the classroom, I will be frequently traveling internationally to table tennis tournaments, which will provide an opportunity to meet people from other cultures and get to know their countries. Additionally, I hope to do a service trip abroad sometime during my undergraduate career.
Original Inquiry: I plan on completing an undergraduate Honors Thesis, studying the genes contributing to the neurological phenotypes in Campomelic Dysplasia, a rare type of skeletal dysplasia. This project will require interaction with top experts in the field of skeletal dysplasia. Additionally, I will be completing upper-level coursework including Neuroscience 7500 (from the College of Medicine), which will give me the opportunity to study material at a more in-depth level.
Academic Enrichment: when contracting the academic plan, I chose a rigorous course of study, with many upper-level GE courses as well as the courses necessary for a Neuroscience major and the pre-requisites for medical school. I chose to major in neuroscience due to my initial interest in the field, which stems from my personal experience as a patient. Also, I knew that neuroscience would provide a challenging curriculum and good preparation for medical school.
Leadership Development: I currently am the director of the Ping Pong Guys, a group that does motivational school visits centered around the themes of my book, Everyone Can. I am responsible for coordinating the visits and serve as the main speaker at the schools. Additionally, I hope to become involved in Nu Rho Psi (a leadership based Neuroscience Honor Society) in future years.
Service Engagement: currently, I volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House of Columbus, where I will assist in cleaning rooms to prepare them for families. Also, I plan on becoming a volunteer at Riverside Methodist Hospital in the future. Additionally, I hope to take a service-based trip abroad at some point during my college career.
Career
[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career. Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]
Artifacts
This month, my first book, entitled Everyone Can, was published. The book chronicles my journey of overcoming medical obstacles to achieve in school as well as compete as an athlete on the international stage. The main message of the book is something that my parents instilled in me and I sincerely believe-everyone can do something with the potential they are given, whether it may be in academics, athletics, or the arts, and they should work hard to follow their dreams. I will be doing motivational school visits centered around this book, which will be an exciting and educational experience.
About Me
My name is Edward (“Andrew”) Schneider and I am from Dublin, Ohio. I am in the Honors Neuroscience program at the Ohio State University, on the pre-medical track. I was born with a rare type of dwarfism, which has required many surgeries and a lot of time spent around the medical profession, which sparked my interest in a career in medicine.
As an undergraduate I plan to complete research into the genetic causes of the neurological pathologies in Campomelic Dysplasia, which is the skeletal dysplasia with which I was diagnosed. I am also considering pursuing my passion for politics with a minor in Political Science. After undergraduate and medical school, I plan to become a practicing physician, although I am not sure of a specialty yet. Some specialties I have considered are neurology, genetics, and anesthesia.
Outside of school my biggest passion is table tennis. I competed at the local and regional level for many years before coming to Ohio State. My senior year of high school, I learned about the opportunity of the USA National Paralympic Table Tennis Team, through which I have gotten to compete internationally. I hope to eventually qualify to represent the United States in the Paralympics. In addition to table tennis, I have always considered community service to be important. I plan to continue my involvement in the community throughout college.