Academic Enrichment

Interview with my Pharmacy Department Mentor

During my second year in the Health Science Scholars program, I interviewed my Pharmacy Department Mentor to find out more about undergraduate classes, acceptance into the graduate program, research opportunities, and internships.  I joined the Pharmacy Mentor Program as a freshman in 2015, and was assigned to Andrew La Rosa.   He is currently a PharmD graduate student at The Ohio State University.

 What were some of your hard classes in the program?

One of the hardest classes was Human Physiology with Dr. Bronson.  This class has a test every week and a lot of material covered.  The tests are all multiple choice which may seem easy, but there are “tricks” in each one that make it much more difficult.  Unfortunately, she uses a straight grading scale with no curve.  Several students each semester have to drop out of the class or retake it.

Tell me about your acceptance into the graduate program.

I completed my undergraduate bachelors degree at The Ohio State University in 2014.  The application into the graduate program requires taking the PCAT test and obtaining recommendations from your professors.  You also need a high GPA around 3.5 and they have a separate GPA for your science classes including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus.

Did you have an opportunity to do research?

No, my senior year did not include research as part of my 10 elective credits in the Pharmacy undergraduate program.  You will need to find a teacher working in a particular area that you are generally interested in pursuing.  On of the benefits of being an undergraduate student in the research work is unpaid, so the professors like to have undergraduate students working for them.  Once you become a graduate student, the research is paid.

 Did you have an internship?

Yes, I worked at Walgreens as an undergraduate student.  I would highly recommend it.  Many of my fellow classmates had internships in related fields.  There are many opportunities to work at local pharmacies as a “pharmacy assistant.”   They even have these at some of the larger stores like Walmart.  You need to sign up for the BSPS emails to see what is available.  You should also consider how much time this takes and evaluate how much time you will be studying for classes.

I thanked Andrew La Rossa for the interview and his insights on the Pharmacy Program.  We continue to meet twice each semester to update whats going on in our academic careers and in our lives.

 

Wexner Medical Center (Major Service)

university-hospitalAs a sophomore in the Health Science Scholars program, I applied and was accepted to serve as a volunteer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.  This was a great opportunity to continue my service experience at medical hospitals. I served as a messenger aide, pharmacy aide, and student leadership at the Sharp Hospital for two years during High School.  My initial assignment at the Wexner Medical Center was University Hospital Ambassador.  I received training and complied with background checks, HIPPA review and exam, and necessary flu shot.  My role as a University Hospital Ambassador includes supporting families with guidance and information, providing assistance to visitors with directions and locating patients, and overall support to hospital staff.

I have enjoyed my position during the Autumn 2016 Semester.  During my time assisting families, I frequently  turn down tips for my service, understanding, and kindness (we are not allow to accept tips).  I remember one family struggling to find their father who had recently been admitted to the hospital.  The Wexner Medical Center is quite a large complex and you can get lost fairly easily.  I helped them down hallways, up elevators, and eventually we arrived at the room.  They were so happy they kept insisting they give me a tip for my help.  I let them know this was part of my job as a volunteer and I was happy to help them, but couldn’t accept their tip.  They thanked me again.  I truly enjoy helping others.

During the Spring 2017 Semester, I changed positions to work in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) at the Wexner Medical Center.  These was quite a step up in my position and duties volunteering.  I was responsible for assisting families at the SICU and helping them to visit patients in the restricted area.  This position was interesting to see the affects of seriously ill patients on their family members.

Year in Review

First Year of College

I really enjoyed my first year at The Ohio State University.  My most memorable experience was in my philosophy class, PHIL 2120 Asian Philosophy, when I received an “A” grade on the first test.  Many of my other classes during the first semester were quite difficult and I wasn’t used to receiving any grade lower than a “B.”  When I received my philosophy grade, I knew I could perform at the same level as I did in high school.  It was definitely an adjustment competing with smarter students from all over the country.

An expectation I had about The Ohio State University was that it was large college and it would be hard to adjust from a small high school class.  My opinion has changed after completing one year of college and experiencing smaller groups within the College of Pharmacy, Health Science Scholars, and Park-Stradley Hall.  Each of these groups helped me adjust to college life and make good friends, relate to faculty, and feel connected.

Service

During my first year in the Health Science Scholars program, I volunteered at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center as a camp counselor during winter break.  Initially, I attended training with other volunteers to learn the responsibilities of a camp counselor and review the activities we would be conducting at the Science Center.  The campers were grade school students mostly from fourth through sixth grade that were interested in science and needed a place to stay while their school was closed during the holidays.  Most campers had both parents that worked, so they couldn’t stay home during their school’s holiday break.  I noticed that some children had difficulty leaving their parents in the morning when they were dropped off at camp.  I was expecting that we would be going through the museum and doing hands-on activities.  Instead, we had a separate activity room where we supervised the campers and taught them about science.  This was definitely my most memorable volunteer service experience this year.

Eat

lsMy first semester at OSU turned out to be a great one, yet there were still many new places and activities I hadn’t encountered.  For something new to eat, I went with my floor to BD’s Mongolian Grill downtown.  My RA, Nick, drove us to the downtown area to go get dinner.  I had eaten Chinese food before at Scott, but not Mongolian food which was quite enjoyable.  I chose Mongolian chicken, which reminded of going to P.F. Chang’s back home.

Go

imagesMy parents visited in October 2015 and took my roommate and me to a Columbus Blue Jackets game vs the Toronto Maple Leafs.  We went to the Nationwide Arena District and had to decide where to park.  May father asked if we should use the meter, but it might run out by the time we were done.  I had never been to a hockey game before and it was great to watch them win in overtime. Luckily, the parking spot worked out even though we stayed late because the game went into overtime.

G.O.A.L.S.

[ “G.O.A.L.S.” is a place where students write about how their planned, current, and future activities may fit into the Honors & Scholars G.O.A.L.S.: Global Awareness, Original Inquiry, Academic Enrichment, Leadership Development, and Service Engagement. For more information, go to: http://honors-scholars.osu.edu/e-portfolio. Delete these instructions and add your own post.

Global Awareness: Students cultivate and develop their appreciation for diversity and each individual’s unique differences. For example, consider course work, study abroad, involvement in cultural organizations or activities, etc .
Original Inquiry: Honors & Scholars students understand the research process by engaging in experiences ranging from in-class scholarly endeavors to creative inquiry projects to independent experiences with top researchers across campus and in the global community. For example, consider research, creative productions or performances, advanced course work, etc.
Academic Enrichment: Honors & Scholars students pursue academic excellence through rigorous curricular experiences beyond the university norm both in and out of the classroom.
Leadership Development: Honors & Scholars students develop leadership skills that can be demonstrated in the classroom, in the community, in their co-curricular activities, and in their future roles in society.
Service Engagement: Honors & Scholars students commit to service to the community.]

Do

racqetball-court-1-bigI didn’t go to the RPAC center in my first semester at Ohio State.  I decided to try it out this semester since I had heard it was worthwhile.  Some friends on my floor at Park-Stradley were going to the RPAC center to play racketball so I decided to join them.  I had never played racquetball in my life before.  We played in a mini-tournament competing with other students on my floor.  I went 2-2 and actually found out I was pretty good at racquetball.  Now I play racquetball quite frequently with my friends on the floor.