Author: wallace.965

Capstone Introduction, Planning, and Methodology

For my STEM EE Scholars Second-Year Capstone, I have decided to get involved in undergraduate research. I have been interested in getting involved in research since coming to Ohio State, and this project provided the perfect opportunity to do so. As a pre-med student, it is to my advantage to begin undergraduate research as soon as possible. After many emails to many different professors, I chose to work in a lab studying the effects of green tea on intestinal health. There have been some articles published by various health websites regarding this, but there has been very little concrete research, and some examples can be found at the end of this post.

Since my schedule is already busy as it is, I somewhat struggled to work this into my weekly schedule. However, everything ended up working out and I will work at the lab every Tuesday morning during fall semester. For spring semester, I will reassess my availability at the beginning of spring semester and work research into my schedule once again. I plan to be involved in research for the duration of this year, and I would consider doing it next year as well.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/digestive-health/can-green-tea-help-digestion.aspx

https://www.groundgreentea.com/green-tea-and-gut-health/

Year in Review

This year consisted of a lot of changes for me. First of all, I lived away from my family for the first time ever, which is a huge change. Luckily, I adapted quickly and was very happy to finally have my independence. I met so many new people, many of them are now some of my closest friends. I was a member of the STEM EE Scholars program, and I was elected to be the executive co-chair of the program for the upcoming year. I also had the opportunity to volunteer at the Wexner Medical Center. I was responsible for helping patients and visitors find their way around the hospital while making them feel as comfortable as possible. Next year, I hope to get involved with undergraduate research. I am really looking forward to next year!

The Vaccine Debate – Current Event

In recent years, there has been a lot of online debate regarding whether or not vaccines are safe. A study published in 1998 by British Dr. Andrew Wakefield claimed that there was a link between vaccines and autism, but upon further investigation, his paper was found fraudulent due to falsified data and alleged abuse against the people he studied. After these findings were made, the paper was revoked, and Wakefield lost his medical license in 2010. However, there were still people who read his paper after it was revoked. These people began to think that vaccines caused autism and hurt people more than help people. They took to the internet to spread their beliefs, and received backlash almost immediately. The anti-vax movement has caused many diseases that had been eliminated already to resurface, causing nationwide health concerns that would not have been an issue if people vaccinated their children against these diseases.

In my opinion, I think people should be required to vaccinate their children. There are very few risks, and it benefits the health of the public by preventing major deadly diseases, such as measles, from coming back. However, it would not be easy to create a vaccine requirement. Many different factors, such as religious exemptions and basic autonomy, would need to be considered.

Buckeyethon

Back in February, I had the opportunity to participate in Buckeyethon, Ohio State’s 24 hour dance marathon benefitting cancer research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. I started my journey in November when I began to fundraise for the cause. I knew I had to raise at least $250 to participate in the dance marathon, but I made it a goal to surpass that amount. I started by posting on social media about the dance marathon, and people began donating almost immediately. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support the cause received, but I still had more work to do. I posted a fundraising bingo board on my Instagram account in order to encourage my friends to donate a few dollars. This worked really well, and I ended up raising around $50 from that alone, which was enough to get me to the $250 mark and allow me to participate in the dance marathon. The day of the dance marathon finally came, and my friends and I participated in the night shift from 7pm to 7am. During the dance marathon, I continued to fundraise and I ended up raising a total of $453, nearly double the amount required. Buckeyethon was definitely one of my favorite memories from this year, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

 

Personal Development

Coming to Ohio State was a big change that allowed me to explore new interests and learn more about myself. When I started classes, I didn’t think I would have any interest in working in an undergraduate research lab. However, after doing the STEM EE scholars interview project, I became more interested in research. I talked to a professor who was doing research on a cure for HIV, and I found it very interesting. This made me realize that I don’t have to only focus on medical school. I can explore other things outside of medicine and find new areas of interest. After discovering my interest in research, I looked online found out about Ohio State’s combined MD/PhD program. This combined professional and graduate program would allow me to become a practicing medical doctor while also pursuing cutting-edge medical and environmental research. I originally had no intention of pursuing a PhD, but my experience interview professors changed my opinion. I still have a very strong interest in medicine, so while I will pursue research, I will primarily focus on medicine. I know I won’t be attending graduate school for a while, so for now, I am seeking undergraduate research opportunities. I have been looking at the Ohio State undergraduate research website to see what professors are looking for students to work in their labs. I plan to reach out to these professors in the near future to see if I can secure a spot in their lab for next semester or next year.

Alpha Epsilon Delta

When I first arrived at Ohio State, I knew I wanted to get involved in some sort of pre-med club. I was looking for one at the involvement fair and found Alpha Epsilon Delta, a nationally-recognized pre-professional health honor society. This club allows students to network with professionals in the health fields, find research and volunteer opportunities, and meet other pre-health students. I enjoy going to meetings and listening to what doctors or current medical students have to say about the health industry. I am looking forward to becoming more involved with the club in the future. I hope to volunteer at Physicians Free Clinic once I complete my training. The club also provides upperclassmen mentors to all the freshmen. I enjoy having a person that I know I can go to for advice.

STEM Outreach

Image result for stemOne of the clubs I have joined since being at OSU is STEM Outreach. STEM Outreach is an organization that travels to area schools and libraries to get kids interested in STEM fields. I was recently able to volunteer with the organization at the Parsons branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. I spent about an hour there helping teach a group of kids how to build there own flashlight using nothing but a box, an LED, a battery, a paperclip, a few wires, and some tape. At first, the kids were not very interested in the STEM aspects of the project, but as they were building, they became more and more curious about how the circuits worked. It was so much fun to see how excited the kids were about the flashlights they had made. They were eager to show them to their friends and explain how they worked. I am looking forward to volunteering with them again!

About Me

Hello! My name is Molly Wallace and I am currently a freshman at The Ohio State University. I’m from Loveland, Ohio, which is a suburb of Cincinnati, and I’m majoring in biochemistry on a pre-med track.  I have always been interested in science In my free time, I love being outside, spending time with my friends, and going to concerts. I became interested in medicine in high school after having to shadow a doctor for my anatomy and physiology class.

Although I’m certain that I want to go into the medical field, I’m not sure what I want to specialize in yet. Next semester, I hope to volunteer at the Wexner Medical Center to gain exposure to different specialties.

In addition to science, I am also passionate about music. In high school, I was involved in show choir and theater, and I believe these two things helped shape me into the person I am today. I became involved in show choir in eighth grade, and it changed my life. I went from being the shy girl who was afraid to talk to anyone to being president of the group my senior year.

As a student here, I want to be as involved at possible. I have attended meetings for many different clubs, and I found a few that I’m really interested in. STEM Outreach is a service program that brings OSU students to local schools to teach children about STEM concepts through projects and experiments. It would allow me to work with kids while performing community service. I was also accepted into the First Year Leadership Initiative, and I look forward to becoming involved in that.

Year in Review

[ “Year in Review”  is where you should reflect on the past year and show how you have evolved as a person and as a student.  You may want to focus on your growth in a particular area (as a leader, scholar, researcher, etc.) or you may want to talk about your overall experience over the past year.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]