Blog 22: Senior Project Reflection

I. Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your Block Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

I was most proud of my second activity. For one part of it, I brought isolation robes for everyone in the room to wear. When I told the audience what they were and that they could wear it, the kind of, relief and cheering some people let out like, "Woah this is cool!" was really exciting to hear.

II. Questions to Consider

1. What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?
• P+
2. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?
• P+

III. What worked for you in your senior project?
Most certainly the information I learned throughout the year. In the beginning, i had focussed on Rabies but quickly changed to Coronary Artery Disease. Specifically for an Internist, who look at multiple systems, it is important to understand how the body works. I have gained a small, but useful base of information regarding the body, and equipment doctors use when doing procedures and tests.

IV. If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?
I would most certainly have memorised the authors of the individual papers I referenced through my presentation. These are the actual doctors and researchers that took the time to find out this information. Knowing what the article about is important, but knowing about the author is equally so.

V. Finding Value
How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.

I most certainly know now that I want to have a career in the medical field. The start of my senior project had me doing mentorship at a hospital and leading to another mentorship with an actual internist. This has allowed me to experience just a small part of the vast amount of information that I should have a grasp on if I'm going to pursue a career in medicine.

I hadn't a clue what I was reading when going through the complicated articles and science papers in the beginning of the year. But slowly and constantly reading through more and more gave me an understanding of the definitions of the medical jargon as well as the procedures. The research checks every few Fridays seemed boring at first, but I got a deep appreciation of them in the long run.

The ESA component for Senior Project and even Model Assembly was really helpful. For a large majority of my academic life, particularly in primary school, using sketchy sources was a common occurrence. But ESA taught us how to find reliable sources and how to find out if the information is so. Sources are important particularly for the medical field. Papers from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information or the Journal of the American Medical Association have a ton of sources on each paper. That is because information is highly valued! These experiences at iPoly have helped me understand this.

Blog 21: Mentorship

Literal
Mentorship Log

Dr. Francisco B. Fuscaldo, MD.
North Broadway Medical Clinic and AEON Medical Equipment & Supplies, Inc.

Interpretive
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

I think the most significant thing I gained from this mentorship experiences was the realisation that information is incredible. It's the common phrase that knowledge is the key, but numerous times I've seen my mentor, nurses (and even fictional characters) use the knowledge that they're acquired over the years into application. But it isn't just coming straight from the book. Their experiences have shaped them into the professionals they are today. That is who I strive to be. I've got to start somewhere and experience isn't easy to come by, so I'll start by getting as much knowledge as I can and working harder than I ever have before.


Applied
How has what you've done helped you to answer your EQ? Please explain.

Some of the equipment I saw (and used) were scalpels and sutures for closing up wounds. The technique for the knot isn't that effective when we're going micro and zooming in on the artery, but the idea is clear: stitch up the arteries that you graft during Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery. There have been a lot of models regarding how balloon angioplasty works–and research for the iSearch Finding 2 (angioplasty) was brilliant. I learned the history of how angioplasty was developed and the hardships that came with it. As for the first answer, I think it was a reality check when i went to urgent care for angina (chest pain). Thankfully it wasn't heart related (I was just overreacting)–It was a skeletomuscular issue. But what made me eventually make it my answer–and best answer was something my mentor once said. "The one thing you have throughout your life is your body." 

Reversal of Vascular Ageing

Article Title: Antioxidant Reverses Vascular Aging In Mice
Info: http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/antioxidant-reverses-vascular-aging-mice

Mice are cool. Rats are cool. Kawaii too. Sometimes rats are cats. Unless they get rabies and die from sick. The article mentions a study published in the The Journal of Physiology where researchers have been able to identify an antioxidant that may be able to reverse some negative effects of ageing on arteries. 

Ageing is the primary risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. Nitric Oxide, a chemical involved in regulating blood flow, is a naturally created in our body. MitoQ, the antioxidant that the researchers have identified is able to increase the amount of Nitric Oxide in the body. MitoQ has been able to reverse the "related vascular endothelial dysfunction" in the arteries of mice. That's why this is so significant.