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Samantha Xavier
Day 16- July 31st, 2017
This morning started off with lots of research for our "Cradle to Grave" projects. We had to make sure that we had all the information that we wanted to present along with setting up our model. It was pretty difficult to put clay organs into our tape model, since also it wouldn't hold too well, so we decided that we would just lay them on the table when it comes time to present. We are getting pretty nervous to present but we know we'll do great.
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After we did research, Dr.Epright, a professor on medical ethics, came to speak to us about ethics and how ethics is handled in a medical situation. Many times siblings fight over how to handle their loved ones and they all have different opinions. Dr. Epright would handle the situation by getting them all together and talking it through. I never thought that we job ever existed but it does. It was really interesting to hear about how she feels about many situations. Right as she started speaking, she started out asking us questions. I love when speakers engage in conversation rather than powerpoint presentations. She asked us how we define ethics, a word that we use at least once a month. Yet, no one came to an answer straight away. After talking about her career and the various places she teaches, including Furman University, she gave us an example of a case that heavily involves medical ethics. The case discussed a woman in 1993 who gave birth to conjoined twins with severe deformities; the twins had little to no chances of surviving, but the parents still chose to have a surgery causing one of the twins to die. Dr. Epright put us in groups where we discussed our opinions on the case and how we would approach it. Our group came to a decision which was not to of had the surgery at all. Although this may seem harsh, we had factors that led us to our decision. For one, it was medically futile, one of the twins was sacrificed to save the other, and the money and time invested in this futile case could have been invested elsewhere such as cases where there were higher survival rates. It was definitely odd talking about money at first, since money really can't compare with ones life, however as we talked more about it, more lives could have been saved and at the end of the day, money is a huge factor. Each group shared how they felt and what led them to their decision. Before we knew it, after a long few hours discussing, it was lunch time!
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Towards the end of the day, Christine told us that we will be going over to the hospital to hand out flowers to everyone for mental health awareness. Since we had so many of us, we split into 2 groups. I was group 2. When group 1 came back, they told us to not even worry about our balloons. We were a bit confused since we spent lots of time on it. They later told us that the security guards poped all of the balloons that they made since we were not 18 or older. This hurt because they did it right in-front of them and they also did it with a smile. I was always taught to kill them with kindness so me and Sammy Mosher took a flower to them and told them to have a wonderful day. Now, that felt good. We also handed flowers to patients coming out of the hospital, their family members or children that they had with them. They were all so happy to receive something as simple as a flower. Acts of kindness can go such a long way, especially when you don't know what anyone is going through. I loved making people happy today.
Day 17- August 1st, 2017
We started the morning off with a lecture by Dr. David Cull, a vascular surgeon. Dr. Cull explained to us that he didn't have the highest MCAT score and also didn't do very well in High School. However, look at him now. He's a doctor! He route to become a surgeon was not the easiest. Dr. Cull said that he didn't exactly try in college either. When he applied into Med School his first time, he did not get in. However, that did not stop him from trying again. Dr. Cull got into Med School his second time and eventually made his way to become a vascular surgeon.
His story was very inspirational to hear. Although he had a tough time to get where he is, he continued to work hard to pursue his dream career. As high schoolers, we love to hear stories such as his. We want to know that even if we make a few mistakes along the way, we can still be successful. Today, that is what Dr. David Cull told us.
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After lunch, we had another speaker come in. we listened to Dr. Benjamin Griffeth, a energetic psychiatrist. He spent just a few minutes introducing himself and then used the remaining 45 minutes to let us ask questions. I absolutely loved Dr. Griffeth's energy and his willingness to answer any questions and provide his most honest and valuable opinions. His introduction was definitely different from anything that we have heard. His humor really captivated the entire room and got all of our attentions. He talked to us about his career and how awesome it is. He really talked use into it. He talked to us about his path to medicine, the various patients he sees, the best and worst parts of his jobs, his and even his views on other specialties in medicine. We got to a point where we said a profession different from his, and he would tell us his honest opinion like "they don't get paid enough" or "why would you want to do that when you can be a psychiatrist?" I really enjoyed Dr. Griffeth's presentation. I also really loved how talkative he was, he always asked us questions and always wanted us to ask questions.
After listening to Dr. Griffeth, we did some last minute touch ups to our presentations. Our group actually had to make a quick trip to Walmart to buy our poster board along with a few decorations. We cut out our information and backed it with some colorful paper-stock, and then glued that to the science fair board.
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We cleaned up our mess after finishing up working on our project. After that Harrison and Christine wanted to make sure that we all had our orders in for Mellow Mushroom tomorrow. I am sad that tomorrow will be our last Hump day Hangout. They were always so fun and its hard to believe that we have just one more of them left. Well, we made a reservation for about 50 so that should be fun!
Day 18- August 2nd, 2017
Today started off a little differently as we all walked outside to play a game called Step by Step. I did something very similar to this at Leadership Converse. We had to hold each others hand and take a step up (and break hands) when the sentence applies to you. For example, one of the phrases was "If you afraid at night, step forward." Going into this, Harrison told us to take this seriously, especially since it affected him a lot. So, we did. One of the prompts was "If you ever feel like your parents are too busy to spend time with you," and I had never really thought about the fact that some parents never spend time with their children. I had always just assumed that all parents make time for their children regardless of how busy their schedules are. There are many things that I take for granted sometimes and I never realize it. This activity brought attention to how much people go though each and every day. I am very grateful that I am right handed. I am grateful that my parents have time to spend with me. I am grateful that I am always encouraged to be what I want to be. I am grateful.
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Afterwards, we joined Tier 3 for a Q and A session with Dr. Catalana, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at MUSC SOMG. Dr. Catalana was very welcoming and genuine, and I realized that many of the students and faculty members at MUSC SOMG are all like that. Dr. Catalana was very willing to answer all of our questions and gave very honest, clear answers. Many Tier 3 students asked questions concerning Med School and their personal life. I was so appreciative for this opportunity. This is not something that everyone is able to get. Today, we were able to get an insight to how the admission board looks at applications into Med School. I learned some great tips from Dr. Catalana about applications, what to do in undergrad, and the process of a medical school interview, and everyone in the room was attentive and excited to learn all about medical school. That was a time well spent!
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After lunch, we started setting up for our "Cradle to Grave" presentations. Jenna did a good job assigning age groups to the appropriate area in the room. As soon as noon hit, we were ready to began. Our first batch of students came around to our table. I started by introducing our age group, and told them a little bit about life hurdles around the age of 65+. For example, many folks retire around that age, causing financial burdens to kick in. Along with health care and medicine, these financial struggles can really, well, cause a struggle. Once our third group came by, my group got the jist of it. At first, I was pretty nervous but I really enjoyed the science fair set up. The focus was not all on us at once! These presentations went on until 5, so we were all pretty tired. We were also really excited to head down to Mellow Mushroom to celebrate our last Hump-day Hangout!
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Day 19- August 3rd, 2017
Wow. Today is the last day of MedEx, and boy is this a sappy day. We started the morning off with Brenda Timms, who asked us for our feedback about the program. Obviusly, we had nothing but good to say. We told her how much we appreciated everything scheduled for us such as meeting with the Dean of Admissions to the Med School, going to CVT training, and presenting in front of doctors. Every moment in MedEx was a time well spent. On the first day, I wrote about me knowing that this would be a life changing experience. I was not wrong. Then, we handed in ourbrown coats that we all grew to love and our badges and then headed to the hospital cafeteria for our final lunch together.
After lunch we headed to Menchies to celebrate Michael's birthday. For my MedEx family, Menchies is the place to be to celebrate birthdays! We all talked, laughed, and even had a few sad moments. But it was amazing.
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After Menchies we headed over to Hopes house to get ready for graduation. It was so very kind of her to open her house to us. We got ready while I also did many peoples makeup... I even got to do Christine's. Next stop: Furman for graduation.
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At this point in my blog, I'm balling my eyes out. Although this was a very proud moment in all of our lives, I was ridiculously sad to leave everyone. I grew such a tremendous bond and connection with every single person in my tier, and to leave them was very hard. I honestly did not think I would become that close to that many people. However, I was wrong. I have never felt this close, open, and connected to a group of people in my entire life. I find it remarkable that I can feel so comfortable in front of a group of people within a month. Being the only person from Dorman, I was scared to not know anyone. They changed my fear on the very first day. I honestly cannot put the love that I have for these people into words. They are all so thoughtful, caring, loving, and remarkable people. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to meet them. I truly consider them my family, and I wouldn't ask for anyone else. These people will forever be in my heart.
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Secondly, MedEx has given me an opportunity of a lifetime. Through MedEx, I gained an experience through simulations, lectures, presentations, and tours. I have never experienced something this astonishing. It opened my eyes to an entire field of healthcare that I never even considered. MedEx helped me to understand my passions, along with eliminating the careers that I am not so interested in. We listened to a wide spectrum of employees from all different areas of healthcare, and for the first time, I received the opportunity to rule out careers in healthcare and begin to understand the kind of job in healthcare that I want. Each and every speaker brought something new to the table. Who knew that that many careers existed! Compared to the first day, I have learned so much about myself, my peers, and the healthcare field. Because of MedEx, I am CPR certified. Because of MedEx, I am able to identify suicidal thoughts or actions. Because of MedEx, I have found my passions. Because of MedEx, I gained a family.
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Our lovely interns made my MedEx Experience such a wonderful one. They are so full with love and kindness, and I'm very glad that I was able to have them to guide me. Harrison and Christine's invested so much time and effort into us. I know that they will do great things in life no matter which path they decide to take. I wish them both nothing but the best in their future. I genuinely love and appreciate them.
Lastly, I would love to thank Mr. Squire for giving not only myself, but many other students an opportunity of a life time. This program opened my eyes, and shaped me. It led me to understand and appreciate. So, uncle Al, I thank you with all my heart. It was an amazing month. I will always be thankful.
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It is not a program, it's a relationship.
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