Walking in today, I was more relaxed and not at all nervous. I came in jamming out to music and had a lot of pep in my step. I have truly started to feel like I belong in this program.
Evolution of an Adult
Today, we had a presentation from the one and only Al Squire. He came to speak to us about what to look for in a college. He said to look for the "C's" (a long list of things starting with C such as culture, curriculum, climate, and community). He also went through what each year of college is going to look like and some of the things that people struggle with. I loved hearing about things that people struggle with that can drop your GPA because it gives me an idea of what I am going to struggle with and things to look out for amongst myself and my friends.
My first day of freshman year, I felt lost and confused. I walked in not knowing anyone and not knowing what to expect from a high school class. It was the first time I received Bs and Cs on tests and I had to learn how to actually study. I started AP classes and learned how to adapt. I expected to feel the same thing going into college, but after this presentation, I realize that it is going to be ten times worse. However, at the same time, Al reassured us that he and all of MedEx would be there for us when it hits. He reassured us that there would always be someone there to help us back on our feet and prepare us for the next steps. While it was scary to hear what would come, it was equally reassuring to hear that I would have people to help me.
Career Lecture: OR
My favorite lecture of the day was from an OR nurse. Working in the OR is something I have been considering for a while; however, my only issue is that I haven't been able to learn a lot about working in the OR. During my junior year, I took a health science class that I absolutely adored. I will continue on in the program for my senior year to receive my CNA and PCT licenses. However, in the program I learned two things: 1. I absolutely love medicine and learning about the human body and 2. I cannot deal with the smell of throw-up. I can deal with all of the gore and strange stuff, but just not weird smells. Throughout the lecture, the speaker reassured us that you can "float" wherever you feel the most comfortable. In the OR, they have cores, so you can work in a core that you are comfortable in. (If you can't deal with bones and amputations, then maybe you can work in a cardiovascular core instead, but you have options). My main concern for a long time has been that I won't have options within the path that I chose, but the OR nurse spoke about the how she went through different departments until she found the one she loved. Not only was this lecture informative about a career path that I have considered, but it was also informative about the choices I have and the freedom/autonomy that I will have as a nurse to do whatever I find I am comfortable with and enjoy.
Career Activity: Laboratory
Near the end of the day, we had a speaker come in to do an activity with us and speak about the jobs available in a laboratory setting. My parents and I love true crime, so it was interesting to hear the true duties of the jobs that people hear a lot about. When I think of a laboratory, I always think back to my seventh-grade PLTW class. In the class, we got to do so many interesting experiments and dissections (such as a sheep brain dissection and a DNA swab experiment). It was one of my favorite classes of all time. It was the class that truly made me fall in love with the idea of the medical field. I remember walking around the "lab room" with our safety goggles and lab coats on, pretending like we actually knew what we were doing. While working a laboratory job can be similar, the speaker showed us just how many different jobs work together in a lab. She also spoke about how lab work is more than just mixing chemicals together and taking samples. It is interpretation, prediction, and observation.
We also had the chance to administer a strep test. We were given a sample and the speaker talked us through everything we needed to do. (Of course the sample they gave me turned out positive, sounds about right). It was eye opening to not only see what goes into a strep test, but also bring what I learned in AP Chem to a real-life situation. My least favorite unit in AP Chem was Indicators of Elements. I felt like there were too many unexplained calculations that we had to do. I am a person who wants to know the why behind every single detail. My AP Chem teacher always got annoyed with me because I would always ask the questions no one knew the answer to (like: how did they manage to find Avogadro's number?). One of the things I never understood were indicators. I wanted to know exactly why they turned a certain color in the presence of a certain chemical or virus. While I still don't know the answer for that, I now know how these indicators are used outside of just my high school chemistry class.
Quote of the Day
"Each day means a new twenty-four hours. Each day means everything's possible again. You live in the moment, you die in the moment, you take it all one day at a time." - Marie Lu, Legend
(Look Mrs. McAlister, I still remember to italicize book titles!)
Final Thoughts
Going home today, I continued to jam out to music with the same pep I had this morning. Coming to MedEx has been an extreme confidence boost for me. I never thought that I could wake up each day feeling confident that I could be myself completely and unapologetically. I don't think I have ever gone somewhere where everyone is so accepting and excited about differences in culture and personality. I hope that I can continue to wake up each day, even after MedEx is over, with the confidence to know that I am proud to be who I am. Today's lectures and activities really came together to apply my thoughts and experiences into future applications and interests. I have lived another amazing day today with a smile on my face. I can't wait for day ten. I give day nine 5 out of 5 stars.
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