Day two I was a bit more confident and a lot more stylish. My girls from G5-G6 were having a field day over my outfit choice and it made me feel a lot more confident (minus the giant blisters on the bottom of my feet from the heels). I felt that I had a slightly larger idea of what MedEx would be like, but I was still nervous. At least this time I knew where to go.
Meeting Al
We started off the day by meeting our wonderful founder Mr. Al Squire. He spoke to us about how and why he founded MedEx and spoke of the wonderful opportunities ahead of us. He also spoke of the other tiers. He told us that every single MedEx Tier IV nurse was going to get offered a job by the end of the tier (before they have even graduated college!). It really reassured my passion for nursing. I was a bit nervous because I am the only person that I know of in tier I this year that wants to do nursing. While I may not remember every single detail of his presentation, one thing I will never forget it this:
"A setback is the setup for a comeback" - Al Squire
I'm not sure exactly why, but this quote gave me chills. I feel as though it just resonated with something inside me, and I hope then when I struggle, I will think of these wise words.
Tour of University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
After some research time, we went on to tour USCOMG. It was even more beautiful than Clemson School of Nursing. I never realized that I could appreciate modern architecture so much, but that is a story for a different time. We started off by passing through all of the training areas and practice exam rooms. We go to go inside of classrooms and see the wonderful study spaces. (There were a ton of stairs.)
Near the end of the tour, our guide took us to the lecture hall. I loved the lecture hall with more passion than I thought I could. I thought that each and every detail just worked perfectly, and I wanted to sit down in one of the chairs and just take notes or do my chemistry homework. We spoke with our guide for a while, and I learned that it doesn't really matter what your major is or whether or not you take some time off of school, you can still get into medical school. When I heard that, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I know that I want to start off in nursing because I am not sure if I will be able to afford to go to medical school or if I will even get in. I want to have a backup that I can make a good living on (just in case). However, I always feared that medical schools wouldn't want nursing students or that it would be harder for a nurse to become a doctor, but it sounds like I will be just fine.
Icebreakers
We then went on to do another icebreaker before lunch. Our interns had us do "speed dating". Our interns would ask a question and you and your "date" would have to answer it in one minute. It was pretty fun, especially when they asked about a dance move you're secretly good at. (I'm always looking for an opportunity to step in public and I even got to show up one of our interns, Austin.)
Therapy 360
After lunch we had three women from Therapy 360 come to lecture (A Pediatric Physical Therapist, an Occupational Therapist, and a Speech Pathologist). I learned some interesting things about each specialty.
Pediatric Physical Therapy: deals with developmental delays, sports injuries, autism, etc.
Occupational Therapy: deals with activities of daily living
Speech Pathologist: deals with stutters, speaking disorders, swallowing, language, late talkers, autism, etc.
I also learned what DME's (Durable Medical Equipment) are and what they do. DME's are things such as wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, etc. They are used to help people live their lives to the best of their ability. The PT spoke about how she adapts things like playing sports to make a child who uses a DME feel included and able to live out their childhood. They also talked about opportunities to volunteer within their company which I hope to look deeper into.
BirthMatters
We also, had a lecture from a doula from BirthMatters. She talked a lot about infant mortality and how a doula can help reduce the likelihood of infant mortality. She showed a lot of statistics that were eye opening, especially as a person who may have a high-risk pregnancy. She talked mostly about African American statistical risks; however, with type 1 I know that I am at a high risk of having complications. While I may not want to be a doula or have one for my birth, the information she gave us was extremely helpful and informative past just education about doulas. I was very appreciative of the lecture, and I gained a lot of new knowledge that I had never considered as a result of the lecture.
You Can't Dream Your Way Into College
I truly believe that this was the most informative lecture for me because I have felt very lost about my college applications and journey. We talked about finding the right path for you and we set up our College App accounts. We also looked at deadlines for early application at the schools we were interested in. I created a Google Sheet with the college, application deadline, application requirements, and application cost. I had a lot of sticker shock at the price of college applications. I know my parents and I are not made of money, but it seems colleges think otherwise. It was reassuring to know, however, that I was not the only one experiencing this sensation. It is absurd to pay $80 to a school that a may or may not get in and one that is truly one of backup schools. However, in the process of finding the application information, I also found admissions counselors to speak with about my confusion with the process of a bachelor's in nursing. I hope that we will continue to gain more information about college life, applications, scholarships, etc. so that I can have even more confidence going into my senior year of high (Go Mustangs!).
Quote of the Day
"Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book" - John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
Final Thoughts
Today was the same but different in its own right, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite part of the day was probably asking questions in the lecture hall; however, I think that the most important thing for me was the college lecture. I can't wait for day three. I give day two 5 out 5 stars.
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