Summer 2012

Summer 2012 

I had the pleasure of spending six weeks of my summer participating in the Summer Medical Dental Education Program (SMDEP) at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio.  During my time with SMDEP, I got a chance to shadow doctors, take some review courses, work on a public health research project, and listen to a plethora of guest lectures.  Overall I thought the program was a wonderful learning experience.

            Since I do have plans to go to medical school after I graduate from The Ohio State University, my favorite part of the program was shadowing the doctors.  I was particularly interested in observing in the operating room.  Unlike many of the other people in the program I was not nervous at all about being in the operating room.  I found the entire experience to be very fascinating.  I observed a simple surgery, a hernia being removed, and I was constantly asking the doctor questions about everything that was going on.  Spending weeks in the hospital environment allowed me to observe firsthand what it is truly like to be a doctor.  For me, my hospital experiences continued to confirm my desire to become a doctor.

            Additionally, I worked on a group public health research project.  My group focused on the obesity epidemic within America.  We looked into the neuroscience behind what makes people want to eat calorie dense foods and how the foods the government subsides effects eating habits of the country.  We proposed that over-nutrition, which can lead to obesity, should be considered a form of malnutrition.   This was the first research experience I have had thus far and I really enjoyed it.  Due to the positive experience that I had, I am currently looking to do more public health research here at OSU.

            This past summer was the first time in four years that I did something besides work as camp counselor, at a camp near my house.  Although at times I did miss the craziness of the children, I really think I learned a lot over the summer.  The SMDEP allowed me to have some great clinical and research experiences and ultimately aided in both my professional and personal growth.