The Beginning of the Last Week!

Most of our class today consisted of lectures and guest speakers. Our first lecture was on cervical cancer and HPV. We discussed how HPV can lead to cervical cancer and the symptoms that patients usually present with. Our next guest speaker talked about the Affordable Healthcare Act. He created a very interactive lecture; we answered multiple choice questions using clickers which generated a chart of our answers on the screen. I found it interesting to see the different opinions of my classmates. Our last guest speaker before lunch lectured on screening. He talked about how certain factors such as the severity of the disease, the tests, and the treatment have to be considered before deciding whether or not there should be screening.

We arrived late to lunch, so Chiamaka and I had to sit at a table separate from our other friends; we started to reflect on our application process for Vanderbilt, and how we have made it this far.

After lunch, we had two more guest speakers. The first speaker was a public health advocate, and he discussed important health projects that have been implemented in Nashville. The next set of guest speakers talked to us about medical school admission. They talked about the factors admission officers consider when accepting students. I realized that the process is very similar to applying to college. The requirements include letters of recommendation, a high MCAT score, and reasonable grades. Medical schools look for students who are well-rounded; they want students who have had medical exposure and who are leaders in their communities. Before class ended, we had a final lecture on vaccination. I realized that many diseases such as whooping cough are starting to reemerge because many people are campaigning against vaccines.

We had extra free time today because there is no more Arete. Abigail, Shanti, Chiamaka, and I spent most of the time trying to solve Rebus puzzles- which are a great way to challenge one's brain. Today was also our last SOFT night. We first went to Starbucks, and then we walked to Hot and Cold which serves ice-cream. This was my first time going there; unfortunately, I was not able to get anything because I was already full from the Caramel Frappuccino. We also stopped to take creative pictures in front of wall that said, Hillsborough Village.