Is anyone else eternally grateful for the wellness weekends built into this semester? Last week was particularly tough, and I for one was ready for a break. With many of us having midterms (chemistry for me), Thursday and Friday were much needed days of rest. Our only English class this past week was, to me, a brief intermission to what was a very strenuous few days of studying.
The second Unit Project of this course definitely peaked my interest. Injustice in the medical field is a subject that I am very passionate about; needless to say, I was eager to jump right in. I had decided that my conference presentation would focus on the differences in pain treatment between whites and racial minorities. Last week, we reviewed our Feeder 2.1 annotated bibliographies and learned how to fine tune our research question and primary research into a concise abstract. I find the abstract to be one of the most important aspects of any presentation, paper, or proposal. Mr. B made the importance of a strong abstract even more clear by posing us this simple question: how many of you actually read through every paper you found in your research?
Unsurprisingly, I had decided whether or not I would be using a source in my project solely by looking at the abstract. As a student hoping to have a career in the medical field, preparing a conference presentation with a compelling and informative abstract might just be an essential skill to develop. After we brainstormed ideas on writing concisely, some of the key points I learned in writing an abstract were to focus on the big ideas, highlight the sources you analyzed, and make clear the unique perspective that you bring to the table. Looking back on this class, I can say that I am glad to have learned valuable information on how to strengthen my proposal, as well as my final unit project. All good things must come to an end, however, and following the conclusion of Tuesday’s class, I knew I had a long night ahead of me.
Studying for my Chem 102 midterm was quite the painful process, but a necessary one. As some of you may know, this exam was difficult to say the least. It was a healthy reminder that resilience and a growth mindset will lead to success in the long run. Like many of us chemistry students, I am just hoping to make it out in one piece so I can get to Medical school and pursue some of these injustices that we are researching in this class. Following my exam on Wednesday evening, I packed my bags and headed home for the long weekend.
After being away from school for a few days, I realized how frequently injustice in the medical field carries over into the real world, especially with the pandemic still at large. Despite having plenty of downtime, my brain was still very much occupied by my injustice of choice, and its effects on those around me. I spent some time reflecting on my experience with the medical industry, and how that may compare to my peers, specifically my suitemates and their families. I plan to ask each of my two suitemates, one being black and the other Latino, how their experiences have been, in the hopes of gaining a new perspective on the topic. It’s safe to say that after our long weekend, I feel rested, rejuvenated, and ready to jump back into my research with a new sense of purpose.
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