Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement
What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

Being able to retain so much knowledge and sharing that with my peers is what I am most proud of in my 2-Hour presentation. I am proud of this because it shows the hard work and dedication that I have put in order to have a successful senior project and senior year.  I am really happy that I was able to remember all the information that I had to give during my 2-Hour presentation because I hardly looked at my notecards which I thought was going to be a problem for me.  For example, I have managed to remember all the dosages and purposes of the medications that are given to women who are going through preterm labor which is something that only obstetricians, registered nurses, or medical students only know. 

(2) Questions to Consider

A. What assessment would you give yourself on your 2-Hour Presentation (self-assessment)?

  The assessment that I would give myself would be a P. The reason on why I would give myself a P is because although I was strong in the information that I presented on, I felt that I could have done a little bit more. Perhaps by not saying "um" as much would change my perspective on the grade that I would give myself for my 2-Hour Presentation. 

B. What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

The assessment that I would give myself for on my overall senior project is an AE. I feel that I deserve this grade because I believe that I have worked harder than my peers to fully educate myself on Obstetrics and Gynecology. Although there was no possible way to learn all there is to know about Obstetrics and Gynecology in 9 months, I believe that I have strived to know so much more about my topic than my peers which shows through the interviews that I have conducted and as well as my research binder. 

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

The component that has worked for me in my senior project has been research checks. I think that this was very vital to the senior project because I had the opportunity to into more depth with my topic. I would take advantage of all the research checks that we had in class because I knew that I wasn't going to have time with the other duties that I had to do such as ASB, mentorship, or my college class.  Although most of the time I didn't end up finishing my research checks at the end of the block, I still managed to learn more about certain topics such as gynecological cancers or premature birth. 


(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would have you done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

Something that I would have done differently to improve my senior project is to look for more opportunities where I could see more examples of a doctor and patient interaction. I would have really liked to see these types of consultations because it is very interesting and also very useful for my 2-Hour presentation and when I leave I-Poly.  Although, I volunteer at an amazing hospital, I would have liked to have more interactions with doctors because I would have been fascinated to learn more about why they got interested in medicine or why they still like practicing medicine instead of changing careers. 


(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors? Be specific and use examples.
My senior project has helped me in my future endeavors by providing me with the skills necessary to be an effective researcher. I feel and have seen that my researching skills have matured since the commencement of senior project. When senior project started, I felt that I would just do a simple google search and I was done, however as the senior project progressed, I upped my game and I was able to acquire research for this project from several refutable sources such as the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology or the Centers for Disease Control. Learning how to effectively acquire good research will help when I go to college in a couple of months because since I will be majoring in biochemistry, I need to have good researching skills in order to complete assignments for school or an internship.  In the long run, this project has helped me in my future endeavors because I am confident in pursing a career in the medical field whether I get to be a doctor which is my dream job or a physician's assistant, I know that I am really interested in pursing this career option. Also this project gave me a glimpse of what to expect in a medical environment. I know that this might be happening 10 years from now but I think that its important to get a glimpse of what you want to do with your life so that you fully commit yourself to it, especially if its medicine because it is a time consuming career. 

Mentorship

Literal

• Service Learning Log
• Contact Name and Number: Leila Chong, (626) 856-5156

Interpretive
What is the most important thing that you have gained from this experience? Why?

• The most important thing that I have gained from my mentorship experience is that I got to see firsthand how a medical team works. I feel that this is important because it has prepared me for the future. Although I am thinking way ahead of myself, I believe that now that I have got the opportunity to experience the environment of a hospital and how medical teams work, I will be definitely be pursuing medicine as a career. Before senior year I was very confident in focusing my career on something that dealt with the medical field. As senior year progressed, I realized that medicine is indeed for me due to what I have experienced at the hospital. Also I realized that in medical teams, you have the opportunity to work individually but in a group as well, which is something that I really enjoy.  Another important aspect that I have gained from my mentorship experience is how to treat patients when they come in for visits. Customer service is incredibly important when seeing patients, no matter if its early in the morning or if you are ready to go home. This is a skill that not only applies to my future career in medicine but to a job that I might get in college or just in everyday life. 

Applied
How has what you have done helped you answer your EQ? Please explain. 

• This experience has helped me answer my essential question which is "what is the best method in modern obstetrics that lowers infant mortality?, because I have seen my first answer being applied almost everyday. My first answer is that women should receive prenatal care in order to reduce the rate of infant mortality. When I go to volunteer at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park OB/GYN department, I see countless of women coming in to receive prenatal care. This is incredibly satisfying because more babies are beating the odds of suffering from infant mortality just because their moms got the adequate care that they needed while pregnant. Another way that I can tell that moms are receiving prenatal care, specifically at Kaiser is when I have to resupply a cabinet with prenatal packets which is a constantly. 

  

  This is a picture of the first newsletter out of 10 that compile the prenatal packets. 

Mentoship Update 5/14/2013

Today when I went to the hospital, I asked Jannette the Lead LVN for Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park OB/GYN department for some help for my 2 hour presentation. She gave me really good information regarding my second answer which was that she gave me three additional medications that obstetricians use for premature birth.

Medications

• Terbutaline: this medication is a smooth muscle relaxer and because the uterus is a smooth muscle, this medication will help stop contractions. However when given this medication, obstetric health care teams have to watch the heart rate because if the woman has a heart rate of over 100, the medication cannot be given.

• Procardia (AKA Nifedipine): this medication is also given to stop contractions in order to delay premature birth. However if a woman has a blood pressure of 100/60, this medication cannot be given. 

• Lactated Ringers: this medication is given intravenously (IV). The purpose of this medication is to hydrate the patient since hydration and uterine infections can cause preterm labor. 

Jannette also gave me some additional information on previous medications that I have already researched.

Previous Medications

• Betamethasone: this medications will be given to patients who have gull stones which are made from cholesterol and other things found in bile. These gull stones range in size since they could be the size of a grain of sand or a golf ball. Betamethasone is also given when patients are going to be induced. This medication will given to make sure the baby has a chance to survival outside of the womb.

• Magnesium Sulfate: This medication is given to help stop cerebral perfusion. Premature babies have a tendency to have brain bleeds. This medication is given to woman how have high blood pressure which will dull the central nervous system and will make an effort to prevent seizures. 

• Hydroxyprogestrone caporate (AKA 17P): This medication is given to women who have had previous preterm births. This is routinely given at 16-34 weeks and can be adjusted at the discretion of the physician. Also women who have had a cerclage which is a procedure in which sutures are used to close the cervix, might receive 17P.

Exit Interview Questions

(1) What is your essential question?  What is the best answer to your question and why?

• My essential question is what is the most important development in modern obstetrics to lowering infant mortality? Some of the best ways to lowering infant mortality is by reducing the rate of premature births and teen pregnancies. However, the best way to lowering infant mortality is by women receiving prenatal care. By women receiving prenatal care, it allows obstetricians to detect any abnormalities in the mother or fetus. Such abnormalities can include infections in the cervix or vagina in the mother and as for the baby, abnormalities can include down syndrome. By detecting such abnormalities as early as possible, obstetricians can help as best they can during the remaining stages of pregnancy and in the labor process.

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

• The process that I took to arrive at this answer was not too difficult.  When I was reading an article on infant mortality done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I noticed a link on prenatal care. I decided to do further research because I didn't have much knowledge on this topic. Sources such as the Mayo Clinic and the March of Dimes helped me understand at depth what exactly goes on during each prenatal care visits per trimester. After figuring out my second and third answers, I decided that prenatal care is the best way to lower infant mortality because it acts as a preventative measure so to speak.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

• A problem that I faced in the beginning of senior project was finding mentorship. During the summer, many college and high school students are trying to acquire volunteering positions at hospitals for several reasons so I definitely had competition where ever I went.  With that being said, I had to look for hospitals that were a little out of my reach but to no luck I couldn't find mentorship.  Such places that I looked for mentorship include, San Dimas Community Hospital, East Valley Medical Center, Pomona Valley Medical Center, Huntington Hospital, and Queen of the Valley.  I resolved this problem, by applying for a volunteering position at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park. I got called in for an interview and when I went, they accepted me on the spot. 

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

• One of the most significant sources that I used was the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. This journal helped me acquire research all throughout my senior project. In particular, this journal helped me better understand my senior answer because sources 72-77 in my working bibliography are mainly about preterm birth. Another significant source is Jeanette Garcia, the Lead Licensed Vocational Nurse in the OB/GYN department at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park. She was my interviewee for my third interview and I cannot stop saying good things about her. When I interviewed her, she was extremely knowledgeable and helpful and when she didn't know a question to my answer, she would go ask one of the doctors nearby. 

(5) What is your product and why?

• My product is that I learned how to find "good" research. What I mean by good is acquiring sources that are credible and reliable. For example, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, and Beck's Obstetrical Practice and Fetal Medicine are excellent sources that I would recommend to anyone researching OB/GYN. Although it is time consuming when trying to find good pieces of research, it is definitely worth it in the long run because I managed to get research that only a small percentage are able to read and fully understand. I feel that before the commencement of senior project, my researching skills were mediocre so when research checks came along, I was a little lost because I didn't know what constituted as good research. However, as research checks progressed, I felt that little by little I was getting better at finding good research. Although good research sometimes means printing and reading 8 to 10 pages, I felt that it was definitely worth it because most articles gave me a deeper understanding of my topic whether it be from a foundational perspective or for a specific answer. 

2014 Interview

Content:

1.  Who did you interview and what house are they in?

• I interviewed Kim Gonzalez and she is in East House   

2.  What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• I don't have a finialized idea for my senior project but a few ideas that I had in mind was to do something in law or psychology or  something related with kids and helping them. Maybe I could do something in social work. The reason why I would like to do my senior project on one of these topics is because I feel that it is a job that will always be needed and I am very interested in law because it is very important. 

3.  What do you plan to do for your summer 10 hour mentorship experience?

• Right now I don't know who I am going to be doing my service learning but I know a family member who works in human resources so I might do my 10 hours with. 

4.  What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?

• I expect to see something different because I know some years a lot of people do similar topics from previous years. I heard already that there aren't people doing something that I want but I want to have an open mind when I see the 2 hour presentations. 

5.  What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project (or what additional information did you tell them about senior year or senior project)?

Q: How is senior year different from the rest of the years that you have been at I-poly? 

A: Senior year is different from the years prior because it is a lot more of individual work. Freshman through junior year, its just mainly group work but once your a senior, a lot of the responsibility goes to you. With that being said, all three years people tell you not to procrastinate but you do so anyways. Well in senior year, you really cannot afford to procrastinate. Once the senior teachers have said that an assignment is due, then it is due. They don't really give you an opportunity to turn it in late. 

Q: Do you think that I can handle a job, senior project, and college stuff?

A: Well personally, I don't have a job but to be honest I don't think that I can handle it. My life right now is mostly centered on school and I don't think that I could be able to handle it. However, if you are looking to work somewhere throughout senior project, then it all depends on your personality/characteristics. Also it depends on how well you can manage your time. 

Advice given:
Make sure to acquire mentorship early so you don't suffer the consequences later! 

Final 3-Column Chart

Final 3 Column Chart

Independent Component 2 Update: 4/27/2013

Today I took a quiz about sex hormones, the menstrual cycle, and sexual development.

For Quiz #2, I got 17/20, which is an 85%.