Amelia
Benjamin
March 2-6
This week learned the 7 special ankle tests which were very interesting. I liked being able to apply them to the sim lab. The sim lab was also very fun because I felt like our group was a lot more comfortable with each other. I also liked being able to learn about different heat illnesses. Most of all it was fun being a real-life sim lab for Mrs. Snodgrass because I thought I was having a heart attack but really after she did a bunch of tests on me and asked about my history she figured out that because I fell while skiing, I have a pinched nerve which is why my hand was tingling. I got to see what my teacher always tells us to do with a patient first hand which was a really interesting and cool opportunity.
Blog Post #5 Sports Medicine CAPS
Feb 19-28
The past week and a half in CAPS have been very fun! I really enjoyed my experiences at MNU on our field trip last Friday. Especially since it has been a long time since I have actually been on a field trip! At first, when we were sitting in a lecture room, in the beginning, I turned to my friends and said: “this is going to be a long day”. However, that was quite the opposite of how the day went.
Part of the reason why it went by fast was that Mrs. Snodgrass and Mrs. Bogie were in my group. I was nervous at first because I didn’t know that we were going to be broken up into groups and when we were I didn’t know anyone in mine. I was very glad when my instructors joined my group! I thought the manikins with the programed stethoscopes were really cool and it was interesting to hear the different types of breathing and bowel sounds. We also got to learn how to swaddle a baby and watch a birth simulation. These types of lessons and activities are moments I try to cherish and soak up because with my interest being in Physical Therapy, I won’t get to experience and learn about such topics.
Another station that stood out to me was the Athletic Training one. The technology that was used to measure how “healthy” you move was blowing my mind. I also loved being the volunteer and the instructor for that station was great. It was funny because he made a comment about me being his favorite type of student because of my outgoing personality but I was already thinking about how teachers like him are my favorite because of the “guard down” style of teaching. It makes students (or at least me) feel more connected with the instructor which makes me want to come to class every day and do well.
February 10-12th Blog-
This short week included a lesson about an interesting side to medicine that some people might not think about. That is the way that the healthcare provider communicates with the patient. Many things were eye-opening for me as we learned about verbal and non-verbal communication, how to break the bad news to someone and even the dos and don'ts of situations. One that stood out to me specifically was actually during the simulation lab that took place on Tuesday. Our team had to break news to a patient that she had AIDS. It was the first station that my group had been to so we didn't know what to expect and what to say or not to say. When the patient started to react and become upset I said: "I understand how this can be hard for you". That statement is something that at the time I didn't realize but is very bad to say as a doctor because no one understands completely how that patient feels at that moment. I am glad that I was able to experience that realization and mistake during a sim lab rather than with a real patient.
February 3-7th Blog:
This week I had the opportunity to listen to a radiologist give a presentation that was super cool for many reasons. First, I realized that I actually shadowed the speaker last semester when I took Exploring Health Professions (EHP). I introduced myself again after the presentation and he actually remembered me! I was able to talk about how much I enjoyed that day and the presentation and I told him that if things don't work out with physical therapy there is a good chance I would become a radiologist. He was thrilled to hear that and told me that I could reach out if I needed help or more shadowing hours in the future. That experience really highlighted the connections that come with being a CAPS student. Something else that was fun we did this week was the scavenger hunt in the lab. Everyone that knows me well, knows I am very competitive so when I found out it was a competition for speed and accuracy AND there was a prize I wanted to win and nothing else mattered. What was super awesome is that most of the more difficult items that we had to name around the lab were things that I actually got to see used while I was shadowing last semester during EHP. For example, the tuning fork was used at a neurology clinic, the KU ER, and Blue Valley Physical therapy, the goniometer was used for physical therapy and many more objects. It was neat to see those tools again and be able to recall those experiences. The last thing that really stood out to me as a highlight of the week was the Simulation Lab. We had no idea what the situation was so it was a little scary... especially walking in and seeing we had an audience of about 12 middle schoolers. It was really hard to get started with everything, assign roles and actually start CPR but eventually, we did. Our patient ended up dying because we did not start CPR fast enough and we actually stopped CPR to get the patient on the stretcher. I am slightly scarred from the surprise of the chest area on our manikin as it was ... let's just say not what I was expecting. Overall, the Simulation Lab was a great learning experience because after discussing our mistakes and what we could improve upon, we got a second chance to perform. That time we were all more confident and were able to better show off our CAPS skills that we have learned so far.
Until next week!
January 27-31st blog:
I almost didn't take sports medicine this semester at CAPS... but I can't tell you how happy I am that I did. I love being a second semester CAPS student as well. It allows me to get more out of situations because I am more confident to be that volunteer or to ask questions. One moment that stands out to me as an example of this would be learning CPR. Not only was I reinforcing the material and noticing things that I didn't pick up last semester, but I was able to help other students learn and practice. Being a leader and working as a team is something that the CAPS Medical Strand inforces as a very important piece of being a healthcare provider. In many situations during the first few weeks at CAPS this semester, there have been times when I have been able to practice leadership and work with others as a team. I am excited to learn and grow in more ways like this in my last semester at CAPS.