MedEx Day 1 - May 16, 2022

Today was the first day of Tier IV, and I loved returning to the Greenville Medical School and being back with so many old friends from past years! Today consisted of a lot of welcomes and a lot of get-to-know-you activities, considering that it was our first day. My favorite of these games was "speed dating" with our other tier mates. This was a phenomenal activity, as I got to very quickly learn about others' personalities with questions like, "Would you rather talk like Yoda or breathe like Darth Vader," and "Would you rather have chainsaws or dust pans for hands?" These questions may seem silly, but the rationale behind my tier mates' answers revealed a great deal about them. Afterwards, we each set goals for our experience at MedEx. My main goal consisted of completing, submitting, and being confident in my personal statement and medical school application by the end of the Tier.

Other activities that I got to participate in today included a tour of the Clemson nursing school and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. I greatly enjoyed seeing the simulation lab at the nursing school, as I got to see more of it today than I had before, and I got to see the repair workshop for the high-fidelity mannequins that are used in clinical trainings.

Lastly, I heard welcome addresses from Dr. Brenda Thames and Mr. Al Squire. Both addressed how dire the need is for healthcare providers within the state of South Carolina. Our state, overall, ranks 43rd in the nation in health metrics (2010 data). This includes being 37th in obesity, 46th in low birth weight, and 43rd in diabetes. I hope that as a provider, I will be able to address these challenges, as well as address the physician shortage in the state.

I look forward to the seven weeks ahead and the opportunity to increase my medical competencies as well as cultivate meaningful relationships with my tier mates.