MedEx Day 14 - July 26th, 2018

To start the day off MedEx Tier I met with our Tier III Research Advisors. They let us practice presenting for our big Medical Ethics assignment. I decided to work on my slides as well. I attempted to look for research projects that countered Wakefield's evidence, and I found myriad studies. Some examples were a study in Poland that showed no correlation between MMR and autism, and the Supreme Court Case that ruled the two had no correlation/ that the MMR vaccine is very safe for children. Next, Dr. Enrique Urrea-Mendoza came and spoke to our group about what Neurology is/ how to get in that field. He delved into what Parkinson's Disease is, and he discussed how he treats it. Essentially, Parkinson's is a hypokinetic disease with symptoms including constipation, anosmia, tremors, bradykinesia, dystonia, paranoia, and cognitive decline. He said that one way to treat, but not cure Parkinson's, is to do surgery that either inputs dopamine directly into the liver or a surgery that helps to limit tremors by affecting the brain. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Urrea-Mendoza's talk on neurology and how he strives to bring better quality of life to his patients. After lunch, Miss Lauren Tyler spent 45 minutes discussing what undergraduate and medical school are like. She told us how to best look for scholarships, and she gave a few examples of good ones. Miss Tyler shared that she thought it was extremely important to have a life outside of your "pre-health career" in college/ it makes your med school application look better. I enjoyed hearing all of her thoughts. To conclude the day MedEx Tier I learned QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer)- a model which aims to talk to people who might have suicidal thoughts. In the lecture we discussed what mental health, mental illness, and cognitive impairment mean. Also, we divulged into how mental illness is extremely stigmatized across almost all cultures, but especially ones involving minority groups. This has resulted in less discussion about it, possibly leading to a higher incidence. I learned that about 45 thousand people commit suicide annually in the USA. Also, white males commit suicide at the 2nd highest rate only behind Native Americans. The actual QPR method involved getting straight to the point with people who might be inclined to have suicidal thoughts and to be very open/ listen. Lastly, we made cards for children in the hospital.