Blog 13: Answer 1

EQ: What is the best way to become a successful pediatrician?


1. What is answer 1 to your EQ? Be specific in your answer and write it like a thesis statement.

Realize the amount of work required to be exceptional in the field of science of medicine and accept that learning will become a life long dedication.

2. What possible evidence do you have to support this answer?

• Service Learning with Dr. Mafoud, Dr. Fermin, and San Dimas Hospital - Through personal interviews with my mentors, I've come to realize that I have underestimated the amount of studying I will be doing. Even as a resident, I will not be proficient in every aspect of the field. There are times that my mentors still struggle with a child's diagnosis. But because of the experience they have obtained over the years, they are confident in the choices that they make whether it be ordering a test or sending the child to a specialist.
• Rudolph's Pediatrics by Collin Davids - This book was not a straightforward answer for me. A I read it, I realized there was absolutely no way I would be able to retain that much knowledge on such random diseases and studies that I became discouraged. I felt it would take me years just to get through this one book and be able to use it as a guide. That is when I found my answer. It was okay if I couldn't memorize every exact thing I read because entering a field like mine takes a tremendous amount of time. 
• If It's worth Doing, It's Worth Doing Well by Dr. Andre Saine, MD- This article was written to explain how to become a successful physician. One of the key points is constantly discovering yourself. You are not only learning about your field, but about yourself and your attitude towards what you do. If you don't, you will not be satisfied with your career.

3. What source(s) did you find this evidence and/or answer?


Service Learning, Rudolph's Pediatrics, and If It's Worth Doing, It's Worth Doing Well.

Blog 12: Service Learning

Q:Where are you working for your service learning?

For my service learning I am working at Glendora Pediatrics, shadowing Dr. Janet Fermin and Dr. Amjad Mafoud.

Q: What is your contact?

210 N Grand Ave, Glendora, CA 91741 

(626) 335-0211

Q: Services performed?

For service learning I shadow so I go room to room with the doctor and write down anything I learn (Disease names, techniques for dealing with patients, anything out of the ordinary) Sometimes I am allowed to listen to the patient’s heart beat, listen for any irregularities in breathing, or use the otoscope for ear infections. I also file if there are no patients at the moment and have discussions with the two doctors when they're in their offices. 

ESLR Blog

Pick 2 Eslrs and describe how youve met them while doing your senior project:

Effective Learner: I've met this ESLR requirement through my research. At first, most of my articles were from measly sites that I found through googling words like 'pediatrics' or 'medicine.' After realizing I didn't get good enough information, I started seeking more scholarly sources. For some reason I didn't get my library card like everyone else freshmen year so I went up and got one at Cal Poly this year. I was able to find sites like the American Academy of Pediatrics and use search databases like proquest in order to narrow down my topic and get higher quality information. Through my service learner, I am able to obtain actual journals written for Pediatricians. In summary, my research has helped me become an effective learner.

Effective Communicator: I feel I have met this ESLR requirement through my discussions with my mentors. During the beginning of my service learning I was very shy and didn't ask a lot of questions that I had. As the months went on I realized there was no reason for that and I learned to overcome my shyness. I asked my mentors for any old journals they had that they might want to give to me. Because of this they hooked me up! I have a huge stack of amazing research papers and interesting journals in the corner of my room now. My mentor knows my what my science project is on so she even printed me a 60 page article on obesity from a site only available to physicians. If I didn't talk to her about my topic or ask her for sources I would have missed a great opportunity.

Blog #11: Third Interview Questions

1. Are there certain qualities that every pediatrician needs in order to be successful in the field?
2. What do you encounter as you go into work everyday?
3. What is the biggest challenge you've faced or do face as a pediatrician?
4. What influenced you to become a pediatrician?
5. What makes a bad pediatrician?
6. Do pediatricians have any health or physical requirements to perform their jobs? Ex. 20/20 vision, steady hands, etc.
7. If I want to specialize in pediatrics, do I need to have a strong stomach for the sight of blood, guts, wounds, etc.?
8. Describe how working with children does/does not require a certain skill.
9. Why did you prefer private practice over working in a hospital?
10. If you could choose to tell me only one thing you love most about your profession, what would it be?


Extra questions to ask if she has time:


11. What do you hate most about being a pediatrician?
12.  During college and medical school, how stressful was the work load? Were you allowed an active social life or was it strictly studying?

Blog #9 Part 2: Revision

1. What is your hypothesis?


If a person in the US has an income of less than $40,000 a year, then they will have a higher than average BMI.


2. Identify the dependent (produced), independent (manipulated) and control variables in your hypothesis.


Dependent: Higher BMI


Independent: Income


Control: Specific races


 3. What is the connection between your science fair project and your senior project EQ?
My experiment addresses an issue that has concerned pediatricians for years -- the obesity epidemic. Each year there is a rise in obesity which leads to chronic illnesses like diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure at an earlier age. This experiment will help answer my EQ because it not only dives into a major concern in pediatrics, but develops skills through research and analysis which are both very important traits when becoming a doctor. 


4. How will you perform the experiment?  Include the equipment you plan on using.
Ill be gathering data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census, and Department of Public Health. I'm sure that will lead me to other sources of data but that is about it. No equipment will be used to build anything.


5:Which category will your project be listed under?  (For a full list of categories, go to the iPoly Physics webpage, then to the Science Fair tab.


Behavioral Science

Blog 10: Self-Reflection

(1) How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why?  AE, P, AP, CR, or NC


I think I've met the AE requirements because I've gone above what was expected for my senior project. I feel my research checks have been up to par because my main sources have been actual pediatrician journals that I take from my mentor, Dr. Mafoud. Because of my topic, it is also hard to find adequate research if I don't use Proquest or WilsonWeb so those two sources have been a tremendous help and they are very scholarly. 


I have completed all my work on time, submitted my blog entries, and have consistently dedicated three out of the five days of the week to service learning. Volunteering on Fridays while my friends see movies should show some dedication! Not only that, but I've found two places to volunteer although I was only required to work at one. Every Tuesday or Wednesday I work in a Pediatricians office where I shadow and get to go in patients rooms while every Thursday and Friday I go to the OB department and watch how the nurses handle infants. I have completed more than fifty hours so far.


(2) What one thing do you think you have done well on and why?


Keeping up with my service learning. I still have some lazy days where I choose to stay home if it's raining or something, but overall I think I've given myself some cushion space in case I need a day like that. If I keep at the pace I am at right now, I'll be finished with my service learning by February hopefully and then I can focus more on research, core, and things like that. I talked to my coordinator two weeks ago and she agreed to let me work in a department more focused on pediatrics so now I get to work in the OB department! Right now I'm still settling in; I answer phones, restock storage rooms, and make patient charts. However, I asked the nurse and she said if the mother is okay with me watching, I can witness an actual birth. I feel pretty good that I was able to get my service learning so focused on my topic.

(3) What is one thing you would like to improve on and why? 


One thing I'd like to improve on is my time management for my research checks. My articles are so darn long that I get tired of margin noting so I'll tell myself "Eh, I'll finish this later." Then later becomes the day before the binder check and I stay up till two margin noting articles from a month ago. I need to finish my articles the week I print them.

Blog #9: Science Proposal

1. What is your hypothesis?
If there was a new way to build neonatal incubators that could cut costs by more than 20% while still achieving maximum efficiency, there would be less deaths in infants in third world countries.

2. Identify the dependent (produced), independent (manipulated) and control variables in your hypothesis.

The dependent variable would be  overall cost.

The independent variable would be the materials used to create the incubator.

The control variable would be the function of incubator which would remain the same through out the experiment.

 3. What is the connection between your science fair project and your senior project EQ?

My experiment addresses an issue that involves infants which is part of pediatrics. It helps answer my EQ because this experiment is about being efficient with your materials and as a physician, whether you are working for a hospital or for your own practice, you will always have budget concerns whether it be if you can afford another MRI machine or a new type of neonatal incubator. 

4. How will you perform the experiment?  Include the equipment you plan on using.

I've decided to change my project at the last second from doing obesity studies to this one. Designing a neonatal incubator takes an extremely long list of materials which I'm not entirely familiar with yet. 

The materials I'm using will involve some sort of heat source:

a type of light which I'll be experimenting with to see which is cheapest and most effective

An emergency alarm to alert nurses if temperature is too high or low

A mattress or something similar for the baby to rest on

Something to bring air outside for warming and cooling

A built in power regulation to protect against voltage spikes

Emergency power source

Storage for blankets, bottles, tubes, etc.

Windows and access for nurses

Digital controls for the temperature and easy repair

5:Which category will your project be listed under?  (For a full list of categories, go to the iPoly Physics webpage, then to the Science Fair tab.

This would be under engineering.