In my free time, I volunteer at a small free clinic in eastern Edmond off of I-35. Most of my time here is spent filing charts, handling faxes, and receiving test results, but when things are slow I get to shadow our volunteer physicians and help with patient care. I also like to read books and watch T.V. My favorite show would have to be either Hannibal or Game of Thrones. True Detective comes close but I'll have to see how next season goes!
I also work for the Oklahoma Blood Institute as the mobile supply clerk. This mostly entails working alone at night making sure all the trucks are supplied with the appropriate equipment to go out the following day and perform blood drives all over the state. I also have to maintain supply levels in our stock room to ensure we have enough of all the equipment to meet the weekly donation projections. For a shameless plug here, if you haven't already donated blood in the last 56 days, donate! Also check out our Marrow Donor Program. Marrow donation can now be painlessly and without having to be sedated through peripheral blood stem cell collection, a process which is very similar to a blood donation. Taking marrow from the pelvic bone is no longer the only option, and you could save someones life!
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Wow, chemical biosciences? That sounds really difficult but it's pretty cool that you get to work in a clinic for some hands on experience. I am definitely not a science or math person so your class schedule sounds intimidating. I bet working for the Oklahoma Blood Institute is really interesting as well. Many of my friends have given blood and I'm sure it takes a lot of volunteers and organization to make sure everything runs smoothly. I've actually never given blood but I had my blood drawn for the first time this summer and I couldn't even watch. Probably why I'm not pre-med. Sounds like you are busy and doing some really great things!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, what a list of classes, Cody... I hope Myth-Folklore will give you a breather! And, of course, if you are a fan of Game of Thrones (I am too!), you will definitely feel at home in the world of all these stories. In fact, Game of Thrones has been one of the best things that has happened to this class in the past couple of years as a way to inspire people with a love of stories and storytelling. And that is so cool about your working at the Oklahoma Blood Institute... do you ever do blood drives on campus? That would be a great thing to include in the class announcements, so let me know if there is ever anything like that going on! There are so many events on campus all the time, but the ones that I like including are events that connect up somehow with people in the class!
ReplyDeleteHello Cody, my name is Anthony. I don't know how you do it being a medical major. I mean your class list this semester is ridiculous. Haha good thing I'm a business major. Anyways I think it is pretty cool that you work for the Oklahoma Blood Institute and also a free clinic. Seems like you are always busy. When I read the part about donating bone marrow, the absolute first thing I was thinking was, "Forget that, that hurts!" Once I kept reading though I didn't know that there was a painless way now for donating bone marrow.
ReplyDeleteCody, I'm glad to see I'm not the only 'medically-minded' person in the class. To give you a bit of background, I'm a senior pursuing degrees in microbiology and Italian, and I'm finishing up my secondary applications for medical school as we speak. I'm also glad to see you volunteer at a clinic. I happen to go to Manos Juntas on Saturdays, and that's always followed by my "Manos Juntas nap" in the afternoon. =D
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you ever need help with or have questions about medical school applications, please feel free to shoot me an email. I'm no expert by any means, but I'm always willing to read through personal statements and give my perspective. Take care!
Hi Cody, nice to meet you! My goodness you have taken a lot of science classes. I finished all the sciences classes I needed to take as soon as possible. I absolutely love math, but for some reason I just do not like science classes. I think the classes are interesting but not interesting enough to study. I hope your semester is going well!
ReplyDeleteHi Cody!
ReplyDeleteI loved your intro! You are a very passionate person about what you want to do and you seem to have it together! I liked the blood donation advocate tid bit you added, that was good. I am on the Marrow Donation list! And I don't know if I can donate yet because I just got a tattoo...but I usually donate every chance I get, I promise. I haven't gotten into Game of Thrones yet, but if you haven't checked out Orange is the New Black, you should. Just sayin :)
Hannah
Dang Cody! It sounds like you've got a ton on your plate! I'm a Pre-Med Senior, so I completely understand how much all of those science classes can suck! You sound like a smart guy though, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble with any of it. Plus, all your volunteering and work experience sounds awesome, and I don't anyone can fault your "shameless plug." I'm sure you've got the MCAT coming up soon, so good luck on that man!
ReplyDeleteI can relate on the struggle of taking those science classes. I am an HES major on the pre-physical therapy tract and have taken the majority of those classes too. And of course now I am in myth and folklore as well. I think sometimes it is nice to take more creative classes, such as this one, to break up the science classes. I think it is an amazing opportunity that you get to work at the Oklahoma Blood Institute and volunteer at the clinic in Edmond. It is great you get to see exactly what you will be doing later in your career and it will put you ahead on your way to applying for med-school. And no shame for the plug!
ReplyDeleteCody, I can really relate to a lot of your classes! I have taken most of the courses you mentioned and Biochemistry happened to be my favorite. Organic Chemistry was pretty fun too! Good luck following your goals towards medical school, which is very ambitious! I'm hoping to get into a Physician's Assistant program myself. That's fantastic that you have the chance to shadow physicians in the clinic. That really serves as good connections and experience for your career interests. Working at the Oklahoma Blood Institute is awesome too! I didn't know any of that information about marrow donations. :) Very informative, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Cody, nice to meet you! Wow! That is a lot of science classes! One of my best friends is pre-med, and I've heard her talk about the struggles related to a lot of those. Kudos to you for pursuing a career you really care about! It's great that you are getting so much experience in the field before you even get to med school.
ReplyDeleteHi Cody! I can't imagine that many science classes, Chem I and Chem II was enough for me! It sounds like a great opportunity that you're getting to work at the clinic and the blood instate though and I hope that pays off in the future. I'm definitely in the minority because I've never seen Game of Thrones but everyone always talks about it, so I really just need to bite the bullet and do it!
ReplyDeleteHi Cody! I think it’s awesome that you aspire to go to medical school and I wish you the best of luck! It sounds like you’re already really involved in the medical world, so it’s good that you have your foot in the door and I’m sure that’ll work to your benefit! I LOVE True Detective, but I have to say I’m not altogether thrilled with the announcement of Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell as leads. We’ll see.
ReplyDeleteHi Cody! It's great you're working towards med school. I'm not a math or science person, the courses sound really hard. It's great how much you are doing within the profession already between going to the clinic and working at donor programs. Game of Thrones is one of my favorite shows too. I've been wanting to see Hannibal but haven't gotten around to it yet. Good luck with the rest of your semester!
ReplyDeleteCody, you are the exact opposite of me! I could not take any science classes because science is a subject I just cannot find any interest in hardly, but that is so awesome for you that you are in all those courses and are going to apply for medical school! Seems like you have a pretty set idea of a career path and are already getting some great work experience! I look forward to reading some of your stories, and I hope you have a great semester!
ReplyDeleteCody,
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with all the chemistry classes you've taken. I took up to Organic Chemistry II, and I know what a pain they can be. It's awesome that you work with Oklahoma Blood Institute. I've recently developed this strong desire to donate blood since it is such an easy way to help save lives. However, I found out that I can't since I have lived in Germany for five years. Apparently, this puts me at risk of having a variation of Mad Cow Disease.