One of the things I love most about being a professor in the Biomedicine program is teaching students about research and the important role it plays in medicine and health.  

Discovering something truly new is one of life’s greatest privileges!  

I love that our students get to participate in original research projects as a part of their program – we have always prioritized research because it helps our students to develop those invaluable important to their future healthcare goals¹.   For me, teaching the research class gives me the chance to live a little bit vicariously through our students.  I still clearly remember the first time (wow, 20 years ago?) that I was able to pour over all the data I gathered in my first major project in graduate school.  The was to understand how the brains of kids in southeast Africa (Malawi) were impacted by the malaria parasite.  We catalogued forms of brain and retinal damage in those kids that no one in history had observed previously².  The malaria parasite has been around for millions of years, and the opportunity to add to the human story in a small way was an important personal victory. 

It’s fun to watch my MS Biomedicine students pursue their own paths and gain confidence in their ability to do novel research!  Students are both nervous and excited about taking on their thesis projects. Everything worthwhile is that way.  Some comments from early student reflections sum it up nicely:

“I’m more nervous about this course than any of my other classes.  I’ve never taken a project from start to finish on my own!”

“I have so many interests, I don’t know where to start.”

“I’m excited to do something clinical!”

We are halfway into the class now and we are gaining momentum – we’ve picked our projects and we’re thinking about all the variables and sampling methods and controls we need to keep track of.  The statistics can be a bit of a bear, but we know that we are developing a sound selection of tools we can use to get the job done.  Students are thinking about the advisors they might choose. Faculty from across the university, in math, biology, chemistry, nursing, psychology and more, have partnered with students in the past.  Our students will work on these questions this summer and next fall.  While they are developing their questions independently, having the support they need is essential to finishing strong!   I’ve been so impressed with our students and how they’ve moved from nervous excitement towards realistic plans to develop new knowledge.  We are not there yet, but we are certainly well on our way!  

Here is a short list of just a few of the project we are planning:

• Examining land surface temperature (LST) and urban-heat-islands on incidences of COVID-19.
• Patient satisfaction among African Americans visiting the emergency room: A comparison of two sites.
• Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study the impact of autism-spectrum-disorder (ASD) homologous genes in innate immunity.
• Using graphic novels and visual narratives in public health education.

Wish us luck! Kris

¹“The Core Competencies of Entering Medical Students” (AAMC).  https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/core-competencies/

²Dorovini-Zis K, Schmidt K, Huynh H, Fu W, Whitten RO, Milner D, Kamiza S, Molyneux M, Taylor TE. The neuropathology of fatal cerebral malaria in malawian children. Am J Pathol. 2011 May;178(5):2146-58. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2011.01.016. PMID: 21514429; PMCID: PMC3081150.

While this is not the typical route that students will take to enter a healthcare field, there are those who eventually find their way into the field of Nursing. Hannah shares more about choosing this pathway, how the pandemic has impacted her schooling, and highlights from both programs.  An accelerated second degree in Nursing is 15-16 months and is very fast-paced.

What changed? What’s drawing you to Nursing now? 

Getting into medical school is a long process, and Hannah devoted a lot of effort into this pathway. She loves biology but hadn’t truly considered nursing until recently. Hannah has a passion for healthcare. After graduation with a MA in Biomedicine in 2016, Hannah prepared for the MCAT and applied to a number of medical schools- such as West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Liberty University, and St. George’s. After an interview and acceptance at St. George’s, Hannah reconsidered her career plans.

 “there’s a lot of factors. But ultimately, it came down to… I have two children now. I felt how much I love my kids and wanted to spend time with them.” The other considerations for Hannah were relocation to Grenada, the financial burden of medical school tuition, and the concerns about practicing medicine in areas others than pediatrics or family practice, the specialties of St. George’s, upon return to the United States.

What do you enjoy about the accelerated nursing curriculum?

“I am very excited to be in clinics, interacting with patients, talking to them, giving them patient education, administering medications, and learning more about the nursing diagnosis[1].It’s great that I’m finally implementing things that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

Hannah went on to describe the challenge of learning nursing diagnosis and the support of her

advisor, Dr. Laura Yoder and professor, Dr Audrey Myers.

What do you continue to use from the biomedicine curriculum?

Self-efficacy: Hannah is clear that one of the things she learned in the biomedicine program is self-awareness and her own capabilities. The curriculum includes scaffolded reflective activities that help students know who they are, how to use metacognition, to know their strengths and how to improve on areas of weaknesses. “Nursing school is hard. But I can do this.”

Human Physiology Content : Hannah spoke of highlights from the biomedicine curriculum that help her now. The cadaver based human anatomy class is a highlight for many students and affirmed Hannah’s desire to continue with healthcare. But the class she refers back to the most “was like a pathophysiology course- the renal system, Dr. Roman Miller, emeritus, taught that section-I use that a lot.” The foundational nature of that course (co taught by Dr. Julia Halterman) continues to inform Hannah’s work in clinical and course settings. She also praised the writing assignments in Dr. Jeff Copeland’s courses (he teaches immunology and medical microbiology).

What have been some challenges related to COVID in your nursing education?

“It was hard. Oh, my goodness. The summer was tough.”

The nursing program kept their high standards, but the online zoom format required adjustments on the part of everyone. There was stress related to the unknowns. However, by the fall, things seem to be falling into place.  Hannah expressed her gratitude to the faculty. “To be a professor, kudos to you for doing all the hard work. The faculty understand that it was hard; they are very understanding.”

Do you have any advice for others?

“Find your ultimate goal, and then be practical with it”

Hannah acknowledges that her family has also helped focus the way she approaches school work. “When I have that one hour or two hours to get work done, I get work done. You go to bed. I have a routine. I wake up early in the morning, and I know that they’re sleeping. The house is quiet. I can have my hot coffee. I can crank out this work. Yeah, it actually pushes me. I think it’s been helping my grades in an odd way.”

What’s next?

I’m looking towards acute care in a hospital setting.  I am going to continue my education. Either through certifications or going back to school to become a CRNA or NP. This mindset started with the biomedicine program at EMU. The CRNA (certified nurse anesthetist) requires at least a year of ICU experience.

[1] is a clinical judgment about individual, family, or community responses to actual or potential health problems/life processes. Nursing diagnosis provides the basis for selection of nursing interventions to achieve outcomes for which the nurse is accountable.”

My first “official” service trip took place the summer before I turned 16 in Mexico. When I heard we were going to be working with children I was immediately on board. In preparation for the trip we were told that we would be helping run a yearly vacation Bible school  for children ranging from 4-15 who came from various backgrounds where many of them had experienced abuse, neglect and even abandonment. In my mind, I was going to help them. I was going to show them love and was eager to teach each one of them, not thinking I would gain anything beside the experience itself. Little did I know the significance of that summer. 

My most vivid memory is of a young homeless child who had experienced domestic violence and was being housed at the church with his mother and 4 siblings. He was tall, skinny and always wore the same pair of worn-down jean shorts. We quickly made a connection and on our second day there, he turned eight. With limited funds, the director took him to the plaza to pick out a gift. He was so excited and invited me to go with them so I tagged along. He picked a box of caramel gummies with 11 individual pieces. He was beaming and offered me a piece as soon as we left the store. I declined, thanked him and thought he was just being polite in offering me some. 

But the first thing he did when we arrived was offer his family a piece of candy. Then, with 5 pieces left, he offered each teacher a piece. He continued until he had asked everyone present if they wanted a piece of his birthday caramel after which he finally ate a piece with only 3 pieces to spare. 

I was speechless. I had never experienced something so self-less. Here was this child, who was so young, had so little and yet was willing to give everything he had to others. I reflected on this and my other experiences with the children on the plane ride back. Upon my arrival to the states, I felt…different. In those 7 days I learned. I grew. I matured. I felt such gratitude for all that I had. As a young female of color, I had never felt privileged or at least acknowledged my privilege but that trip changed everything. It put my life and my purpose into perspective. I wanted to have a heart for others like that young child. I wanted to reach that level of love and service and was eager to be involved in service again. 

I quickly started teaching Sunday school, volunteering at my high school and making care packages for children. Initially I thought I wouldn’t have the same profound experiences here, like what I had felt that week in Mexico but realized that there were many opportunities for service around me. With each “act of service” I learned something. My heart, my perspective on life and my mindset changed. My love for people grew. I saw that I didn’t need to travel 2,000 or even 20 miles to find those types of experiences. Service became a part of me, it became my lifestyle.

In undergrad I continued to do service, started mentoring and organized community service events for my fellow centennial scholar dukes. Currently, I direct the high school youth group at my church, Manantial de Vida, volunteer at the free clinic and pick up any other service opportunity I can get my hands on when not in class or at work.  

Service is now my lifestyle. I actively try to reflect it in my interactions at work as a Spanish medical interpreter, with my family as the oldest daughter and sibling, and with my friends by simply being someone they can count on to be present and offer my support in whatever way that is to them.  

Ultimately I’ve learned that service is: continuous, has to be willingly given and cannot be produced from an empty well. It is more than a one-time event. It cannot be forced and must come from a willing heart. 

Once you practice and adopt a mindset of service, you begin to realize that service opportunities are all around us. It could be asking a classmate or co-worker to lunch who you’ve noticed has been acting differently. It could be stopping to talk to the homeless individual. Service is so much more than physical resources or “big picture” events. True service to me, goes unacknowledged by others. It is not seeking recognition for your action but rather an engrained practice that actively pauses the focus on oneself to check on others. There is a joy and fulfillment in helping or giving to others that I haven’t experienced anywhere else.  But we cannot give what we do not have and therefore we must practice self-care in every aspect. This is different for each person but can be spiritual, emotional, physical or mental self-care.  We have to be aware of ourselves and continuously self-evaluate our intentions and our heart. 

To this day, 8 years later, I reflect on that experience of that summer and ask myself if I’m on that child’s level of love and service to others. 

Biomedicine graduate programs tend to cater to two main audiences: the seasoned pre-med students and the career changers. When I was researching programs that could meet my specific pre-professional health career goals, I found that I didn’t neatly fit into either category.  In some programs, I would need to complete several years’ worth of additional courses for a post-baccalaureate certificate, let alone a Master’s degree. I searched far and wide for a pre-medicine program that accepted my undergraduate work and wouldn’t make me feel as if I was completely starting over. At the same time, I hoped to earn a Master’s degree from somewhere that took into consideration that I had never been on a pre-med track before. As the first candidate for ��ݮ����’s Premedicine Master of Science, I can tell you that this is where EMU stands out from the rest!

The Premedicine curriculum recognizes where you are, is flexible enough to fit your needs, and allows you to graduate with a Master’s degree in only two years. To top it off, EMU has articulation agreements with numerous professional health schools that MS in Premedicine students can qualify for. You are still very much a part of a larger Biomedicine program, and you’ll often take classes (and socialize) with the MS in Biomedicine students. One of the great benefits of this is that you can learn from your peers who have already gone through some of the course work you are being introduced to. Likewise, you have the opportunity to provide insight on subjects that you are well-versed in, but may be less familiar concepts to them.

 In addition to sharing classes with other Biomed students, you will be spending time with undergraduates. I have found that many of them are also pre-professional health students who are highly motivated and welcoming of the diversity our programs bring. There are students of a variety of backgrounds at EMU who contribute to a rich academic experience that is inclusive of our individual and cultural differences. The EMU students (both undergraduate and graduate) I have personally encountered are often driven, yet have a tendency to lean towards support and encouragement in contrast to the unhealthy level of competition that can too frequently be seen in our discipline.

Core classes you share with Biomed students include Interdisciplinary Seminar I and II, Practicum, and Cross Cultural Health Care. Depending on your interests, you may also share classes such as Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry I and II, Infectious Disease, and more. The plan of study on our MS in Premedicine page provides a helpful outline of which courses you’ll take and when, but if what you’re seeing doesn’t address the prerequisites you’re looking for, no worries! I entered fresh out of undergrad with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Philosophy, and I’m on the pre-physician assistant track. We were able to make adjustments accordingly. In case you’d like a preview of another kind of route you could take, here’s how my schedule was initially laid out (some adjustments were made due to COVID-19):

First semester 

• Animal Form and Function
• General Chemistry I
• Interdisciplinary Seminar I

Second Semester 

• Molecules, Genes, and Cells
• General Chemistry II
• The Healthcare Delivery System

Summer

• Practicum
• Cross Cultural Health Care
• Infectious Disease

Third Semester

• Organic Chemistry I
• Cell Biology
• Human Gross and Microscopic Anatomy
• Interdisciplinary Seminar II

Fourth Semester

• Molecular Genetics
• Medical Microbiology
• Human Physiology

It’s certainly an individual process to decide whether the MS in Premedicine at EMU is the right fit for you, but what I will say is that this program is formatted with you in mind. We value holistic approaches to health care, which lends itself to valuing perspectives from other areas of study. There is a place for you here regardless of what your undergraduate major was or at what stage of education you became interested in the medical profession. This is a program where you can transition into the healthcare field on a schedule that is tailored to your needs, alongside people who appreciate your unique strengths.

Over the summer, EMU faculty prepared to teach both in-person with social distancing protocols and online, in order to allow for the greatest flexibility in delivery and continuity of teaching. We planned to be responsive to changing health needs of faculty, staff, and students and changing public health requirements. While a number of our lab courses require students to be residential, it is possible to limit the number of days on campus.  Classes began online and are gradually transitioning to on-campus. Second year students continue to work on their research projects. One student is gaining practical experience by working with our campus COVID tracer. 

Typically orientation is the afternoon before classes commence, and it ends with an evening meal for all of our students and some faculty. This year we started our orientation session online the week before classes started. The first meeting served to make connections for our incoming students. We held several shorter orientation events for students to learn more about policies, resources on campus (writing tutor, career services, library services, and telehealth counseling), and new practices related to COVID. Our social was a distanced, outdoor  ice cream event.  

First year students meet with their academic advisor more than once during the first semester. In the entrance advising appointments, students already express appreciation that faculty are accessible and eager to contribute to their success. 

Creating New Study Habits

During one orientation session, students reflected on their current study techniques and were encouraged to commit to trying one new approach.  Students took a quiz to see if they operated from more of a fixed or a growth mindset.  Being aware of your patterns and creating a plan to address challenges is the first step in a successful graduate school journey.  We encourage students to prioritize a balanced life by making sure they get enough rest, exercise, and eat healthily. The study skill of srequires strong time management skills and encourages you to take an active approach to studying. It works by encouraging repetition, recognizing attention spans, and is the opposite of a single, intense session. It’s more like HIIT – high intensity, interval training.  Learning involves creating a lasting foundation of knowledge that can be built upon to ensure subsequent course work will be absorbed easily. Students were encouraged to explore multiple modalities for studying: flash cards, summarizing reading, concept mapping notes or reading, teach to learn, etc.   A review of Bloom’s taxonomy helped to distinguish between memorization tasks (remember or understand) and those that are more complex (such as apply, analyze, evaluate).  

Making Connections on and off campus 

Networking is a key skill that is never too early to start practicing. We encourage you to start with your fellow EMU colleagues and faculty.  New students can look to returning students for advice on study tips and how to navigate the EMU culture.  All students should take advantage of faculty office hours, even if those that occur through Zoom. 

This fall, we are inviting professional health programs to hold online (zoom mediated) sessions.  These are exceptional opportunities to hear presentations, to ask questions, and to meet school representatives in a more intimate setting.  

Online is different, so how do I make the best of this? 

• You should attend “zoom” sessions from a location with a strong wi-fi signal and some level privacy.
• While smaller groups of students (8-10) can join the meeting from the Rutt Classroom and use the owl technology, you’ll need to be masked.  Know that it will be more difficult to be heard. 
• You should plan to leave your camera on the whole time. 
• Do your homework: look up the program and come with at least one specific question for the representative.  This question is something that should not be easily answered by looking at the website.   Professional health programs look favorably on applicants who have taken the time to know what they offer. 
• Plan to be interactive & engaged. Close other tabs, use just one screen, avoid multitasking.