Blog 16 – Independent Component 2 Approval

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
For my Independent Component 2, I have two ideas:
a.) Don't-Do-Drugs Talks: Along with my mentor, we will conduct a Don't-Do-Drugs talk at either one or two middle schools depending on how many respond. The talk will discuss common street drugs and side effects of those drugs.
b.) Class at Mt. SAC: At the student orientation, I saw that I could take a class called "Contemporary Health Issues" which discusses common health problems today and how they can be solved with modern research.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
a.) I can take pictures (or have pictures taken), upload my presentation, and possibly record the talks.
b.) Since it's a class that will most likely have homework, I can just show my homework. I won't be able to use a semester grade as evidence since the class doesn't end until the end of May.

3. Explain how this component will help you explore your topic more in depth.
Both ideas a and b will help me further explore one of my answers (patient education) in that I will be able to find out the best way to educate a patient (a) or, from a patient's perspective, the most effective way to educate a patient (b).

4. Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.
Already done. :)

Independent Component 1

• LITERAL
(a) I, Mila Therese Reyes, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.
I completed my hours with Dr. Baron, a cardiac surgeon, and Michel Daher, a pharmacist.

(c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours. 
Click here to view my hours.

(d) Explain what you completed.
I accompanied Dr. Baron on a whole-day medical mission to Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. Since I do not yet have my license, I was not allowed to assist the medical team during the medical mission asked from handing them some medicines or getting vials. I ended up observing how they communicate with their patients by asking open-ended questions to give a proper diagnosis and thoroughly explaining the medications they would have to take or the explaining the condition they were suffering from. I also was able to observe how they worked together (nurses, physicians, physician assistants, pharmacists, etc.) to help each patient as best as possible.


• INTERPRETIVE
Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence of the 30 hours of work.
Since this was an all-day event, I spent nineteen hours total at the medical mission. In a regular hospital or clinic, I cannot really see how a physician works with other medical professionals but this medical mission helped me understand and actually see how medical professionals interact with each other (and their patients) and work together to help the patients as much as possible.
As for the rest of the hours, I had to complete them with my mentor (Michel Daher, PharmD) because the second medical mission that I was supposed to join got cancelled after the passing of one of the doctor's son.
For a complete (and clearer) log of what I did for my independent component 1, please click here and scroll down to the orange section.

• APPLIED
How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better? Please include specific examples to illustrate this.
This helped me decide on "collaborative care" as one of my answers to my essential question. Like I mentioned previously, I was able to better observe how a physician interacts and works with other medical professionals to provide the best form of patient care.
For example, when I was mentoring in a clinic, I thought that the physician only coordinated with the nurses to help a patient but at the medical mission I noticed that the physician works with the pharmacist, anesthesiologist, and physician assistant, too.

Lesson 2 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
I am most proud of being able to keep my volume loud enough for everyone to hear my voice because in my Lesson 1 Presentation, volume was my only problem.

2. a. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
I would give myself an AE- or a P+.

b. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
I spoke for at least 10 minutes on quality research (before the activity and after the debrief of the activity), used my PowerPoint presentation well in relation to main points of my main answer (pictures), did not read directly from the PowerPoint presentation or from my notes, cited four sources along with my mentorship, and kept my EQ in view (on both the PowerPoint and on a separate poster).

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
I thanked what worked was the activity and the hook. I noticed that even though they at first didn't seem to directly relate to my topic, it still got my point across (the importance of having one mode of communication).

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
I would have slowed down a little bit (especially in the beginning) so as not to forget some information that I had planned to say for the first few slides. I would also have modified the activity so that each person would be working on something instead of only one person per group working at a time.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
I think my answer #2 will be providing patient education.

Blog 14 – Interview 3 Preparation

For this interview, you will prepare 10 open-ended questions that focus on your newly approved EQ (in fact, your first question can be your EQ). Remember, all interviews must be done in person unless they are specifically approved by your house teacher. Additionally, one person may be interviewed a maximum of two times.

1. Who do you plan to interview? What is this person's area of expertise?
I plan to interview Alicia Cuento, MD. She is a pediatrician.


2. Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview. What is the date and time of the interview?
Friday, February 12 at 3:30pm


3. Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.
How else can I find more information on caring for patients?


4. Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC 2, possible experts to talk to, etc.).
What do doctors do to train for direct patient care?


5. Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ.
What does a team of medical professionals normally include?
What are some difficulties they might face in trying to provide patient-centered care?


The interview transcript  is due to turnitin.com with the 5-minute audio excerpt and entry to the blog on Friday, February 19th. In addition, you need to turn in the verification sheet to your house teacher.

Blog 13 – 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?
I am currently doing my mentorship at two locations:
a. Pax Pharmacy – 931 Buena Vista St #104, Duarte, CA 91010
b. Dr. Alicia Cuento – 931 Buena Vista St #100, Duarte, CA 91010

2. Who is your contact? What makes this person an expert?
a. Alicia Cuento, MD:
Dr. Alicia Cuento earned her medical degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, completed her internship at Christ Hospital in New Jersey and completed her residency at White Memorial hospital in Los Angeles. She has over 35 years of experience in pediatrics.

b. Michel Daher, PharmD:
Dr. Michel Daher earned his pharmacy degree from Oregon Health and Science University. He completed his internship at the university's Old Town Clinic. He technically has 2 years of experience in pharmacy. He owns a pharmacy, following the footsteps of his father who was also a pharmacist and had his own pharmacy.

3. How many hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in you Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).
So far I have done 20 hours of mentorship.
As previously discussed with Mr. Rivas, I am also completing my Independent Component #1 hours at the pharmacy by working extra hours.


4. Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.
a. I have not done any mentorship hours so far with Dr. Alicia Cuento during the school year (I did my summer mentorship hours with her) but I plan to complete more mentorship hours with her by shadowing her and helping her with whatever I am allowed to do (over the summer it was mostly paperwork).
b. At Pax Pharmacy, I have helped prepare some medicines for patients and worked on some paperwork. Since most of the work at the pharmacy can only be done by medical professionals, I think I might continue to do the same kind of work to complete the remaining hours.




*You need 50 hours plus the original 10 in the summer by May.   The original 10 from the summer do not count toward the 50.  By the end of the year, you will have 60 hours counting that original 10.

Blog 12 – Holiday Project Update

Me on the first day back to school

1. It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school. What did you do over the break with your senior project?
I actually got sick twice during break so I wasn't able to do as much as I had wanted to do.
I still continued my mentorship but I only went for one day instead of two days. I was, however, able to add a few more sources to my research.

2. What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why? What was the source of what you learned?
The most important thing that I learned from both my mentorship and my research is that communication between the patient and medical staff is very important. Once there was a patient who almost took too much of a medicine. The doctor misunderstood the patient's age and gave the wrong dosage. Luckily the pharmacist (aka my mentor :D ) caught the doctor's mistake and was able to fix it before giving the patient her medicine.

3. Your third interview will be a 10 question interview related to possible answers for your EQ. Who do you plan to talk to and why?
I plan to interview my mentor, Michel Daher, PharmD, for my third interview because I have already briefly discussed my senior project and working essential question with him.

Blog 11 – Lesson 1 Reflection

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?
I am not proud of anything in my lesson. Although I had memorized everything I had planned to say, I blanked out once I stood up. I had a mini panic attack a few minutes before it was my turn to present.
If I had to choose one thing to be proud of in my lesson, it would probably be the fact that I held my ground and tried to present as much content as possible to meet the time even though I had lost all of my courage to face the class and teach.

2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade 
using evidence from the component contract.
I would give myself a NC since I don't think I met the eight minute time. If I did meet it, I would give myself a CR or AP. I did reference my interview and my mentorship during my lesson but I don't think I was able to properly cite each resource I referred to. Also, since I forgot a lot of information I wanted to say, I don't think my research showed a lot of depth.

3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson? How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2?
I would probably try to speak slower and rehearse many times to all my friends and relatives so that I can get used to speaking to a large group of people.