As I reflect on my semester of neurochemistry, I can’t help but think about all of the other things in my life and the way it has all come together. Two things really come to mind with this experience: growth and integration. I am all too familiar with living in the “science sphere” where everyone knows all the things you know and you get bogged down in reactions and complex names and endless facts to memorize. This semester taught me how to communicate this information with others. I also took a course on healthcare law and ethics in which I was the only student well-versed in science. Having fresh knowledge on neuroscience issues allowed me to spread the information clearly and educate a different group of people. To me, this is what BREWing is about. Each person has their own unique experiences, and this was just one way I was able to share my unique knowledge to affect others in a way that responsible engages the world.
Let’s be honest. When I started blogging, I hated it. I want to learn and share information, but adapting to the new structure was so fundamentally different from my writing about science that it made for a rather steep learning curve. However, I loved the idea. I found new issues I was passionate about and now had a platform to share it. I have always loved learning, but I have accused college of stealing that love with arduous assignment and requirements. Neurochemistry definitely changed that. Each Monday, I looked forward to the class discussion where we talked about the article and questions we needed answered to better understand it. Between then and Wednesday, we each researched a topic, and this became my favorite part. I loved learning to teach others and really found a passion with this. I have also been working on an experiential learning project at Concordia where I am teaching some basic neuroscience to children, and I have learned so much in the process while fostering a passion for teaching others in a way that can positively influence the world.
I may actually continue blogging, even if just for myself. Life is a journey and pursuing medicine is a long and arduous road full of roadblocks. I think that’s something I want to remember, both for myself and for others pursuing the calling who haven’t had an easy go of it.
My newfound ability to better comprehend academic articles in a way that allows me to communicate information at different levels will be extremely beneficial in my future career. I plan to become a neurologist, and communicating well with my patients will be essential to my success. I plan to stay extremely educated about new treatments and issues and m ability to understand scientific writing and communicate it to my patients will be an everyday skill I now have plenty of access to.
Overall, this semester was challenging. I was stretched to learn in ways I hadn’t before and had to make changes to succeed. But, I can say it was one of the most influential semesters of my college education. I learned about things that really matter in my day to day life. I learned about disease treatment, healthcare barriers, and how research works. After learning all of these things, I learned to share them effectively whether that be blogging, presenting, or just having a simple conversation. I am extremely thankful to Concordia for providing me a diverse learning experience and helping me see that whatever the plan for my life may be, it will work out.
