Next Class of Campers --
My advice for the class part is DO THE READING! It may seem like you can just
get away with not reading before class, but you get so much more out of
discussions for the week if you've read. The readings might be long some
weeks, but most are easy and interesting reads. And doing the reading is
pretty key for the weekly quizzes. Look at the reading guides for the
week online, they will help you with the quizzes. Stay with the reading,
but realize that as the semester goes on, you get a better feeling for what
Professor Wolosin wants in his answers and you start to get a better feeling
for what he wants in his quiz answers.
For the ER portion, my advice is to keep asking questions the first few times
you are there. Ask the nurses if they need help. Ask them if they think
anyone could use a visitor. Ask if you can shadow nurses, triage, or doctors
while they see patients. Ask if you can change beds. Ask visitors and
patients if they need anything. The more you ask right away, the more
willing they will be to give you jobs the next time you come in. Also,
don't be afraid to talk to people. I got the most out of the ER visits
when I sat for extended periods of time and learned the life stories of the
patients. Don't just talk to patients though, talk to every single person who
is in the ER. Visitors, janitors, technicians, and medics all have important
things to say and speaking to them gives you a way more fully rounded feeling
of the ER culture. Spend at least some time observing in the waiting
room. The moods in the waiting room and in the patient rooms are very
different, so observing there gives you an idea about how people feel before
they are admitted. Be sure you sign in to the system every week too because it
can get confusing in the end if you haven't had all of your sessions
recorded. GOOD LUCK!!
My advice to the next group of students:
1) Take advantage of the ER shifts. You really do learn a lot. At first I thought that I wasn't really learning that much and I felt purposeless being there, but when I wrote the second lab report I realized that I had actually gained a lot of insight into the ER and into medicine in general. Make an effort to meet the staff and the patients and to talk to people. This may take you out of your comfort zone (it definitely took me out of my comfort zone), but it's a great experience.
2) The quizzes can be pretty tough - you have to keep up with the readings. Check the reader's guides on the website.
3) He grades the lab reports very harshly so put a lot of detail in them. He's looking for thoroughness more than anything, so put all of the details in that you can think of. And start them early. The questions actually take a lot of insight to answer, so you want to give yourself time to think about your answers. The second lab report is very long (like three times longer than the first). Do not leave it to the night before.
4) Keep an open mind and try to think about all sides of the issues that are being brought up. You'll learn so much more if you let yourself be challenged. At the same time, don't be afraid to speak your opinion.
Dr. Bob: here's my advice...
Advice for the New Buckaroos and Buckarinas -
1: READ! Not only are the articles interesting, but they are extremely important to understand in order to do well on the quizzes. They're fun to discuss too.
2: Talk in class. We had some great discussions during our semester and there's definitely never a lack of material to debate.
3: Don't get behind on your ER shifts. You'll be busier later than you are now so you'll be relieved when you are on top of your hours as the semester ends.
4: It's ok to feel a little awkward in the ER at first. Not even halfway through the semester, you'll think it's hilarious that you had no idea what you were doing at the beginning. And that's a good thing.
5: Enjoy the class. It was one of my favorites while being here at ND, not only because of it's completely unique ER component, but because of the fantastic guest lecturers, field trips, and interesting material. It's something you'll end up looking forward to.
Advice to Future Campers:
1. Invest in the reading material. Most of it is pretty interesting and
understanding it can really help you look at medicine from a different
angle. And don't save it all for the day before class discussions, it can
be dense reading.
2. Be open and accepting, and be willing to change your mind on what you thought
you knew about medicine.
3. Don't worry about minute details - this is a big picture kind of class.
4. The ER is largely what you make of it, so make it a worthwhile experience
for yourself and especially the patients you meet.
5. Make a note of what you need to write about for the lab reports, and take
relevant notes during your time in the ER. The break room is a great
place to jot a few things down that you've seen during your shift.
Advice:
1. Look at the website for help with quizzes.
2. Feeling uncomfortable in the ER is normal. Just remember you belong there.
3. Relate what you learn from the readings to your own experience.
4. Engage in dialogues with as many people as you can. It will make your
experience more rich.
5. Do at least one longer shift (+8hrs) to get a better sense of what it's like
to work in the ER full time.
6. Don't be afraid to challenge your perceptions.
7. Enjoy the guest speakers and the field trips. They really enrich the course
material.
For future class takers: this is one of the most interesting and rewarding classes you can take if you are interested in a career in the medical field. However, you MUST put forth the effort in order to do well, so here some helpful tips that may help you succeed:
1. Stay on top of the readings. They can be quite long and some of the articles are pretty dense, so give yourself AT LEAST 2 hours to get through them thoroughly. Although you will discuss the material in class, you MUST read them in order to do well on the quizzes! Each point you lose in this class lowers your grade by ONE percentage point, so don’t take these quizzes lightly!
2. Use the Reader Guides and try to answer the sample quiz questions! At least 2 of them will appear on the actual quiz! Also, you can email Prof. Wolosin if you are confused about one of them, he’ll be more than happy to help. That’s why it’ll be helpful to starting reading earlier in advance.
3. While reading, take note on things that challenge your way of thought – those will be the most interesting to discuss in class.
4. In your lab reports, try to really incorporate concepts we learned in class in your answers. Application is the best way to show that you have truly mastered the material.
5. Professor Wolosin likes good writing, but also writing that is concise and to the point. Don’t try to be overly verbose or fancy, and try to explain answers from the book in your own words.
Good luck!
15 Points of Wisdom:
1. Be warned, if your dream is to become a doctor, this class will make you rethink that goal, which isn’t a bad thing.
2. Recognize that the ER is very different from the rest of the hospital and medicine in general.
3. Be sure to complete your ER shifts regularly and as early as possible. If you must miss an ER shift, make it up as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the last week of class.
4. Record the dates and hours you were in the ER. This will be helpful at the end of the semester.
5. The first couple of times in the ER can be intimidating and awkward. The best thing to do is to be friendly. Just asking if a patient needs something or if they are doing alright can go a long way.
6. There are a lot of people in the ER, both visitors and patients, who may need help but won’t speak up. Don’t be afraid to ask if they need assistance. It’s also good to just sit and talk with patients. You may just learn something.
7. Make notes of interesting events at the ER after shifts. This will help when writing the lab reports. After over 40 hours in the ER, some of the minor events may escape your memory.
8. Vary your shifts in the ER. Going on different days can open you up to some unique experiences. Some of the best experiences I had in the ER were on different days than I was originally scheduled for.
9. Although your weekends are valuable, do a late shift at least once on a Friday or Saturday. You’d be amazed at what you see.
10. Complete the readings each week. Although they are long, it is worth it. It also makes discussion sessions much more enjoyable and engaging.
11. Be sure to utilize an anthropological perspective, in both the ER and when reading. Analyze medicine as a unique culture. The minor details are usually important.
12. Use the reader’s guides. They will help you identify what to focus on in the readings to do well on the quizzes.
13. Start the lab reports early. Be sure to incorporate experiences from both the ER and the readings from the book.
14. Be sure to make use of the field trips and guest speakers. In some cases, they are real-life examples of topics discussed in the readings.
15. Get to know your classmates; it makes the class a lot more fun.
Pick up a highlighter and really do the readings each week because it will make the course a lot more manageable. Skimming a few minutes just before class doesn't allow you to contribute intelligently to discussion. Looking at the website at past questions helps immensely with knowing what do expect on the weekly quizzes. Don’t stress too much about the weekly quizzes because they are not the most fun things but do a good job of keeping you accountable for the readings. It will take a couple of weeks into the semester to get a feeling for what the professor would like to see in your answers (which can be very nitpicky) but don’t get too frustrated. When you are a discussion leader, put in the extra effort and try to make it fun and interesting so your classmates will enjoy your session and they’ll return the favor when it’s their turn. When guest speakers (medical students, residents, doctors, translators, patients, etc) come to present to the class, ask the questions that pop up in your head and don’t be shy- they came to speak to the class openly and want to answer your questions no matter how intrusive or inquisitive. During your ER shifts, talk to and befriend everyone! From janitors, to unit assistants, to doctors, to nurses, and of course patients…there are a ton of amazing people you will encounter and becoming acquainted with the familiar faces will make you feel so much more welcome each week. With reasonable expectations, realize early in the semester that you are not trained to do too much so even though some shifts will be exciting and busy, other shifts will seem a lot longer than 4 hours. Don’t feel unwanted/uncomfortable and take the opportunities to shadow the doctors when they step into the patient rooms. Finally, learn to clean the ER rooms and FAST!
In consideration of the two labs, you have to approach the ER shifts with a certain mindset. For the first few shifts, try to get a big picture view of the ER, making note of exceptional events. Then, begin to consider particular aspects of ER culture (touch, eye contact, etc.) to prepare for lab two.
Read the study guide questions before you start the weekly reading assignment. After reading, answer the questions. This will help highlight important aspects of the readings and prepare you for the quizzes.
It can be difficult to approach patients in the ER. Remember that you are doing an important job and be confident.
The staff are always appreciative when you empty the linen baskets. That’s a task that always seems to go undone.
Occasionally do a shift other than your assigned shift. It can be a good change of pace, and you might notice some differences among the nights.
Quiz points are important. Each question is a point on your final grade.
Advice to next year's campers:
Regarding the ER shifts...
- Keep yourself busy whenever possible. There's many things you can do in the ER, and if you run out of things to do, don't hesitate to ask a nurse, tech, or housekeeper. Every contribution counts in there, so don't hesitate to ask.
- Take notes after talking to a patient. Introduce yourself, your role, ask if the patient needs anything.... If you happen to learn something, definitely jot important realizations/reflections down and use it for your lab.
- Try, try, try to keep up with ER shifts. Missing a few shifts builds up towards the end and can make the last couple weeks of class really stressful. Even if you need to break it down to 2- or 3-hour shifts, it'd probably be better than missing entire shifts during the weeks.
Regarding labs...
- Start Lab 2 early - the amount of questions is pretty daunting, so be sure to at least read them after you complete Lab 1. You'll have a better idea of what to look for in the ER and a better idea of you, as well as your role, in the ER.
Regarding Discussion...
- Refer to the reader's guides first, including Wolosin's small intro on his website, then proceed to read the readings for the week. It might be useful to highlight any quotes/interesting points; It'll definitely help during discussion.
- Answer the questions to the readers's guides before taking the quiz - it will help you immensely and give you a better feel for how discussion might go.
- If you have time, write a little "wrap-up" note in 1-2 sentences, wrapping up the discussion/readings. It may help you for the final class/lab reports and serves as a good refresher.
- Don't be afraid to contribute in class - even if it's a random thought or opinion - your classmates will appreciate it and if you don't, you'll probably get called upon eventually.
- As you're reading, try to think about why Wolosin included the article/discussion... "Why is this important?"... "What does this have to say about medicine?"
Most importantly, keep an open mind and don't be afraid to speak up if you have something to say. I've found this class to be extremely thought-provoking.
Besides the readings, set some time to reflect on what you're listening to, what you're looking at, where you're going during your field trip... There is so much to learn apart from the textbooks, I guarantee it.
Dear Future Campers,
Cultural Aspects of Clinical Medicine has been one of my favorite classes at Notre Dame. However, if you don't stay on top of the readings and your work, it is easy to fall behind in points and ER hours. Here are a few suggestions to get the most out of this class, as well as getting a good grade:
-Do the readings early! I found that doing the readings over the weekend really helped because you have more time to take in the material and read thoroughly.
-Look at the questions on Professor Wolosin's website for each week's readings and write down the answers for yourself. This is a great way to review the day before the reading quizzes and master the concepts of each reading.
-Don't fall behind on your ER hours! It is very easy to say that you are too busy to go one day, but once you skip the first time, it's much easier to skip other times...not to mention you don't want to be making up a bunch of ER shifts in the last week of school.
-Pick activities for class discussions that gets everyone involved or invokes a bit of debate, I found these types of discussions to be the best ones we had.
-Don't be afraid to speak up in class or ask questions. The information you learn will open your eyes to a lot of aspects of healthcare that you probably didn't realize before and will help you in your future careers.
Good Luck!!
Here is my advice:
Cultural Aspects of Clinical Medicine is not a typical university
course. The readings you will complete, the discussions in which you
will engage, and the scenarios that you will witness and experience in
the ER will challenge your assumptions and your intentions as a
student, volunteer, and aspiring professional. Thus, your goal for
this class should be twofold: to grow stronger academically, and to
grow stronger personally. I will share advice for each.
How to maximize academic growth:
1. Divide the readings into two parts so that they seem more
manageable and so that you can more genuinely engage the ideas as you
read.
2. Take brief notes as you read, and then compile them into a chart
that compares the different authors' perspectives. It is illuminating
to observe how uniquely the different authors explore these various
issues.
3. Quiz yourself with the on-line questions before you go to class.
4. Plunge into the discussions. Share your insights. Make yourself
vulnerable. Say what you believe and ask about the things that puzzle
you, even if you feel stupid or your idea seems counter to those that
you have previously explored. The perspectives presented in this class
are unique and enlightening, so it makes sense that your perspectives
will be, too.
5. Ask questions of the guests who visit the class. They have a lot of
experience from which to draw unique insights.
How to maximize personal growth:
1. Approach the ER shifts with a positive attitude and an eagerness
for learning.
2. Introduce yourself to the nurses, and continue to talk to them from
week to week in order to strengthen your relationships. Strong
relationships with the nurses will ensure a rich volunteering
experience.
3. Step out of your preconceived role at the ER. You are officially a
liaison, practically a volunteer, but you can do whatever needs to be
done. Change a bed. Converse with a patient. Accompany the technicians
as they make their rounds. If you do all of this and consistently
display an eagerness to help, then the nurses or doctors may even
invite you to observe a procedure.
If you follow the above eight principles, then your Cultural Aspects
experience will be challenging, exciting, and fulfilling.
A few pieces of advice for next year’s students:
1. Don’t worry if your first few shifts in the ER are awkward or daunting. After the first few trips, all the nurses and techs recognize you, you develop a basic routine of tasks, and the entire experience is generally more comfortable and enjoyable.
2. Make use of the reading guides online. Not only do they contain most of the quiz questions in some form or another, but they help to synthesize and related the readings into a connected whole.
3. Try to work with a partner: they provide company, help to divide the work up, and make slow shifts more enjoyable.
4. Make friends in class: it’s a tiny class, and there’s a lot of discussion, so if you put yourself out there you’ll really get to know people much better than you might in a 300-person lecture hall.
5. Stay positive: you’ll learn a lot about the negative aspects of medicine, or those areas that need care, but recognize that much improvement is possible and occuring as we speak.
6. Have fun! There are so many opportunies, whether in class, the ER, or the various field trips, to meet new people, socialize, and explore. This is a far cry from the dry memorization of a 10-pound textbook, so the more vitality you put into it, the more you’ll enjoy the whole experience.