Benefits of Working Out

By: Toby K.

            Working out is not just good to keep you in shape. While getting physically in shape is the main reason people work out, it can do even more things for a person’s mental health. A main positive of working out is improving self-confidence. The saying “look good, feel good” is very true; when a person likes how they look, they will start to ooze confidence. This is due to a release of endorphins from your brain that cause the body to feel a happy sensation. These chemicals can cause you to like how you look, and also perform better with whatever you are doing.

            Another advantage to working out is to alleviate anxiety and reduce stress. Lifting weights or even hitting a punching bag can help to let out a lot of the stress that piles up during the day.  So next time you are worried, or mad at anything, just put on some shorts, go outside and run around the park. Not only will you see some really cool sights, but your mind and body will thank you too. Whether you are running around, climbing a mountain, or even just playing basketball with your friends, working out has a numerous amount of benefits to the human body.

Source URL: http://greatist.com/fitness/13-awesome-mental-health-benefits-exercise

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Prompt 3: Interviewing a Professional in the Medical Field

By: Mackenzie L.

Today, I interviewed Heather, a Medical Assistant. She has worked in the medical field since she was 19 years old and has been working for about 29 years. Heather has worked in many different medical areas with in the medical field, such as, Orthopedics (works with muscular-skeletal), Ophthalmology (study of eyes), Nursing Home and in the Hospital. 

She started in a Nursing Home, this is where she was trained to be a medical assistant. She never thought she would go into the medical field until she was offered this job by a friends dad. When she first started she was scared that she was not going to be able to stomach others bodily fluids and not pass out because of it. But, as she learned, she found it to get easier and was able to catch on quick. Heather, is able to learn things quick and you have to if you choose to work in the medical field because you could work in many different areas.

Heather said that if she could give advice to someone going into the medical field it would be to take your time and start at the bottom work your way up. She found, when working in the hospital, that a lot of Medical students that finally reach their clinical rotation (usually abut 3 or so weeks before they graduate) they realize that the are unable to do this job. These students were almost done with medical school and when they get their first real life experience of their job they find it isn't what they want to do. Heather told me that if your looking to go into the medical field start at the bottom, get a job were you see what it is like to be a doctor or physician assistant before you pay all the money for school.

When asked, what medical professional do you find the most interesting to work with, Heather answered physician assistants. Her reason was that PAs have time to teach you knew things. Where as a doctor is always busy with patients. A PA can take their time an tell you why they are doing the treatment and Heather said, she always likes to learn new things. When asked what she disliked about the medical field it was about cost and wanting to help people that do not want to be helped. She also finds it hard not to get attached to a patient and when they pass away, not being upset about it. It would be hard to lose a patient that you helped for months or even years.

Heather has worked hard for years in the medical field. She knows what she is talking about and is always using her knowledge of it in her day to day life.

Prompt #8: Practicing Knowledge

By: Shane S.

Even before we begin our specialized classes and internships, we practice the field we will be journeying into. Every day, we may not realize it, but we notice things and do things only people of your own interest would recognize. I had an experience today that reflected my interest in the medical field and the specialization of thought we feel every day.

Over the past week and a half, I've had a congested nose and a sore throat. I didn't think anything of it as these illnesses happen this time of year and go away on its own. Today I woke up and my nasal canals were slightly swollen and sore. I knew right from there this wasn't a run-of-the-mill cold.

First thing I did was research what illness it could possibly be. I knew it wasn't strep throat as I've had that many times, and when I catch it, I become very lethargic and achy. I felt fine, I was just very congested and the inner lining of my nose was swollen. I found information on chronic sinusitis, which would cause a swelling of the nasal canal, but in that case, there would be swelling around my eyes and on the visible part of my nose. I knew that wasn't what I had caught/ developed.

On the website I found, it did mention rhinitis as another possible diagnosis. I researched that and found that rhinitis was caused by allergies, which I don't have. I did, however, find information on non-allergic rhinitis, which would be a mild case of a sinus infection. All the symptoms matched up, congested nose, sore throat, moderate swelling.

Even with my own diagnosis, I thought it would be best to get a professional to look at my illness. The physician concluded that I had a sinus infection. I brought up what I had researched and said I thought it was non-allergic rhinitis. He was shocked I was that specific in my own diagnosis, and followed up by saying that was indeed what I had, he just simplified it.

As a pre-medical student, I do things a normal person wouldn't necessarily do. Even if I know I'm going to schedule an appointment with a doctor, I still do my own research as to what condition or sickness I have. I go in-depth and examine all of my symptoms and research what matches best. This is the same as someone who is in the engineering field looking at new models of cars and recognizing problems with them. We all do things in our own ways and we all think differently than one another. These thoughts are formed by our interests and goals to be what we want to be.

URL: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-sinusitis/basics/definition/con-20022039
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/nonallergic-rhinitis
http://www.hmh.net/ContentMgmt/uploads/Surgical%20Specialist/Allergic%20rhinitis.png

Dog Food.

By Allyse S.

Grains make up a large portion of the ingredients that are found in human junk food, AKA food that is bad or unhealthy. Why? Because grain is cheap. The ingredient list for dog food is not something that someone will typically look at when they decide on a brand for their pooch. When it is finally looked at, Whole Grain Corn is the first thing on the list. Now, nutrition labels list the ingredients in order of the quantity in the food, so the main thing you are feeding your dog is whole grain corn. Probably not what was expected.

In the wild, dogs eat a variety of things but at the top of that list is raw meat. Grain is something that a dog in the wild would never eat. Its not natural. Along with their diet of meat, they will eat things like bones and sometimes fruits and vegetables. Things like soybean or canola oil, corn syrup, and artificial colors are other ingredients that you would never find a dog eating. The same crap that is put into our junk food, is also put in dog food. One way to look at it is that dog food is our fast food. Both are heavily processed with a lot of added garbage.

Some scary statistics that we may not realize are that 40% of dogs are obese. 46% of both dogs and 36% cats now die from cancer. Along with several other diseases now becoming more prominent than ever before. We should take a closer look at what we are putting into their bodies. Chicken by-product meal.

What exactly is an animal by-product?
In short, it is the remainder of a production animal after the edible parts have been removed. You know, the parts that are "not intended for human consumption". This includes but is not limited to...

-Feet

-Backs

-Livers

-Lungs 

-Heads

-Brains

-Spleen

-Frames 

-Kidneys

-Stomachs

-Intestines

-Undeveloped eggs

Don't worry, the rest of the by-products like livers, hearts, gizzards, and necks can be sold as edible meats and are made into foods like hot dogs and bologna.

Most people wouldn't eat these parts of animals. Why should your dog. The pet food industry is making profit from tons of waste products.

What makes some of the by-products edible is the process that takes place after slaughter. Inedible by-products that are not used for canned food goes through a process that they call rendering. Where all the unused by-products are boiled down so that the water is removed. intentional over cooking. The residue of this is then baked and what is left is a powder that they call by-product meal. If you ever encounter a generic by-product such as meat meal or animal by-product meal, you should realize that these products can contain road kill, dead zoo animals, dead upon arrival poultry, euthanized pets from animal shelters, and diseased or dying livestock.

Gross, right?

Rasmusen, Jan. "Dogs Naturally Magazine." Dogs Naturally Magazine. Dogs Naturally, 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Mary. "Read Any Ingredient Labels Lately?" Web log post. Petworks Blog. Castor & Pullux Natural Petworks, 7 Sept. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Fear, Craig. "Why You Should Stop Feeding Your Dog Commercial Dog Food." Fearless Eating. Fearless Eating, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
"The Truth About Animal By-Products." Dog Food Advisor. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Prompt 8: Identifying an Experience

By: Megan Aldworth

A few summers ago I moved far away from my home to live with my grandparents, and complete an internship at McLaren Northern Michigan hospital. Living with grandparents and working all summer may not sound very fun, but I can say with certainty that it was a total learning experience.

I worked two jobs and three days a week I would go to the hospital and complete four hour shifts in the emergency department. I would restock rooms, organize supply carts, and transport patients to different departments within the hospital. To start out my shift, I would go room to room restocking materials and cleaning any rooms that patients were discharged from. If a room needed hospital gowns, towels, gauze, cotton swabs, alcohol wipes, or any other items, I would be the one to replenish them. I learned about many different medical materials that I never knew existed. Walking into a medical supply room is quite shocking, it is amazing to see the many different items hospitals must supply in order to treat patients.

            
After completing rounds in restocking rooms, I had to stay near the nurse’s station and wait for any orders to transport patients. A place I frequently took patients to was the CT scan room. The medical staff in the radiology unit were quite busy, typically they would have many patients in a row to run scans for. I was able to see the scans take place and shadow the doctors who assessed these scans. It is quite interesting seeing the inside of a person’s body shown on a computer screen, while you can see the outside of their body through a window.

Because I spent quite a bit of time in the emergency department, I was able to shadow doctors during certain procedures. One procedure I will never forget witnessing is a cardio version. A cardioversion takes place when someone’s heart rate is very fast, the procedure uses an electric current to convert the heart rate back to a normal rhythm. I was standing in the corner of the room while the cardiologists on duty assisted multiple nurses in administering a cardioversion to the patient, saving the patients life. During this procedure I had a sort of epiphany, the realization hit me that I wanted to be in that doctors shoes one day, saving a life and leading nurses in administering a life saving treatment.

            
Like I said, that summer was a total learning experience. I was able to acquire more knowledge about the medical field and also gain the knowledge of knowing what I desired to be when I grow up. I am so glad I had the chance to get a hands-on experience in the medical field, and I recommend to anyone interested in pursing a career in the medical field to do the same. Shadowing, volunteering, and talking to medical professionals are all great ways to get exposure into the medical field.

Picture 1: "Northern Anesthesia Providers PC." Northern Anesthesia Providers PC. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Picture 2: "Cheboygan Life." Cheboygan Michigan McLaren Northern Michigan Cheboygan Campus Comments. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.