Anatomy of a Physiology Major
2015; American Physiological Society; Volume: 30; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1152/physiol.00020.2015
ISSN1548-9213
Autores Tópico(s)Educational Leadership and Innovation
ResumoPhysiology Education: Student's CornerAnatomy of a Physiology MajorJennifer SedlerJennifer SedlerUniversity of Arizona, Tucson, ArizonaPublished Online:01 Jul 2015https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00020.2015MoreSectionsPDF (35 KB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat The How and “Why”: Becoming a Physiology MajorOver the duration of my undergraduate experience, I have gotten to know many of my peers' motivations for entering into the major of physiology, and I have found that we all are interested in physiology for very different reasons. Some students are enthralled by questions unanswered: why or how some mechanism of the body functions. Some experienced illness in the life of a loved one or in their own life, and it sparked a passion for medicine and pathology. Others were inspired by some prominent figure in a physiological field, whether it was a famous doctor or physiologist, or a parent or a friend. Whatever it was, we knew what I came to commonly refer to as our why. Our why was the reason we chose physiology: our inspiration, curiosity, and determination all melded together. And our why pushed us forward. Forward through quiet Friday nights in the library and early morning alarms. Forward through rigorous coursework that required our specialized focus and attention. Forward past the people who warned how difficult our chosen path through undergraduate and beyond would be, and forward through those who said we could not do it.I found my why when I met a little girl in high school. She admired my high school cheer team and me. She would always cheer along with us on the sidelines, and we even made her a cheer uniform and hair bow to bestow on her the title of honorary team member. Needless to say, when I later discovered that she was living with a life-threatening illness, my heart broke at the notion of her never reaching her dreams. Not because she wouldn't try hard enough or wasn't talented enough, but because her illness made hopes for a long-term future more difficult to grasp. I felt compelled to find a way to give her the support and hope she needed to keep fighting. So I asked her mother how I could help and was introduced to the organization HopeKids, which provides ongoing hope and support for children with life-threatening illnesses through free events and activities. And so began a many years-long journey as an advocate for the organization and the families it serves, which took me to numerous hospitals in Arizona and around the country, to the Top 5 at Miss America, where I competed as Miss Arizona 2011 with the platform of “Supporting Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses,” and, finally, to my newly realized goal of serving those children as a physician.When I began school at the University of Arizona, my original plans to attend as a dance major, for which I had been offered a scholarship, had changed, largely because of my experience with HopeKids. I took an interest in the science behind the children's treatments and the way their bodily systems worked together in combination with the medicine to make such drastic responses. I was astonished by the innovation that new technology was providing and the advancements that came with the intelligence of a treatment team. I watched the doctors work-responsibility on their shoulders and decisive in their collaborations–and set my sights on joining that team. I switched to a major in physiology within the first month of my freshman year, having never previously taken a physiology or anatomy course. It only took introductory human physiology and anatomy to be assured that this was what I wanted to study.What I Like Most About My Physiology Program and Translation from Classroom to White Coat“When am I ever going to use this?”–words uttered tirelessly by aggravated students across the country, but never once uttered by me. The Physiology major at the University of Arizona is built on a foundational understanding in a variety of the basic mathematics and sciences, including introductory physiology and anatomy, biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and math through calculus II. Although at times during the first 2 years it felt tedious completing these prerequisites, it afforded me a deep and thorough understanding of the mechanisms of complex physiological pathways and concepts. In my final 2 years, I found that I was repeatedly referring back to the foundational courses that were seamlessly integrated into the upper division physiology coursework.One thing I noticed almost immediately upon beginning my studies in the Department of Physiology at the University of Arizona was that I would never be without help, support, and options. From introductory physiology through upper division courses in cardiovascular and exercise physiology, every physiology professor I took class from was an expert in his/her field. They encouraged us to spend time in their office both for clarification and for digging deeper into the concepts, via either their own research or the latest research that had been done on the topic. As an additional bonus for those of us interested in the field of medicine, many of the professors also taught courses in the medical school curriculum at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. They set up our courses in a block schedule similar to that of the medical students, and we felt assured that we were getting the closest possible experience and information to what we would receive in the next step of our education.For anything else related to the major, e.g. advising, the Department of Physiology always had ready-to-help staff and a comprehensive list of ways to get more involved, be it in research, preceptorships, honors sections of courses or an honors senior thesis, internships, volunteer opportunities, on-campus clubs, etc. I took advantage of many physiology-related opportunities (in fact, at least one of each of the activities previously listed) and found that these supplementary activities caused something to change in my education; I no longer studied to ace a test, but instead I worked to understand, to integrate into real-life studies, and to apply to someday help others as a physician.In closing, as I prepare for the transition to the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson this fall, I am grateful for the course content and structure, the professors' research-based backgrounds and professionalism, and the myriad of opportunities available to students that are directly applicable to their future careers. I feel confident that completing my undergraduate career with a BS in Physiology from the University of Arizona has equipped me with the best possible preparation for the next steps in my educational and career pursuits.FOOTNOTESNo conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the author(s).This article has no references to display. Download PDF Previous Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByThe case for coordinating efforts to establish program guidelines and strengthen physiology undergraduate degree programsErica A. Wehrwein, Lisa C. Anderson, Anne R. Crecelius, Claudia I. Stanescu, James M. Poteracki, John R. Halliwill, Nancy Aguilar-Roca, and Jennifer Rogers29 September 2020 | Advances in Physiology Education, Vol. 44, No. 4 More from this issue > Volume 30Issue 4July 2015Pages 256-257 Copyright & Permissions©2015 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc.https://doi.org/10.1152/physiol.00020.2015PubMed26136538History Published online 1 July 2015 Published in print 1 July 2015 Metrics
Referência(s)