Shadowing (First 5 Hours)

This past week, I was able to begin my shadowing hours for the semester; working towards the 20-hour goal for the entirety of the semester. This week, I had the privilege of shadowing a nurse practitioner at a weight loss clinic in Johnson City, TN. This was so different than any other office that I have shadowed in as of yet, and it changed my perspective for how I had viewed weight loss clinics in the past. Previously, I had not given much thought to the workings of a weight loss clinic, and I figured they were just basically passing out diet pills to help customers lose weight. Through this shadowing experience, I learned that this was not necessarily the case.

     There are a lot more to weight loss clinics than one may be able to immediately bring to mind. At this office, the provider (along with the staff) stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle including exercise and a well-balanced diet. Yes, there are some medications/injections that are given to the patients in order to help them “kick-start” their energy and or suppress cravings and overbearing appetite, but that is not the primary focus of this clinic. They truly want their patients to succeed in their weight loss journeys and offer encouragement for every step along the way. The patients come in for a monthly weigh in and to pick up any prescriptions that they may be getting. At this appointment, they discuss with the provider how they have implemented previous health style discussions into their own lives, how they feel that they have done with progress, and whether or not they faced any issues throughout the month that may have had adverse effects on their weight loss. The provider then tells the patient whether they need to “keep doing what they are doing” or whether or not some aspects of their efforts need to be modified in order to produce an overall healthier being.

I found it very interesting how the providers tied everything back to weight, many of which I was not total aware of. One’s body weight affects so much when it comes to health and preventative measures. Excess weight can affect anything from back/leg pain and overall discomfort to cardiac/respiratory issues and organ failure. The hope that this clinic and its providers hold is that they are making a difference in their patient’s health and helping them to protect themselves from serious ailments.

All in all, shadowing here has been a very interesting and informative experience. I learned a lot about nutrition/exercise (including small activities that one does not normally associate with exercising) and about how body weight and one’s BMI can affect so many other things. I plan on coming back to this clinic to shadow more later on in the semester and hope to continue to learn more about the importance of advocating for a healthy lifestyle when working with patients.

Deadly Medicine?!

     Today I had the pleasure of visiting the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University. As I have stated in previous blogs, I love stopping by the Reece Museum and checking out what exhibits they have going on throughout the year. The exhibit that they are now featuring, struck a chord with me because it involves something that I am very passionate about. The current exhibit being featured here is called, “Deadly Medicine”. The featured artwork consists of pictures, letters, and documentaries that focus on medical practices throughout history (mostly surrounding the time of Nazi power and Hitler in Germany) that were widely practiced and were generally thought of as helpful and healing for the human body or for the human race as a whole.

     This exhibit was different than any others that I had seen before because the focus was not necessarily on the pictures, although they did have a major effect on the impact these stories and documentaries had on the audience. Rather the point of this exhibit was to show the audience what was believed by government officials and many medical practitioners of this times and how the decisions they made based on this affected the people.

     The main topic discussed throughout the exhibit was Eugenics. Basically, the government was advising “more valuable” people in society to have large families, while making every effort to sterilize everyone else. The people were given a list of “commandments for finding a mate” to ensure that there was no mixing of races, class, and potential illness. Sterilization was considered more humane than euthanasia, though both were used commonly. This did not just include adults, but also affected children. Babies who were born premature were seen as lacking in necessary components of life and were euthanized. This was considered a “mercy death” so that the child did not have to deal with their “certain” disabilities later on. This hit home with me because I was born 2 months early. The fact that they wanted to destroy a human life on any grounds, but most certainly without knowing if their estimation regarding mental capacity and capabilities was true, infuriates me. I turned out just fine, and it is so sad because many of these other children would have as well.

     All in all, this exhibit was very intriguing. I loved that it incorporated so many different types of information, and that it gave such a clear picture of what this “deadly medicine” was like. This exhibit shows the darker side of medical history, and how, especially at that time in history, it can be twisted by political interventions. I would highly recommend everyone check it out. “Deadly Medicine” will remain in the Reece Museum until 09/28/17 and no matter what your interests are, you will be intrigued by this display and leave with more knowledge of this period in history and a deeper understanding of how medical theories affect history, than what you entered with.

ETSU Colloquium Year 2 Semester 1

Hello Everyone!

As the semester commences, and I begin my Sophomore year at ETSU, I have decided to continue this blog for my colloquium course, detailing my new adventures. I am so excited for my second year and for all of my classes. I am even more excited for getting more involved on campus! Last year, I was still slightly intimidated by the idea of being on a college campus and was very overwhelmed by the newness of everything. I feel that this year is going to be so much better. Instead of anxiety, I have been filled with eager anticipation for classes, organization meetings, meeting new people, and learning more about the people I met last year. I cannot wait to see how this semester goes and to share my experiences with everyone who takes time to read my blog.

Thank you,
Savannah