So I know most of my blogs discuss the more fun things about this study abroad, but I guess I should occasionally give you guys (for whoever actually reads this thing) the run down on how the STUDY part of study abroad is going. I'll start with the not so fun part of school so I can end on a positive note. Funny enough, all my least favorite classes are engineering classes: BMEN 211 (Signals and Systems for Engineers), differential equations, and BMEN 253 (Medical Device Design). As I'm sure you can already tell by the names of these classes, these aren't quite as fun and interesting as physiology and history of medicine. We just recently had our first test of the semester in BMEN 211, and while I feel like I did decently on it, I know it will only get harder from here. When we are not traveling around, a normal school day usually goes from 9-5 (it changes weekly), except for on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have differential equations from 7:00-8:15 at night. These nights are pretty rough, and the only thing that gets me through is the thought of coming back home to a delicious home cooked meal from Mandy, my host mom.
On the other hand, I guess I should mention that I absolutely love Dr. Wasser's physiology class. This semester, we are learning about the cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal systems, two of which happen to be in Dr. Wasser's specific field of research. We are currently still in the cardiovascular system unit, which is by far the most interesting system in the body that I have learned about so far. Dr. Wasser not only discusses the information in the textbook, but also brings in specific discoveries from his prior research that make the information all the more interesting. I am thoroughly considering pursuing a career in cardiology after this unit. What makes this class even cooler is the Enmodes project, which lines up perfectly with what we are learning in class. Although I can't discuss any details of the project, we are working on the design of an artificial lung (ECMO device), a task which requires extensive knowledge about both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In addition to physiology and the Enmodes project, I am also enjoying the history of medicine class. In it, we have been discussing how ancient peoples viewed medicine, and how the perception as well as use of medicine has dramatically shifted over the centuries.
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