My Field of Study

My major is Pre-Physiology. What is that you ask? Well, in its simplest form, physiology is the study of living organisms and how they work. Why is there a "pre" in front of it? Students must apply at the end of their sophomore years to actually become a "physiology major"; furthermore, they must be well educated in the following areas:

• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physics
• Biology
• Anatomy and Physiology

Once all these general courses are completed (typically between sophomore and junior year), more major specific classes are taken dealing with the bodily systems.

Once I graduate as a physiology major, there are a plethora of options open to me; for example, I have the ability to apply for further medical schooling, or to go into research. If you have further interest on specific career options, feel free to visit the University of Arizona's physiology website here.

What drew me to this field was my childhood. Ever since I was a little girl, I fell in love with the idea of becoming a doctor and helping people. I just feel that the field is so rewarding, and that you can make someone's life better when treating them. So, in high school, I took four medical classes, became a student aide to our school's athletic trainer, and shadowed both an orthopedic surgeon and physical therapist. These experiences helped me narrow my specific field to sports medicine.

This is a photo my mother took of me in 2013 when my high school (Chandler High School from Chandler, AZ) played St. John Bosco (from Bellflower, CA) in Mission Viejo, CA for a nationally televised game. I am the blonde one holding out the water bottle to the player, as I was one of the student aides for our sports medicine program. 

Leaders in the field of medicine are typically researchers and physicians that have substantially contributed to ground breaking medical discoveries. There are people that are heads of their specific fields across the country, such as head surgeons, and there are people like Pamela Wible, M.D. that have received awards for being the 2015 Women Leader in Medicine. (For more on her and her accomplishments visit this article).

In the field of medicine, the main form of communication and education is scholarly articles and journals. There are hundreds of journals to read and choose from, but some of the ones that are most well known are listed below:

1. The Journal of the American Medical- JAMA is one of the most well known medical journals. They publish countless journals and articles that help to keep people updated on the newest discoveries and findings in the medical field; they can be found all over the site.
2. The American Journal of Sports Medicine- This specific journal is more tailored to my interest in sports medicine. Here, researchers discuss various factors that can affect orthopedics as well as athletes and their sports. Clicking on the various years allows you to read a number of archives.
3. Skeletal Muscle Journal- This journal is also more tailored to orthopedics and sports medicine. This journal is a little more difficult to read as it contains quite a bit of medical jargon. Links to specific articles can be clicked on from the front page, and to the right of those specific articles are PDF options.

So in general, my field of study involves a lot of research and background knowledge, and even though it is rigorous, I know it will be extremely rewarding, and that I will be passionate about my future career.

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Reflection

I read and commented on both Katie's blogpost and the other Cati's blogpost regarding their individual fields of study. From their posts, I learned a lot about what influences other individuals to choose their fields. Katie's field is biology, which is actually somewhat similar to my field of physiology; we both are aspiring to be a part of the medical field, so it showed me a different approach to becoming a part of it. Hearing about her work reminds me of how much science it is going to take to reach my goal, but I am ready to embrace it and try my hardest. Cati is electing to major in business management, and although it is not completely related to the science of medicine, it does deal with the business side of the field.  Reading about her dreams to open her own clothing store makes me realize it would be interesting to open my own medical practice one day, if the times allow it. I think both of their fields of study are critical in today's world, and found their posts to be very informative and beneficial.