Gopika RajanikanthBiological Sciences Senior and pre-Genetic Counseling The Undergraduate Global Health Certificate is offered through the Global Studies Department of Pitt’s University Center for International Studies (UCIS). The last two years have shown us how global the impact of Covid-19 has been and why understanding global health is important. Many biology majors are interested in healthcare professions or public/global health. The Undergraduate Global Health Certificate is a great way to take courses across various disciplines and learn more about the field of global health. The certificate is only 18 credits and can easily overlap with general education requirements. Requirements To earn the global health certificate, you must take six courses: one required course, two core courses, and three elective courses. The required course everyone must take is Introduction to Global Health (PUBHLT-1001). Then you must take two core courses. Some of the courses which fulfill this requirement include Global Health History (HIST-0709), Introduction to Global Studies (PS-0550), and Applied Statistical Methods (STAT 1000). And finally, you must take three electives. Here is a complete list of all the core and elective courses offered in the spring 2022 semester. The final requirement for the certificate is the creation of a digital portfolio. This allows students to reflect on their coursework and show what they have learned through the completion of the certificate. (Check out an example!) My Experience I initially decided to pursue the global health certificate in my sophomore year. At this time, I was already enrolled in STAT 1000, a course many biology majors take, which I learned satisfied one of the core courses for the certificate. When I did more research, I realized that many of the electives I could take would also fulfill various Dietrich School general education requirements. The second core course I decided to take was Patients and Healers: Medical Anthropology 1 (ANTH-1761). The three electives that I decided to take were Morality and Medicine (HPS 0613), Medical Sociology (SOC 0477), and Global Pharmaceuticals (ANTH 1726). Morality and Medicine fulfills the Philosophical Thinking/Ethics general education requirement, and global pharmaceuticals fulfills the Global Issues requirement. So, I only had to take three courses outside of my major and general education requirements to satisfy the certificate requirements. One of my favorite courses that I’ve taken towards the certificate was Medical Sociology with Dr. Slammon. We discussed topics such as how various factors, including socioeconomic status, affect access to healthcare, different health care systems globally, and how the profession of medicine was established in the United States. The global health certificate is a great way to learn more about the field of global health, which could be helpful for many different students. I’ve enjoyed taking all my classes towards the certificate and definitely recommend considering pursuing it.
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Jacob FrenchmanBIOSC Senior and pre-med student Hey everyone! It’s Jacob, one of the peer advisors. I am a senior Biological Sciences major hoping to attend Medical School after I graduate. I am pursuing a minor in chemistry and a certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of medicine. One of the most rewarding activities I have been involved with here at Pitt has been serving as a Teaching Assistant because I benefited greatly from my TAs, and relish in the fact that I can now help peers that are in the same position as I was. I love to share my passion for science with my students and hopefully this passion will encourage them to explore it themselves. I first started being a TA in the fall semester of my sophomore year as a Foundations of Biology teaching assistant. I had never been involved in teaching before, but it seemed like a fun way to challenge myself and help my peers. As the semester went on, working as a teaching assistant became even more fun because I met lots of new people and built lasting relationships with students, peers, and my professor. However, TAing definitely has not been easy. After my first few office hours, it became abundantly clear that knowing biology was not enough to be an effective TA, the confusion on my students’ faces was apparent, and the sessions left all of us feeling disappointed. Learning to teach material I am passionate about has not only challenged my understanding of the material I teach, but also my ability to communicate with others. These challenges are what make the teaching experience so much fun for me. Along with my fellow Foundations of Biology UTAs, I led recitations, created homework problems, and held weekly (in-person) office hours! It was so exciting (and at first, intimidating!) to stand in front of the class and work through questions with the students. The weekly sessions around the Hillman library whiteboards, and Wednesday night Clapp L9 recitations, are memories I will always cherish and seeing the joy in my peers’ eyes when they score well on exams is one of my favorite feelings. However, when the pandemic thrust us all into a world of uncertainty, we traded the Hillman whiteboard for the zoom whiteboard. While the environment was much different, it felt like a renewed challenge. After over a year of zoom office hours, I am so excited to be back in the classroom working as a UTA. This time, however, I am teaching Organic Chemistry in Chevron. While these classes differ, the satisfaction of hearing about my students’ successes is universal. Now that I am a senior, some of students I used to teach have also became UTAs alongside me and my older peers. It is such an amazing feeling to see this exponential impact and pay forward the help I received. For any of my peers looking to try their hand at teaching and mentorship, I highly recommend getting involved as a UTA. If you want to talk more about becoming a UTA or want to talk about anything BIOSC or non-BIOSC make an appointment with Madison or me and swing by our Monday 3-4 PM Office hours in Clapp Hall (Clapp L1)! Eric JordahlSenior Molecular Biology (Cell & Developmental Biology) major & pre-PhD As first semester seniors, my friends and I are all in the same mindset, “What’s next?”. It is quite scary for us to think about a life outside of Pitt, away from our friends and comfort zones, into the workforce, medical school, or graduate school. I know for a long time, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be a medical doctor, a pediatric cardiologist, to be exact. I wanted to work in a hospital, see patients, and meet new people every day, helping to treat what ails them. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a life I could see myself in, but it is not the life that I want anymore. Since November of my freshman year (2018), I have been a member of the O’Donnell Lab, a molecular and cell biology lab in the Department of Biological Sciences. Since joining this lab, even when working as a lab aide, not a researcher, I have found a home. I sincerely enjoy all things research, from reading papers to cell culturing, I certainly found my niche. Anyone who knows me, knows that I can talk about my research for hours and never get tired of it, but I won’t subject you all to that here. What I have learned about myself from these experiences, however, is that I was not on the right path when I was only pre-med. It may have been right for someone else, but not for me. With that said, I thought the right path for me was pursuing an MD and a PhD. For a long time, this was it, I had finally found the right thing for me, a mixture of the career I once thought that I wanted, and the research I fell in love with. I spent almost all of sophomore year and the beginning of junior year thinking that this was the right path for me. It was not until I did some reflecting last year after a summer research fellowship that I realized this was not meant for me either. Now, I am a first semester senior looking towards graduate school to get my PhD in Cell or Molecular Biology. I can honestly say, I never would have thought of myself as someone to change paths 3 different times since entering undergrad. I was so sure that medicine was the right direction for me, but now I look back and smile at the prospect of it. I held onto the idea that I was supposed to be a doctor for so long, not because it was what I wanted, but because I had been told it was the right path, and I believed it. I guess what I have learned and will pass on as advice is really do not let anyone else decide your path for you. If you feel something itching at you saying, “this is not right”, listen to it. I now am taking the next strides toward applying to graduate programs for after graduation. However, this process is one that is much less clearly outlined than that of applying to medical school. Many schools have different requirements than others: for example some require the GRE, but most no longer require it. Some schools have a common application base, like applying to undergrad (except for at Pitt), but many do not. This is a road that I must really take my time on, and make sure that I am fully prepared to venture down this path with my head on straight, eyes on the goal ahead of me. I am happy to be putting myself out there, but it comes with much anxiety too. I am constantly asking questions, “Is my GPA too low? Am I involved enough” Are my Recommendation Letters good enough?” and so much more. The best advice I have heard, no matter how cliché it is, is to truly take it one day at a time. If you jump too far forward, you are bound to lose your footing somewhere. So, plant your feet, set yourself a strong base, and walk this line one day at a time, not forgetting your goal destination. I know I will be! I am happy to speak to anyone who wants to reach out and has any questions about my journey, me, my research, or just want to talk to someone who they think shares a common experience. Please feel free to reach out, my email is [email protected] Madison PalmieroBIOSC Senior and Pre-PA The Certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine (CFM) is offered by Pitt’s department of History and Philosophy of Science. A certificate, like a minor, is a great addition to your degree and can be a great way to satisfy gen-eds. Unlike a minor, a certificate is usually inter-departmental - requiring classes from multiple departments. The CFM certificate consists of 18 credits and can be easily incorporated into even a busy schedule. The focus on the conceptual and social side of medicine offers an invaluable perspective for anyone wishing to pursue a career in the health professions. Requirements The two main courses required for this certificate are Mind and Medicine (HPS 0612) and Morality and Medicine (HPS 0613), which satisfies the Philosophical Thinking gen-ed. Another requirement is a two-term biology course, which is easy to fulfill as a biology major! Lastly, you need two elective courses that deal with historical, social, or conceptual topics related to biomedical sciences. These courses can be taken from a variety of departments, which allows you to add something different to your schedule. The HPS website has a full list of approved courses, but here are some examples: Anthropology of Food (ANTH 1752), Intro to Health Economics (ECON 0220), Drugs in Global History (HIST 1706), Psychology of Personality (PSY 0160), and Medical Sociology (SOC 0477). Many of these electives satisfy gen-ed requirements! Each course must be passed with a C letter grade, and the average for all required courses should be a C+ or higher. My Experience I heard about this certificate fall semester of sophomore year, which was my first semester at Pitt. I had already taken a two-term biology course at the college I transferred from, and one of the electives I was taking that semester happened to be on the list of approved electives for the certificate. This meant that I only needed three more classes to fulfill the certificate requirements, which I thought I could easily work into my schedule for my remaining two years. The elective course I took that semester was Introduction to Biomedical Ethics (PHIL 0360), which was the first philosophy course I had ever taken. I enjoyed the class and realized that I liked learning about philosophy, especially when it related to my future career. During my fall semester junior year, I took Morality and Medicine with Dr. Sandra Mitchell, and it was one of my favorite courses I’ve taken at Pitt. As the name suggests, we discussed various ethical dilemmas, such as MD-assisted suicide, but we also discussed medicine in terms of social and political systems. During that same semester, I took Psychopathology (PSY 0205) as my second approved elective. Psychopathology was considered an upper level psychology class, and we discussed a wide variety of psychological diseases, but overall it was not a difficult class. This semester, I am currently taking Mind and Medicine with Dr. Jason Rampelt, and it has been great so far. My Advice I would strongly recommend this certificate program to anyone pursuing a career in the health professions. If you are considering this certificate, here are a few suggestions for planning which courses to take and when to take them.
Apart from being a nice addition to your resume and current major and minors, there is a lot that can be learned from this certificate and applied to a future career in medicine. As science majors, much of our focus is on the science side of medicine, but the conceptual side is important as well. Ethics and morality, along with the social and political aspects of medicine are great subjects to be knowledgeable about and aware of when pursuing a career in the health professions. |
Pitt Bio BlogThe Pitt Bio Blog is maintained by the Department of Biological Sciences Advising Office. Posts are authored by our students Archives
January 2022
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