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I came across a research study that revealed nursing staff racial assumptions about patients effected the care of advanced dementia patients in skilled nursing facilities. The study, “ Nursing Home Organizational Culture and Staff Perspectives Influencing Variability in Advanced Dementia Care: The ADVANCE Study ,” was conducted in 14 facilities across four states and included observations and interviews with healthcare staff. Researchers discovered that Black residents are more likely than white residents to receive more aggressive treatments including feeding tubes and hospital transfers. What prompted the discrepancy in the treatment of Black patients? Nursing staff assumed that the family members of Black patients were less willing to discuss treatment plans and wanted more aggressive care.  Biases are dangerous in healthcare as it can adversly affect patient outcomes from providing inappropriate care to misdiagnosing a patient. Biases like in this study increase the distrust o

Volunteering as an EMT has given me a lot of clinical experience and an opportunity to serve the community.  In my bullet-proof vest, for tactical assignments. Sometimes, we encounter very dangerous situations In my duty uniform, ready for the next medical emergency call which is certainly coming In my turnout gear (or, bunker gear); well-padded fittings that protect me from hazardous fumes These experiences have helped me develop more than just the skills I need to provide quality patient care; I have learned about the myriad challenges that different communities, such as homeless, mentally ill, and people experiencing violence, face every day. I have also learned how to work alongside the police and firefighters to provide care in dangerous and quickly evolving environments. Some of my most rewarding experiences as an EMT have included participating in community outreach, cutting the umbilical cords of neonates, and administering CPR on the shoulder of highways. Truly, there is nothi

Only going up from here! I am incredibly grateful for the four years I spent at the University of Maryland. I thank God for bringing me through the challenging moments and the times it looked easier to give up. At last: - B.S. Psychology - Deans List - A.A. Military History - Deans List & Summa Cum Laude - 184 undergraduate credits - Student National Medical Association member - Over 1,600 hours as a volunteer EMT - 1 year as a CNA in acute care - 2 years as a referee for basketball, volleyball and flag football Then, and Now! Medical school loading... "For I know the plans I have for you", says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" - Jeremiah 29:11

She never gave up on her dreams of becoming a medical doctor even as the clock was ticking.  In her own words: 50 years after playing with my first stethoscope kit, 38 years after graduating from high school, 36 years after enlisting in the Air Force, 20 years after graduating from Physician assistant school, 16 years after retiring from the Air Force, 2 grown successful kids and one grandbaby later....I am finally virtually walking across the stage today as Dr Dawn Alicia Adams. I have had a full and blessed life but I am truly thankful for completing med school and becoming a physician. For those of you over 50 that think it’s too late to chase dreams, I am living proof that dreams can become reality no matter your age and circumstances. Thanks to God, family and friends and everyone that inspired me along the way. I only hope that I can be inspiration to others and I only hope that I can make a difference in the lives whose paths I cross for the rest of the days I walk this earth. I

 Congrats, Soja Gal! “Soja gal”, as some friends and relatives call you, Your commitment is outstanding, It is your heart that has given you the impetus, Congratulations for achieving excellence in the Junior ROTC program, You have been promoted to Cadet Sergeant of the US Marines,   Dear family and friends, ROTC stands for, The Reserve Officers Training Corps program of the US Armed Forces, ROTC is a vigorous program that calls for punch, It also necessitates a focused mindset, A focused frame of mind calls for discipline, It starts with military courses while in high school, taught by soldiers, The course proceeds through university learning, The course also has intellectual and personal development dimensions, These are all appropriate for Soja gal, With drills and trainings at military bases all over America and the world, Completion through the university level earns them commissions, The commission accords them the ranks of Second Lieutenants, The ranks encapsulate the dedication

What Use is Philosophy? If you are like most of us, you may have asked, at least, once; What’s the value of philosophy?  And you may have wondered about questions like; Why is there something rather than nothing?  Does God exist?  When did time begin?  From where did evil come? What is evil?  If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world? What justifies human treatment of animals? Is it moral to steal medicines to save a life?  Is it possible to live a normal life and not ever tell a lie? Is it easier to love or to be loved? Do acts of kindness have a motive? Why do we strive for perfection if it is not attainable?  If what would make you happy makes another person unhappy, who ought to be happy?  What is happiness? Are religion and science compatible? What is the soul? Does it exist before life and continue after? And so on! You may have also wondered about that famous philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and perception generally attrib