Over the past week I completed my third research assessment and the rough draft of my resumé. I also began to practice cold calling in class. The resumé was very time consuming, but after peer editing and having multiple people look over the draft, I submitted the assignment confidently. My third research assessment focused on stem cells, a topic that was briefly discussed in my anatomy & physiology class which I wanted to learn more about. The week was, as a whole, focused towards entering the professional workforce, as we will begin cold calling professionals next week.

 

The resumé, which I began two weeks ago, was a big step forward in my overall progress in the class. I incorporated my color scheme through greys and blues. I did not, however, use coral, as I felt the bright color stood out negatively and did not match the otherwise subtle feeling of my resumé. I used the website “canva” as a resource. Although I used a template, I changed the colors to match my theme and added some other design elements like a bold white line in the upper lefthand corner. Obviously, I also changed the information on the resumé. The information was probably the hardest part, as I had to recall different accomplishments that would be useful in the medical field. As I worked, I realized that although I had multiple accomplishments in the fine arts, I had very few that were relevant to medical research. Therefore, I signed up for BPA and I plan to compete in the medical portion. Hopefully I will be able to advance in the competition, as that will be very useful on a college or highschool resumé. My ISM resumé is the first I have ever had to put together, so this was a valuable learning experience. I will be able to use this draft or information from the draft to create other resumés and applications in the future, and I will be able to submit it to professionals as soon as I complete the final copy.

 

This week’s research assessment was significantly different than the immune system disorders research I have done on the past two. I chose to research stem cells, an innovative medical technology that is still in the works. Stem cells could be a big step forward in areas of brain and tissue degeneration as well as cancer research.embryos. The source focused on PCPs, one type of stem cell, and their possible benefits. Some PCP stem cell treatments are already farther along than others, such as bone marrow transplants, but research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's treatments are still in the very beginnings. The source I used claimed that one reason for slow advancement is a simple a lack of scientific understanding, but it also claimed some of it is due to FDA regulations and public misconceptions (such as the idea that using stem cells endangers embryos). I believe stem cells are a very promising form of treatment for multiple disorders.

 

Finally, we discussed cold calling this week. Cold calling involves calling the business professionals we have already listed on our call logs and asking for interviews or recommendations of other colleagues to contact. Although we have not started calling anyone yet, we will begin next week. We practiced in the hall and discussed setting up a professional voicemail. Although there is a fairly simple script to follow, it is still nerve racking to have to call professionals and simply talk; unfortunately, real life does not follow a script. Overall, the week was, in my opinion, a success and I look forwards to next week when I finalize my resumé and begin cold calling actual professionals.