The Journey

When I first started the Senior Project I was a little nervous because I didn't want to get tired of my topic that I was so passionate about. Now that it is coming to an end I feel empty handed because I feel cheated. Not in a bad way but a good. I feel as if all the knowledge I have gained through this experience isn't even close to how much more there is too it and I am not completely satisfied, I want to know more. Interviewing a Pediatric Oncologist and doing research checks made it even more intriguing to find more and more information, there are so many branches to this topic that it is overwhelming. I do believe I have progressively gained more knowledge over this year but it is not enough. I really like my topic and instead of it boring me this year, it motivated me to take in part of something that has to do with it.

Exit Interview

(1) What is the best way a Pediatric Oncologist can increase the survival rate of a patient with a primary cancer? 
Answer 1 - Ensuring a patient is supported emotionally by their parents and doctors
Answer 2 - Developing specialized treatments that are effective in killing cancerous cells 
Answer 3 - Conducting clinical trials
My best answer is conducting clinical trials because they are the reason for why many new medicines and treatments have emerged into the medical world. Although they are not specifically made at clinical trials, they are tested there making sure they are safe to be distributed to the population.

(2) I arrived at this answer through talking with Dr. Clarke Anderson of City of Hope. Dr. Anderson mentioned that they are a crucial part of developing new and innovative medicines that help save lives. Without clinical trials we would not know the effects these new developments have on people.

(3) Problems I faced during the senior project process was at the beginning of the year when I couldn't find someone who would take me under their wing. It took be about two weeks to finally have someone let me mentor with them, in the end I found a very nice and useful mentorship; they have been very helpful. Another problem that I ran into was finding interviews because since professionals are always busy they never really had the time of day for me. Finally I found, Dr. Clarke Anderson, who has been my most valuable source to date.

(4) Dr. Clarke Anderson has been one of my most important sources because he is a professional in my topic and he has had over 20 years of experience. He is a Pediatric Oncologist at City of Hope and is involved in many research groups trying to find better treatments. Other important sources happen to be my research articles, in particular the ones that emphasize clinical trials and new innovated treatments because they keep me up to date on new improvements in the medical field and how they have changed the chances of patients.

Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) I, Brianna Sigala, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) Chino Pediatric Nurses helped me complete this Independent Component.
(c) Posted.
(d) I completed 30 hours of mentorship. I shadowed many of the nurses that all provide me with their knowledge and give me pieces of information that they think are valuable to know. I watch the interaction they have with the patients and their parents. I learn as I see the way they act and what things are important when caring for a child.
INTERPRETIVE
The significance of doing 30 extra hours of mentorship is that I gain more knowledge not from articles but from experience. Although I only watch and can't really do any of the things the nurses do, observing them gives me more knowledge than I had before. You can never have to much knowledge. I also get to witness first hand what it is like working with kids and the different situations I am going to encounter if I pursue this career. Understanding children's feelings and how they should be treated is a major part of Pediatric Oncology. Pediatric nurses are experts in working with kids so it is a big help to have their advice.  
APPLIED
This component helped me answer my EQ by providing me with one of my answers which is parental and doctor emotional support. I came up with this answer due to my mentorship because I saw how important it was. When I first saw it I would see it and just think it was normal but after seeing it happen so much I saw how children reacted to it and how it would lift their spirits. 

Here is an image of a few of the boards with the many pictures of the patients we have on the cork boards.