Author: Amanda Kettman
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Teaching for Transformation: Critical Reflection in Adult and Medical Education
Learning theories shape how educators design instruction, understand learners, and evaluate educational outcomes. In adult education, these theories are especially important because adult learners do not enter the classroom as blank slates. They bring prior experiences, established beliefs, and specific goals for learning. Because of this, effective teaching requires more than simply delivering information. It…
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Oral and Perioral Manifestations of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Background Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease caused by retroviruses—the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It’s mainly characterized by extreme immunosuppression associated with opportunistic infections, malignancies, wasting, and central nervous system (CNS) degeneration. “The Human Immunodeficiency Virus directly infects lymphocytes and, in particular, depresses the number of T-helper (CD4+) cells and reverses the ratio of…
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Genetic Disorders: Wilson’s Disease
Introduction Wilson’s disease (WD) is an uncommon autosomal recessive inherited disorder that is characterized by a copper imbalance in the body. Although copper is essential for the survival of living organisms, an excessive cellular copper load can lead to functional failure or death of the cell. WD impedes the normal biliary excretion of copper leading to itsaccumulation in various organs (Merle et al. 2007). Copper-transporting P-type…
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Kyphoplasty
As I’ve mentioned before, I am currently working as a medical assistant in pain management. It’s now been almost a month that I started my new job and I love it! I get to work alongside the best pain management doctors in my area and have learned so much in a short amount of time.…
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Disparities in Health
The United States is known for having one of the most expensive and worst health care systems in the world.17.2% of our GDP is directed to health expenditures, compared to only 9.7% in the U.K, 10.9% in Japan, and 11.3% in Germany. Not only do we spend outrageously more than any other country, we don’t…
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The Basics of an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
The Basics: In an over simplified definition of inflammation, you could say it is your body’s way of fighting off something that could potentially harm it. Inflammation is actually necessary for you to have a healthful life. When you cut your finger or scrape your knee, your body turns on its acute inflammation response to…
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My International Medical Volunteer Trip
This week’s blog will be a little different than the usual. Instead of me taking the lead, I let you guys ask questions about my volunteer trip abroad. In December of 2019, I went on a 1 week medical mission trip to Costa Rica. I graduated that same month and that was my graduation gift…
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Advice to Pre-Med High School Seniors
These last few weeks I have received so many messages from high school seniors who want to go into the healthcare field. Many of them asked for advice regarding what to major in, classes to take, and what to do to prepare. These messages prompted me to write this post to serve as a simple…
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Getting Patient Care Experience with No Experience
I was a dental assistant for 3 years before deciding to find a job as a medical assistant. When I made the decision to transition from pre-dental to pre-med, I knew that my dental assisting experience wasn’t going to be ideal. Oral health is extremely important and it plays a big role in a patient’s…
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