Research

So, right now I am studying some hormonal receptors of the adrenal glands as my undergraduate lab research topic. We dissected bovine adrenal glands last week and are now doing PCR to isolate the desired genes. Our first experiment turned out shabby so we are going to start all over again!

In my Human Repro capstone class we are critiquing our term research papers. My topic is oral contraception and man, it is an interesting topic. Interestingly enough, oral contraceptives can simultaneously lower a woman's chance of ovarian cancer while increasing breast cancer risks. That is a generalized statement yes, but I didn't want to take the time for another 12 page explanation. Crazy stuff though. I can see why I chose well to tackle the incredibly demanding PDBIO major though -cuz my physiology classes are always my favorite.

I am also volunteering in the ER at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. It is a blast (except that my wife is home alone and scared every Sunday night)! I am becoming really interested in ER medicine and enjoy the experience immensely! Every patient has a different issue and every day you never know what kinds of medical issues you will see! This past Sunday there was a little boy of about 4 years of age that I kept calling a Jedi! He would giggle and laugh and smile so much nobody would have ever guessed that he was in pain. I even got him to use the force to open the automatic doors several times! It was fun beyond a million! Too bad I am still 10 years away from becoming a doctor and having that kind of fun every day.