Health Science

 

The title of my program is Health Science.  This program incorporates multiple areas of study including health care classes, classes focusing on math, biological sciences, and the involvement of human performance.  The reason for the creation of this program stems from my future goal of becoming a physical therapist.  Since I was a child, I always wanted to have the opportunity to help people later on in life and when applying for higher education, believed that becoming a nurse would fulfill my goals.  When I was attending Plymouth State as a sophomore, my desire for nursing diminished more and more as time went on.  Determined to stay within the area of health care, I found myself gaining a much greater interest in the field of physical therapy while taking a break from education.  I was drawn back to Plymouth after realizing I would still be able to keep most of my credits and earn a Bachelor’s Degree in a science related major.

While I was researching PT programs around New Hampshire, I quickly found out that the requirements are quite similar for each one.  While discussing my plans for after I graduate, I was informed that Plymouth State will have their own Doctorate Program for Physical Therapy in the future and that Interdisciplinary Studies was my best option.  With Interdisciplinary Studies, I am able to create my schedule around the requirements for the DPT program, whereas with any other major, it would take much longer for me to obtain the necessary classes.  Due to the nature of the IDS program, most of the credits I have already earned work towards obtaining my degree and no other program would allow for as many credits to transfer in.

Since becoming absolutely dedicated towards achieving the goal of getting into the DPT program, I have been looking for classes that will assist me in my future of patient centered care.  PS 1999 Statistics in Psychology, (which is my QRCO), greatly helped me with understanding the mathematical aspect of how people think and also focused on the way people interpret data as a group.  I will be working with groups of individuals and need to understand the best way to communicate information to them while also empathizing with them.  HE 3220 Applied Nutrition for Health Living, (TECO), helped me form the future for healthy living and in my career, I will be a professional advocate for the health of the individual.  This strengthened my knowledge of how to convey the importance of health and it shows how I can make a difference in the lives of others.  BU 2290 Organizational Communications, (which satisfies the WRCO), is going to support me in my future role of communicating to patients.  Communication in modern society is vital to getting a message across; whether it be to a business, organization, or just to an individual, this class will teach me various ways to become a better communicator.  PE 3570 Kinesiology is focused around human movement and how movement occurs.  This class is directly related to becoming a practitioner and working with the movement of others.  PE 3720 Motor Learning is focused on analyzing performance of movement behavior and the numerous ways of how people learn movement patterns.  It will assist me greatly when working with patients who need to learn or relearn specific movements.  PE 3580 Physiology of Exercise is focused on the activity of muscles and how these activities are associated with the fitness of individuals.  This class coincides

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with learning about the performance of the individual to better assess one’s capabilities physiologically.

PE 4010 Exercise and Health Psychology focuses on the psychology of health behaviors and will allow me to hone in on how social and environmental factors can influence one’s psychological development.  BI 1110 Biology is a requirement for acceptance into the DPT program and will help me gain a better understanding of life and living organisms as a whole.  NR 3030 Pharmacology and Pathophysiology focused on the knowledge of medications and the various contraindications of these medications.  Along with this, we learned a lot about different diseases and infections and the symptoms and signs that would go along with these.  This knowledge with help me in becoming a better practitioner, as I will be working with a variety of individuals with different health concerns.  NR 3040 Professional Issues showed me the importance of developing my future career and the roles associate with professionals.  I also learned a great deal of information about the ethical concerns professionals face every day in the work place and how to manage them appropriately.  CH 2335 Chemistry 1 and CH 2340 Chemistry 2 are both requirements to get accepted into the DPT program and will help solidify the knowledge of matter in all things living.  PH 2130 Physics 1 goes hand in hand with the kinematics that are taught within kinesiology and will help me greatly with future problem solving.  AT 5630 Principles and Theories of Strength and Conditioning will assist me in patient centered care around the needs of the individual.  With the knowledge gained from this class, I will be able to assess the performance of the individual thoroughly to create a more customized fitness program.

            This program incorporates multiple areas of study, including health and human performance, physics, and chemistry to create a structured system in order to apply for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.  By combining various courses in different majors, this program works for me more than any other program offered by PSU.  Every single class that I have taken and will take prepares me to become the best health care practitioner I can be.  The knowledge gained from previous classes assists me with learning new material from future classes and will follow me throughout my future in this chosen career path.

 

Works Cited

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jakerust

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Adopting Multiple Perspectives

Viewing an idea or a problem from different perspectives has a variety of advantages.  According to Repko, “Interdisciplinary perspective taking…is the intellectual capacity to view a complex problem, phenomenon, or behavior from multiple perspectives, including disciplinary ones, in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of it” (95).  It’s vital to constantly consider other ideas and viewpoints from different sources so one can gain a truly better understanding of all aspects of a problem.

By focusing in on only one or two viewpoints of a specific issue, one may miss other considerations of that issue that could affect the overall outcome.  Repko continues this idea by saying, “…taking on other perspectives often involves temporarily setting aside your own

Piotr Mamnaimie

beliefs, opinions, and attitudes.  Interdisciplinary studies arrives not at a more comprehensive perspective, but at a more comprehensive understanding” (95).  I believe this idea not only follows me throughout higher education, but also is a foundation for problems that arrive in life outside of classrooms.  The idea of learning itself often requires different views of a certain topic so that the learner can understand the complex thinking process each party underwent to achieve an outcome.

In order to see the world as a whole, multiple perspectives must be taken into consideration whether it be professionally, in one’s personal life, or even in the classroom when learning new topics.  Repko discusses how we, as individuals, adopt  and see, “the world through the lens of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices of a shared, often ‘expert’ way of knowing (96).  Each and every didea that is thrown at us to learn came from one person or another with a predetermined disposition or view of a particular subject.  Our job then, as learners, must include interpreting that data with an unbiased view and come up with our own way of thinking about it.  Often, this requires us to take from multiple views and perspectives in order to see the big picture.

 

Works Cited

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

 

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Hindering the Creative Process

To think creatively usually is seen in a positive light as the idea of creativity can lead to some astounding processes of information.  However, in chapter four, Repko uses the other side of thinking creatively to bring forth the idea of specialization and how this can negatively influence breakthroughs.  Repko says, “Specialization can sometimes hinder creative breakthroughs by its inability to bring previously unrelated ideas from other disciplines together” (79).  By focusing on a single task or objective, one may miss out on the opportunity to bring together different disciplinary perspectives; thus, not being able to,

Omar Reyes

“advance the production of knowledge” (80).  Although specializing in a specific market will allow the learner to gain insight to multiple areas within that field, they may not be able to see certain problems existing that are closely related.  Within my narrow scope of knowledge I have gained thus far throughout higher education, I believe I have been trying to piece together multiple areas of study in order to obtain a much broader knowledge of the field of health performance.  Other traditional programs in school typically focus broad information during the first couple years and then hone in on the specialty programs that are based on the degree; however, with my interdisciplinary studies programs, I am allowed a free range of classes that I will actually use later on in my future career.

Overall, the idea of specializing, regardless of future pursuits of generalization, will likely hinder the learner of vital knowledge they would otherwise obtain.  Another point Repko makes is, “[Narratology] integrates what it it draws from texts outside…revealing emergent and interestingly consistent patters” (79).  Creativity points out that ideas related to multiple different areas can come together to sometimes produce an entirely, otherwise unthought of, ideas and new explanations.  Narratology conveys the very idea of different works and “component parts” to reveal the common core practice of interdisciplinary studies as a whole.

Works Cited

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

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Success with FIRST

Dean Kamen, renowned inventor and scientist, is considered a “modern-day Edison” by many. Before he became famous for the invention of the Segway, he was just a normal every day citizen like you and I.  When he attended junior high school, despite his clear intelligence, his grades were only average and he had difficulties getting along with his teachers.  After high school, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but was still more interested in inventing rather than staying in school and getting good grades.

In 1976, Kamen left WPI before graduating and founded his own company called Auto Syringe in order to sell his own inventions. To become a successful inventor, he had to combine his knowledge of science, technology, and math in order to create his own medical devices.  According to Repko, Kamen had the first trait of entrepreneurship, “which involves taking risk to achieve a particular goal.  For the entrepreneur, the space is a new market or a new product…and is able to connect, say, two different technologies to create a new product useful for a new purpose” (Repko, 55).

Dean Kamen, AP/Wide World Photos

Later in Kamen’s career, he wanted to get kids in school to be excited about learning science and technology.  This idea led to the creation of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989.  Just as Repko points out, he wanted kids to have a “love of learning, or excitement at the prospect of exploring new ideas” (55).  In order to fulfill these prospects, kids are challenged to integrate multiple areas of study, including science, math, technology, and even physics.  Kamen created a robotics competition for the kids involved with the FIRST program to see what team has the most skill when it comes to designing, building, and and testing robots.

Here is a video of Dean Kamen, discussing FIRST and the robotics competition, along with what his vision was when he started the program.  You can learn more about this program and his vision here.

Just as Kamen’s purpose for FIRST was to inspire children in the prospect of learning new ideas in science and technology, I am integrating a wide array of courses to be successful in my own path.  Ultimately, his outcome for FIRST was very successful, allowing thousands of children to participate in the events.  Similar to Kamen, I am pursuing science and technology together in my studies.  My future plans to become a physical therapist require the use of multiple areas that when combined, allow me to utilize every step of my education gained.  It’s important to me to always consider the path of knowledge that I have been through because no amount of information is irrelevant when it comes to studying across a variety of disciplines.

Works Cited

http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ge-La/Kamen-Dean.html

http://www.firstinspires.org/about/leadership/dean-kamen

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

Dean Kamen FIRST Robotics, youtube.com

 

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One Interview to Rule Them All

As a new member to the Interdisciplinary Studies program, I have found myself deeply fascinated with the idea of studying across multiple fields.  Throughout my years of higher education, I have come across some of most influential and inspiring educators that convey the importance of learning and the endless advantages of continuing to gain knowledge throughout my educational career.  Along this journey, I had the opportunity to sit down with one of these remarkable educationalists in order to gain a better understanding of Interdisciplinary Studies.

I got to have a conversation with Dr. Cheryl Coker.  Dr. Coker is a Professor with the Department of Human Health and Performance here at Plymouth State University and has an incredible history of teaching and engaging with learners.  During her Graduate School studies, she focused on Motor Learning with a supporting field in Biomechanics. She went on to receive her PhD from the University of Virginia and has since written a textbook and has an extensive list of publications.

As Dr. Coker and I were discussing her work and research within the topic of health and human performance, I also found out about work she does with scholars outside of her field.  She regularly collaborates with Physical Education teachers of the Inter-Lakes school district, ski instructors working with individuals on Attitash Mountain, and even music educators.  Currently, she is conducting research alongside a physical education teacher on a “big project involving the functional movement of middle schoolers.”

While conducting her research, Dr. Coker often utilizes the benefits of working with a wide variety of specialists in multiple fields of study.  She says, “Advantages include a global understanding of complex problems” when working with a very large group of individuals. Having many different points of view on a specific subject allows for a broader range of ideas and solutions.  Along with the advantages of working with others, she sometimes finds there are also difficulties.  In her past, she has experience teaming up with sociologists, psychologists, physicians, physical educators, and personal trainers.  Within each field of academia, different terminology exists and she says that can be a challenge if everyone does not recognize the languages used.  She goes on to say, “It’s hard to get everyone organized,” often using media in the form of webcams in order to get groups of people together at the same time, mostly “from different parts of the country.”  Although there are some disadvantages, the benefits of Interdisciplinary work far outweigh the drawbacks.

When asked about the Interdisciplinary Studies program specifically, Dr. Coker went on to say that students can “tailor the program” to their needs.  Sometimes, however, if students are not fully sure of what they want to do after Undergraduate School, she said it can “become counterproductive” in nature.  Students may end up changing their classes around, not entirely certain of their future.

Overall, the understanding of studying in multiple areas was abundantly enhanced with me sitting down to talk with Dr. Coker.  It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the experiences she has had over her life as an athlete, coach, author, educator, and overall inspiring person.  It was exciting to hear her point of view when working with others in different fields, but more importantly, how dedicated she is to fostering her ideas and knowledge onto others.  This interview not only assisted me with gaining a better understanding of Interdisciplinary Studies, but also a much greater understanding of myself and the future footprints I will leave for others in my path involving IDS.

 

https://www.plymouth.edu/department/hhp/faculty/cheryl-coker/

 

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Specializing in Trait Development

In chapter three, Repko discusses the idea of traits and skills and the importance of each when dealing with Interdisciplinary Studies.  The trait that I find the most appealing is the second one discussed: the love of learning, or “excitement at the prospect of exploring new ideas, even if these ideas challenge one’s own thinking.”  I believe in order to actually enjoy what you are doing, there has to be some sense of yearning for more in the subject area.

Iyania Vanzant

 

Developing the trait of the love of learning starts with the individual.  Repko goes on to say, “Interdisciplinarians are intensely interested in the world and welcome opportunities to view it.”  Throughout my course of higher education, there have been multiple times that I was not fully engaged in the aspect of learning in a certain subject.  However, despite these times, when I have found specific areas intriguing, I give those my full attention.

I find it interesting that Repko points out that the people who are studying throughout multiple areas, “will seek to acquire a working knowledge of relevant terminology and the analytical skills necessary to develop an understanding of a given problem.”  It is important to always continue to strive for more knowledge and the love for the subject often reflects what is being learned at that time.

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictoquotes/24693427019

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Successful Bridge Building

“The idea of connecting knowledge from two or more disciplines in order to advance understanding.”

It fits perfectly; in order for two completely separate points of contact to reach one another, there must be a ‘bridge’ of sorts to connect them.  Repko uses this metaphor to convey the importance of an impassable obstacle, such as a river or ravine.  In an educational setting, there may be different points of view on a particular topic that requires a connection in order to accomplish a given task.

Nicholas Raymond

In my area of study, I am combining many different science and math courses together.  As I progress, each course assists the other, essentially ideas from one intertwine with another, just as they will after graduation and beyond in life itself.  Repko goes on to say, “Making connections…is not merely a stimulating intellectual exercise but a practical way to deepen and broaden your understanding of a complex topic that would not be possible using a single disciplinary approach.”

Another topic in this chapter dives into the idea of critical reflection.  Critical reflection is the process of analyzing, questioning, and reconsidering the cognitive or physical activity that you are engaged in and counters the idea of bridge building.  In my life, sometimes it is better to just focus on what I am doing at the moment and look over what I have already accomplished.  Instead of breaking down the components that make up my action, I will view the ‘project’ as a whole and treat it that way.

Repko ends his note of bridge building by bringing to light the idea that a single bridge cannot be built for the complexity of interdisciplinary studies and multiple ideas will most likely require numerous bridges to be successful.  The path through these bridges lies answers to life’s questions that may not be found otherwise.

Works Cited

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

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Making the Most out of Interdisciplinary Studies

Mike Licht

In his book, Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies, Allen F. Repko conveys the importance of studying multiple areas rather than focusing all of the attention on a single area.  Throughout this chapter, he brings up real world scenarios occurring every day that require the extensive knowledge of various “systems”.  A vital component to these systems is the area in the book titled, “Successful Intelligence and Integrative Thinking” (p. 16)  He does a wonderful job outlining the numerous ways of thinking that are often used collaboratively to create a central database for knowledge.

Repko starts by stating, “Creative intelligence formulates ideas and makes connections.” As a future health care provider, thinking creatively will be a part of my job every day working with patients.  In order to create individual plans of rehabilitation, I will have to come up with my own connections relating to that individual in order to create successful outcomes.  His next point made was, “Analytical intelligence breaks a problem down into its component parts, solves problems, and evaluates the quality of ideas.”  While working with patients, I will initially need to find the problem, which includes knowing what the issue is to begin with, and with help with the patient, figure out the best plan of action for helping them with whatever they will require of me.

Repko’s final form of intelligence is, “Practical intelligence [that] applies an idea in an effective way, whether in business or in every day life.”  In my future career, I will be working for a business that will use my knowledge for the benefit of the clients every day.  In order to be fully successful, I will need to make my decisions practical on every level to make sure I am being the best care provider I can be.

I take from this the ideas he presented in an extremely positive light.  He makes it easy to relate those ideas to me personally and allows me to make decisions based on the notion that studying interdisciplinary studies is the best way for me to convey my personal experiences across a broad spectrum of listeners.

Works Cited

Repko, Allen F., Rick Szostak, Michelle Phillips Buchberger. Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies. California: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2014. Print.

 

 

 

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