Classroom Collides With Real-world Experiences

Hello! My name is Ann Bui, and I am a third-year student in the Health Sciences major. I am pursuing Drexel's Bridge Physician Assistant Program, and I work as a certified nursing assistant to gain my patient contact experience. From foundational coursework to niche subjects, my classes have provided me with the confidence to tackle real-life experiences. I am especially in awe when I realize that the classroom material allows me to extrapolate likely diagnoses for my patients. One class in the spring term of my second-year stood out to me: HSCI 435 Neuroscience.  

It brings me comfort that I am truly learning to the fullest, and I am reminded of why I continue to pursue health care.

Although an elective, Neuroscience is a 5-credit course that is filled with valuable information and covers the structural and functional components of both the brain and the spinal cord. What I valued most from this course was the clinical correlations. Given a set of signs and symptoms, I was able to identify which portions of the brain were damaged and the pathways that became dysfunctional. My excitement grew as I learned the names of each disease and made connections to my work as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).  

Through my work as a CNA at a rehabilitation hospital, I was able to work with a variety of patients who endured traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and even spinal cord injuries. In particular, one of my patients was admitted for a brain injury. On my first day with him, I quickly realized that he responded to me with fluent statements that didn't make complete sense. He did not seem frustrated with his speech, nor did he realize that he did not make any sense. Recovering from my confusion, I immediately thought back to my class discussions on the brain’s speech areas and associated aphasias. After much thought, I recognized the symptoms for a condition known as Wernicke’s Aphasia! After verification with my nurse, I was delighted that I could apply what I learned to understand more about my patient’s condition.  

In retrospect, this is only one out of the many collisions between my class and my work. It brings me comfort that I am truly learning to the fullest, and I am reminded of why I continue to pursue health care. I am on a journey to bridge the gap between the known and unknown and helping my patients understand their health concerns, and I am certain that my undergraduate studies at Drexel University will prepare me for my next step.