Wil:
Hey Megs. I guess it's time for another update...
Well, it has been 7 weeks into my project and I have yet to do the interviews. I'm starting them next week on Monday. I'm now a bit concerned that I only have 3 weeks to finish the large majority of my project which will involve transcribing and analysing my interviews, then forming a discussion and conclusion.
So for the past 7 weeks I've been doing a myriad of tasks. One of the most significant activities was writing up my report. So far I've pretty much prepared a literature review on selected topics on rural health. That has taken me a long time. Before Christmas I sent my supervisors a draft copy. They've provided me feedback and have told me to "bulk it up" some more, which I'm currently trying to do. I predict that my report is going to be some 35 pages long upon completion. Although somewhat short of my supervisors expectation of 50-60 pages, at the moment I just want my report to be done!
I've decided that I'm a very slow reader. I spend a lot of time reading over journal articles and I feel like it's taking an unhealthy amount of time for me just to get through one article. Tell me your secrets, Meg! I know you're a very efficient reader.
Apart from writing my report, I've been doing all sorts of things which are helping me to build my knowledge about rural pharmacy and pharmacy in general. I think one of the things I enjoy most about this studentship is that I've been given so many opportunities to do stuff that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
My supervisors sent me on a little 2 day trip to Milton to work at Milton pharmacy, a country pharmacy. Its purpose was for me to experience rural pharmacy for a while. To be honest, it wasn't too different from the pharmacy that I worked at in Auckland except maybe for a few minor aspects.
I also got to spend a couple of days with the pharmacy department in Dunedin hospital. I got to following a pharmacist around as she did her rounds at the wards. There, I was looking at some outpatient processes which many rural individuals experience such as take-home antibiotics and other IV infusion medications. I spoke to a patient who lived in a rural town and the issues she had with the postal service who deliver the medications to her house. It's those sort of things that impact on the daily health experiences of rural communities.
My hospital visits were really enjoyable. I would love to work in a hospital one day.
Last week we had highschool students spend a couple of days in the pharmacy school for the Hands on Science programme. It's similar to the Rotary National Science and Technology Forum that I attended in Auckland but this one is organised by Otago Uni.
On day 3, they had a molecular modelling computer lab session organised, but the lecturer who had planned to run it was absent that day. So another lecturer pulled together a PhD student, a technician and me to collectively take over lab session. So for about an hour, I was a lab supervisor to about 12 or so highschool kids who just finished Form 6. I really enjoyed it. I tried to put the modelling that they were doing into a pharmaceutical context and relay that back to what they had learned in Form 6 and what they will learn in Form 7, since it was only about 3 or so years ago since I did all of that.
So those are some of the fun experiences i've had during this summer. As a summer student, we also get invited to staff functions like special lunches and stuff. Yay for free food! (Although sitting around with all your lecturers is sort of awkward..)
Next week I'll be visiting Roxburgh and Lawrence to interview a pharmacist and depot operator. Hope that all goes well.
Well, it looks like both our summers have been quite eventful so far. But yours is more on an international scale! I hope you're still having fun in Taiwan. Bring me back lots of presents :P
Sunday, 23 January 2011
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
To those with an opinion
Wil:
I've just found this wonderfully amazing video on the internet titled, "Skewed views of science":
Essentially, it explains why and how one would require an open mind when deciding to agree or disagree with a scientific claim. It also goes into what the right (and the wrong) way is in going about challenging a current scientific belief.
While it would probably be most sensible to keep my promotion of this video completely neutral, I cannot resist the urge to challenge those who outright doubt vaccines, evolution, the big bang theory (and other secular ideas) to watch this video and question the source (and credibility) of their disagreement.
Points from the video that I like:
(1) Your own personal intuition or bias does NOT form a valid rebuttal;
(2) You are not allowed to impose your own intellectual limitations upon others;
(3) Guilt and fear do not invalidate scientific discovery or alter facts;
(4) Think carefully about the technology and medical treatments you take for granted that wouldn't exist without the science you readily attack;
(5) Discouraging people from studying science or questioning their beliefs is nothing more than social control;
(6) You can turn non-fact into fact (or the other way) by scaring people.
This video is a refreshing change from all the crazy (and plainly ignorant) things "the public" (e.g. lay people and the uneducated) yap on about in newspapers, talk-back radio and on the internet whenever they feel confronted or at edge by science.
Show me those peer-reviewed journal articles!
I've just found this wonderfully amazing video on the internet titled, "Skewed views of science":
Essentially, it explains why and how one would require an open mind when deciding to agree or disagree with a scientific claim. It also goes into what the right (and the wrong) way is in going about challenging a current scientific belief.
While it would probably be most sensible to keep my promotion of this video completely neutral, I cannot resist the urge to challenge those who outright doubt vaccines, evolution, the big bang theory (and other secular ideas) to watch this video and question the source (and credibility) of their disagreement.
Points from the video that I like:
(1) Your own personal intuition or bias does NOT form a valid rebuttal;
(2) You are not allowed to impose your own intellectual limitations upon others;
(3) Guilt and fear do not invalidate scientific discovery or alter facts;
(4) Think carefully about the technology and medical treatments you take for granted that wouldn't exist without the science you readily attack;
(5) Discouraging people from studying science or questioning their beliefs is nothing more than social control;
(6) You can turn non-fact into fact (or the other way) by scaring people.
This video is a refreshing change from all the crazy (and plainly ignorant) things "the public" (e.g. lay people and the uneducated) yap on about in newspapers, talk-back radio and on the internet whenever they feel confronted or at edge by science.
Show me those peer-reviewed journal articles!
Wednesday, 5 January 2011
Tag! You're it
Megs:
I, being bored, happened to be scrolling through all the labels we've ever tagged the posts on this blog with. Quite interesting, really! There aren't that many repeats - you'd think there would be.
Frivolous has only ever been used once. huh.
Noticed these two in amusing succession:
violas get special treatment (1)
violist might as well be handicapped (1)
I, being bored, happened to be scrolling through all the labels we've ever tagged the posts on this blog with. Quite interesting, really! There aren't that many repeats - you'd think there would be.
Frivolous has only ever been used once. huh.
Noticed these two in amusing succession:
violas get special treatment (1)
violist might as well be handicapped (1)
Also, a lot of them are utterly random and make you really wonder, wtf? Such as:
bad egg (1)
Megan is nuts (1)
Wil is imaginary (1)
donkeys (1)
don't read me (1)
guinea pig (1)
The most used is holidays, with four tags. Good to know we celebrate the important things with repeated mentions!
The full list:
Monday, 3 January 2011
Happy 'Eleven!
Megs:
Yay yay yay!
I love the start of new things. It's like embarking on a new project or beginning a new hobby, which is always delightful. And a new year is like a new project which, at least chronologically, finishes by itself (I should hope so).
New Year's Resolutions:
- Go ZUMBA-ing at the gym, at least once a week. My new Zumba-buddy-friend is Chumin, with whom I've vowed to go gymming with. Yay!
- Join and participate in an environmental group
- Draw lots; every day, if possible. Get good at it. *
- Write more - poetry and stories.
- Blog lots
- Have FUN!
And that's all that seems important, really.
Bring on the New Year!!
* Incidentally, I'm happy to announce the making of Wardrobes and Pictures , the blog I will be using to update all my sketches and drawings in.
Now in the manner of, say, some sort of yeast-thing that grows on the original organism and buds off it, I'm linking the blog from this blog. I can't remember if yeast actually does that, but oh well :D Click click!!
Yay yay yay!
I love the start of new things. It's like embarking on a new project or beginning a new hobby, which is always delightful. And a new year is like a new project which, at least chronologically, finishes by itself (I should hope so).
New Year's Resolutions:
- Go ZUMBA-ing at the gym, at least once a week. My new Zumba-buddy-friend is Chumin, with whom I've vowed to go gymming with. Yay!
- Join and participate in an environmental group
- Draw lots; every day, if possible. Get good at it. *
- Write more - poetry and stories.
- Blog lots
- Have FUN!
And that's all that seems important, really.
Bring on the New Year!!
* Incidentally, I'm happy to announce the making of Wardrobes and Pictures , the blog I will be using to update all my sketches and drawings in.
Now in the manner of, say, some sort of yeast-thing that grows on the original organism and buds off it, I'm linking the blog from this blog. I can't remember if yeast actually does that, but oh well :D Click click!!
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