Blog 8: What I've Learned

1) What have you learned how to do since you started working on your senior project?
I have learned that you need to really not fall behind. I still haven't learned whether i really do want a career in this field or not yet, i'm not hating this profession but im not loving it yet. I am learning techniques they use in the operating room. i've learned how instruments are cleaned and then sterilized. i learned how to wrap the instruments before being sterilized.

2) Post evidence of this accomplishment.  It can be in the form of a picture, video, document, etc..


3) What research helped you to do this and how?*
my father helped me a great deal i had also learned how to wrap the equipment and the process through the book called Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologists

Blog 9: Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your hypothesis?
If a surgical technologists tool is sterilized using the best method then, it will have the least amount of bacteria after the process.


2. Identify the dependent (produced), independent (manipulated) and control variables in your hypothesis. 
Dependent- Amount of bacteria
Independent - Sterilization process
Control - Unsterilized instruments


3. What is the connection between your science fair project and your senior project EQ?
My senior project is on surgical technologists and part of their  career is sterilizing hospital equipment, so I'm trying to figure out if the sterilization process they use now is the most efficient.

4. How will you perform the experiment?  Include the equipment you plan on using.
my dad will be bringing me about 10 of the same tools, i will be unsterilizing them the same way then I, will be using agar to grow the bacteria left on the sterilized equipment to show which sterilization process has the least bacteria left on them. I will be learning how to measure bacteria through researching the best way to measure bacteria. I will also be researching why the best sterilization process is the best.
After each sterilization process i will be swabbing the instrument, then placing the swab sample taken into the agar, for each instrument. I will then wait until bacteria begins to form in order to compare which way is the most effective, in sterilizing equipment.

5. Which category will your project be listed under?  (For a full list of categories, go to the iPoly Physics webpage, then to the Science Fair tab.) 
-Biology

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

1) I am taking a biology MIT course ware class online.

2) i will be printing all the assignments and quizzes out and i will be working on them based off the lectures i watch online,

3) it is relevant to my essential question because if biology is a class you must master in order to become a successful surgical technician than i will be more successful from this.

Blog 6: Defining the Essential Question

What is the best way to become a successful surgical technician?

2) best way - most efficient manner

successful - auspicious

3) 

• Constantly improving one's intelligence on modernized surgical technology.
• Having efficient production manner in the operating room.

4)I have two sources that are both of equal importance to finding my final answer. The first is my father who has obtained 23 years of experience as a surgical technician. The second would be the book Surgical Technolody for the Surgical Technologist by The Association of Surgical Technologists, because it is the guide to becoming a surgical technician.

Blog 5: Second Interview Questions

1. What made you decide to go into this profession?
2. What type of subjects were very critical and necessary to strive in when going into this profession? What subject was the most challenging to keep up with?
3. What would you say was the biggest callenge you encountered while studying for this profession?
4. What would you say is the biggest challenge you have ever encountered while in this profession?
5. Are you satified with where you are right now?
6. If you had another chance would you choose to into the same profession you're in right now, why or why not? If not, what profession would you have rather gone into?

Blog 4: Presentation Reflection

1. The first interview helped me in my presentation because he made me think of going beyond general surgical technology in a way. That is why I did my presentation on endoscopy, not all surgical technicians do it, but some do.

2.  I would say the thing that stood out was the way i was able to give out different examples about how my presentation topic is used and i was able to give a brief explanation as to why the procedure is performed. I gave different examples about the procedures and went in more depth on two which delt with mostly women and the other mostly men.


3.  The most challenging to do was trying to explain my presentation topic in only 5 minutes, I wish we could have had at least 10 minutes but since we had the 5 minute rule it helped us explain something without making it too boring for the class to learn about it. It taught me how to give a brief and specific explanation in a way. It was challenging because I wanted to go more in depth about each part of my presentation but we had to keep it short and interesting.

Blog 3: 5 minute presentation

lesson: The importance of endoscopy in the medical field.


Objective: students will learn about endoscopy.


step 1: ask a few students in the class what they know already about endoscopy.


step 2: give a definition on what endoscopy is.


step 3: explain how it is used and why it is important.


step 4: explain the parts of the scope.


step 5: brief explanation on how it ties into surgical technology


check for understanding : ask the same students what they know about endoscopy now.


resources/materials: i will be bring in a scope as my visual and to use for my step 4. and i will bring in a poster.

Blog 2: Interview Check

1. Who are you interviewing and why?

I am going to interview my father, Byron Mendez because he is the inspiration behind my senior project topic. He is a surgical technologist, he has been in this profession for 22 years now. He is the reason why I have a huge fascination with all things medicinal. He is the reason I grew to have a passion in learning and watching all things that are medicine related.

2. What additional questions will you ask them (in addition to the 5 we require)

1) Out of all the different careers, what drove you to pick this one or one in this field?

2) Is it a challenge to keep up with all the advancements in medicine?

3) Had it always been your dream to have a career in the medical field, if not what was your original goal?

4) What advice would you give to someone thinking about reaching for a career in the medical field?

5) What are some strengths you believe a person thinking about entering the medical field should have?

Blog 1: Senior project topic

My senior project topic is surgical technology. I was inspired to choose this topic due to my father. I grew up wanting to become some type of doctor every since I was young, as i grew older i learned that surgery interested me greatly. My favorite type of surgery was always orthopedic surgery, because I wanted to work with bones and people with intense injuries. I was fascinated with the surgeons having to screw in plates and screws to keep bones together and in place while they healed. I decided on doing surgical technology over orthopedic surgery because i want to see what my dad does everyday and why he is so passionate and dedicated toward his job. The accomplishment I would like to achieve after studying this topic is to discover if I grow a deeper passion toward working in the medical field. I believe through studying this topic all year I will be able to determine whether a job in the medical field is for me, and if I would still like to pursue this dream of mine and turn it into my future career.