The excited cluster of Jesuit students crowd around the wise white-haired man standing tall in fresh scrubs. The students eagerly try to get a glimpse of the sign on the door, hoping to learn what was in store for them today. Quieting the students, the veteran doctor begins to explain the purpose of the medical experiment, saying that the lab studies crystallizing proteins. Intrigued, the Jesuit students step through the doorway, excited to begin the day with a real-world lab.
This was the scene on Monday, November 9, as a group of Jesuit Medical Society students took a field trip to UT Southwestern in order to get a firsthand look at the medical field. The group saw three unique lab experiments as well as listened a lecture from revered doctors over the course of the action-packed day. Louis Hartmann ’17 told The Roundup that at the beginning of the day, “[He] was really excited, the ability to go and see the labs in person really appealed to [him].”
The day began for the Jesuit students with a lab focusing on proteins. Specifically, the lab concentrated on the crystallization of proteins and the diffraction patterns of electrons in order to create images of a protein structure, a major field in science today. According to Matthew Brewer ’17, “They showed us around the lab and explained how various procedures are carried out. It was really cool.”
After visiting this lab, the group heard a lecture on both otolaryngology, the study on disorders of the ears, nose and throat, and maxillofacial surgery, which is surgery on those parts of the body. The lecture proved fascinating, as Mr. Von Schlehenried ’06 noted that “the speaker presented some very interesting cases about cases they have seen and how much change they can make in people’s lives.”
Then after taking a short lunch break, the group went back to the labs, this time getting the inside scoop on organic chemistry. The lab they visited specialized in researching and developing new medications. Brewer again commented on visiting the lab saying, “It was one of my favorite parts of the trip, our guide was really cool. I really got to learn a lot about the process of creating new medications and it was just a lot of fun overall.”
Even members who weren’t able to go on the trip were raving about it, Will Aberger ’17 remarked, “I wasn’t able to go, but based on the way people were talking about it when they got back, it sure sounds like the trip was really fun and extremely informative.” Well, after hearing from members of the Medical Society, it definitely sounds like the UT Southwestern field trip proved to be a very fun and informative experience.
Make sure to tune into The Roundup in the upcoming weeks as the Jesuit Medical Society continues its year with many more fun projects and events coming up!
