FLORA THEDEN
Staff Writer
The stench of stale flesh wafts through the air in a small room in the basement of Pepperdine’s Appleby Center. Hesitant footsteps creep across the tiles, slowly stepping over the puddle of formaldehyde leaking from body bags. As Dr. Laurie Nelson unzips the bags, the bones and organs of the skinless dead bodies are revealed. Resembling a scene in CSI, the naked cadavers lie on the cold tables, face up.
Those faces remain covered by plastic bags and the bodies have slits in the flesh, allowing students to pull it back and examine what lies beneath. Questions about who these people once were hang unanswered in the sour air.
Suddenly, eager students dig their hands into the pink insides. The heart is pulled out of the chest and passed around the room, subjected to dozens of gloved hands poking around and discussing its structure.
That was the scene in Dr. Nelson’s first-year seminar class: Becoming a Physician. Although this is typically the experience of medical students in their second or third year, Pepperdine students have the opportunity to examine cadavers as freshmen. When designing her freshman seminar, Dr. Nelson wanted to simulate experiences of medical school to help students decide whether they are serious about their passion for medicine.
After examining the body and having the opportunity to hold a human brain, Becky Song knew that she wanted to go into medicine.
“This class has only increased my passion for medicine and desire to study the human body and how it works,” said Song. “I have always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but now I know that it is a real possibility.”
Still invigorated from her experience, she added: “This class is amazing and has shown me exactly what I need to do to fulfill my dream of practicing medicine.”
Nelson designed a class where the students considering medical school are able to discuss the moral aspect of medicine, the pressure of becoming a doctor, and what it takes to get into the top medical schools in the country.
“The class readings are designed to help the students understand better what they want to get out of their college experience,” said Nelson. “I want to help them explore healthcare careers, and others as well.”
After studying the cadaver, the rest of the class period was dedicated to discussing issues that may arise in a medical profession. The 20 students, five males and 13 females, arranged their chairs into a circle and participated in the discussion in an intimate classroom setting.
Discussion topics range from the moral aspects “Body Worlds” art exhibits where mutilated bodies are put on display in museums, to the importance of balancing a career with family responsibilities. The class also features guest speakers and discusses leadership opportunities and service learning in the medical field.
Dr. Nelson stresses the importance of clinical experience, volunteer work and research experience to anyone planning on applying to medical school. Personal attributes such as compassion, leadership abilities and a passion for medicine are also essential.
The homework load is not heavy and writing assignments are posted every week in a Blackboard discussion forum. Dr. Nelson usually assigns relevant tasks for her class, including one homework assignment to research medical schools and the requirements to apply.
“I wish that this class was required,” said Courtney Maloney, a freshman in Nelson’s class. “It has answered every single question I had about the expectations of doctors.”
Maloney added: “And if you’re like me, and decide that a medical profession is not for you, the professor is just as happy for you.”
The Pepperdine website urges that it is “not difficult to understand what you need to do to get into medical school, but it is difficult to do what you need to do in order to get accepted.”
In recent years, 60 to 70 percent of Pepperdine graduates who applied were accepted to medical school. About 30 Pep students are accepted each year, with the acceptance rate for students who have high GPA’s and competitive MCAT scores close to 100 percent. The acceptance to dental school is almost 100 percent, with 0-5 applicants each year.
Because there is not an actual pre-med major for Seaver College, students are urged to major in biology, chemistry, or sports medicine. But if a student chooses to become a non-science major, they are required to complete pre-med courses in addition to courses required for their major.
Several students complained about the Pep “pre-med” seminar. “Two girls already changed their major because of this class,” said Janel Gonzalez.
Dr. Nelson’s class, then, seems to be doing exactly what it was designed to do: give the students a taste of what it is like to be a student in medical school and help students decide if they want to continue with the grueling process of applying.
12-06-2007
