When we visited the Ponce School of Medicine we were invited to hear experiences of different

students and professor of a variety of programs of investigation in the university involved with the

objective to orientate students like us that are interested in a science or medical career. In the

orientation the student Abigail Ruiz showed us the investigation that she was proposed to develop and

defend in a program of investigation of endometriosis. She discussed that it was a condition that

affected a lot of women specifically in Puerto Rico and wanted in a future to compare with the

percentage of other countries if it was possible. This condition consists of a problem with the tissues of

the endometrium outside the uterus and could affect other organs or organ systems in the body.

Women suffer it since the menarche to the menopause and the reason of this condition is unknown.

Also this condition is not curable and there are only treatments to stop the pain that these women

suffer of or induce menopause to end it. The condition could be related to cancer because it had a

similar behavior and the women suffered many times if infertility. Abigail Ruiz also said that she wanted

to observe and learn more about the condition to find in the cells in the endometrial system could stop

causing these harm or to contribute in the treatment of the condition.

During her orientation she showed domain of the knowledge of the topic and the complexity of the

condition. She demonstrated security while speaking and because of the reaction of the audience you

could see that she was able to delivered or transmit the message. I think that most important of all she

achieve the duty of being capable of getting the interest of the people because in my opinion I found it

very interesting topic. Other important goal that she reached was that she developed that the audience

started with debatable statements and a lot of questions. She also started in a friendly tone and

demonstrated that she was enjoying what she is doing with this project and we could see that she will

keep on her investigations and definitely will defend and share her research goals. I as a student want to

get to the level of making work like this one and this experience also serves means motivation and a sort

of inspiration to accomplish it in a future.

Although I think it was a good presentation and she defended correctly her ideas about the

investigation it could have some improvement changes in her way of presenting it. People tend to be

visual and if you show them something writing or more graphically presented you can gain interest and

understanding from the audience in a presentation. I noted that she had no power point, table, or

demonstrative equipment in order to a better representation of the information and this could have

increased the quality of her presentation. When someone is going to speak to the audience everyone is

supposed to see you so that everyone can receive the message and I noted that she was too in the

corner and is more proper to be in a good spot of the room when you are exposing ideas. Even though

she had a good tone of voice she talked a little too fast and needed to work on her english skills in

communicating things clearly. Of all this good and wrong things that I observed it helps me to learn of

this experience and in a hopefully future similar opportunity I can get to achieve a good representation

for me to progress in my studies in my studies in science. .

Luzmarie Reyes Vicente

RISE-2011