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Electronic Portfolio: 2010Thao Hoang

St. Gianna Health AcademySt. Gianna Catholic Health Academy is an educational program offered to students from Bishop Carroll and Kapaun Mount Carmel. The goals of this program is to educate the students about the medical field and to expose them to a variety of different healthcare careers.

Orientation Weeko Campus Tours at St. Francis and St.

Joseph Hospitalso Mrs. Hang gave us a talk over the Hand

Washing Presentation projecto Security came and talk to us about

parking and how we should act while we’re in the hospital

o We went to Newman University for orientation over our Medical Terminology class

o Everyone was required to obtain a badge and to wear at all time in the hospital

Thank You!The success of the program was made possible through the help of many healthcare professionals. So to thank those who took their time to teach the class, the students make personal thank you cards and professional thank you letters to show their appreciation.

Rotation: Laboratory

Speaker: Officer Greg

Rotation: General

Surgery, 8 SE

Rotation: Cath. Lab

Rotation: Pediatrics

October 18, 2010 ATTN: RADIOLOGY Dear Radiology, I want to thank you for allowing me to come into the radiology department. It was very different from my other rotations. Before this rotation, I thought that radiology was all about taking x-rays. After the experience, I learned that the radiology department does much more than that. On my first day, I saw fluid being drain from a patient and that was very interesting to watch. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to experience something new and exciting. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

October 21, 2010 ATTN: MICU Dear MICU, I want to thank you for allowing me to come into MICU to shadow the nurses. Everyone was very nice and welcoming. I really learned a lot from this rotation, especially the causes for why the patients are hospitalized. The environment was very different from my other rotations and I am glad that I got to experience this unit. Again, thank you for showing me around and I hope to see everyone again. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

October 11, 2010 ATTN: SPEAKER Dear Mr. Stucky, I want to take a moment to thank you for taking your time to talk to share with us your knowledge over occupational therapy. Before your talk, I was really lost over the topic of occupational therapy. But after listening to you speaks, I am able to understand the job a little more. OT actually seems like an interesting and fun job for people who want to improve the life of others. Thank you again for being so nice to us. It was very interesting listening to you talk. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

Nov 8, 2010 ATTN: RESPIRATORY THERAPIST Dear Ms. Trump, I want to thank you for taking your time to share with us about respiratory therapy. It was a very interesting and fun experience. Before the lecture I really did not know that respiratory therapy plays such an important role in the medical field. I have seen a patient being put on a ventilator during one of my rotation before but I was really confused about what was going on. After your talk, I understand the process so much better. I really enjoy practicing on the manikins. Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge with me and I hope to see you again. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

November 15, 2010 ATTN: SPEAKER Sedgwick County Zoo 5555 W Zoo Blvd. Wichita, KS 67212 Dear Dr. Bryant, I want to thank you for taking your time to share with us about your experiences as a veterinary. I do not know much about being a veterinary but I do know that the time and effort you put into helping these animals are very valuable and necessary. I am sure that the task this job demands is very difficult and unique compare to the other healthcare professions. Thank you again and I wish the best for you and for all the animals. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

PresentationHand

Washing The Hand Washing Presentation is project put together by the students in order to teach children from K-3 grade about hand washing hygiene. During the presentation, students will put on a skit, sing a song, and talk about the steps of hand washing.

Blogs Over RotationsBlogging is a big part of Health Academy because it allows the students to share their experiences. Sometime students will talk about their rotation in front of the whole class, but for most of the time, students will blog about their rotation on Black Board, which is easier because then other students can leave their comments right under the blog.

Laboratory

I went to the laboratory this week at St. Francis. On the first day, I went around with Jimmy to take blood for about 5 patients. He was very nice but he talks a lot so it took a while. Then on the second day, I went to the blood bank and to about 3 others departments in the lab. One of the ladies I was with was talking really fast so I didn't have time to ask her any questions. Overall, everyone was very nice and welcoming. They made it seem like working in the lab is very fun and interesting.

Catherization Lab

This week I went to the Cath. Lab. On the first day I saw the procedure being done on this patient. It was pretty interesting because when the doctor pump the dye into the artery, I could see the heart pumping. They found nothing wrong with the patients so there wasn't anything new to look at. There was a lot of waiting around in the lab so it was kind of boring at first. Then on the second day, they have no cases at all so I went to 8 SE with Nicole. It was kind of funny because one of the patient was smoking and he has oxygen on so the nurses was afraid that he was going to blow the hospital up. So they called security and they came and took the cigarettes away. Overall, it was a good rotation.

Medical Intensive Care Unit

This week I went to MICU. On the first day, my nurse had two patients. One of the patient was on a ventilator because she couldn't breath very well. She also has lung cancer so that didn't help much, and it was really sad because she was only 21. Then her dad told us that he needs to talk to a social worker because he doesn't live in Wichita so he wants to find a cheaper hotel to live in. Her other patient was much older and her big toe got amputated because it was infected and her pacemaker was making weird noises so she has to stay in the hospital to get that fix too. Overall, it was a good rotation.

Emergency Room I went to the ER this week

and it was pretty interesting. Instead of following a nurse, I went with a Med Technician for both days and what they do is really different. Most of the cases that came in were stroke and the Tech. I followed told me that there has been a lot of stroke cases during the last month. On the second day, a patient was admitted because he has a seizure. I thought it was really scary because he said he couldn't see anything. But then the AP came in and when we ask her she said he might be faking.

PediatricsI went to PEDS for my rotation last week. When I got there, the nurse I was with was getting ready to admit a 2 year old. They brought him in a few minutes later and he was having some abdominal pain. He was crying the whole time while the nurse was trying to measure his height, blood pressure and all that stuff. Then it got kind of boring so the charge nurse send me to the pharmacist on the floor. She was really nice and she told me a lot of things about pharmacy. Then I guess she was having a "study group" with a student and a resident. I thought it was really interesting even though I had no idea what they were talking about.

Mentor FormsDuring rotation, students are responsible for acting professionally and taking an interest in what the person they’re shadowing are doing. Since each student goes on a different unit for their rotation, mentor forms are filled out by the professional in that unit so the teacher can see how the students are doing.

Cover Letter, Resume,References

Health Academy not only expose the students to the careers in healthcare but it also prepare the students for future employment. During the program, students are expected to prepare a cover letter, a resume, and references for a job that they are interested in applying for.

1933 N. Wellington Pl Wichita, KS 67203 October 6, 2010 Denise Clarke Program Director 929 North St. Francis Wichita, KS 67214 Dear Ms. Clarke: I recently learned that you have an opening for a pharmacy technician and I am very interested in this position. I hope that I could use this opportunity to share my personal skills and enthusiasm for the field of pharmacy. Currently, I am a Senior at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School where I am involved in St. Gianna Health Academy, Pro-life club, Art Club, and an honors curriculum. I believe that this job will really fit me because I have a personality that works well around people, I put a lot of effort into everything I do, and I would love to learn more about the field of pharmacy. I am hoping that I could use this opportunity to build up my social skill and my personality. Although I have little experience in this area, I enjoy learning about new techniques and meeting new people. If possible, I would like to schedule an interview at your convenience. You can reach me by email, or you can contact me any time after 4:00 P.M. If I am unavailable, you can leave a message and I will return your call promptly. Thank you very much. I look forward to discussing with you about this wonderful opportunity. Sincerely, Thao Hoang

Cover

Letter

Resum

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Thao Hoang ___________________________________________________________________

Objective To obtain a position as a pharmacist technician for future career interest. Education 2010-present Newman University, Wichita KS Medical Terminology 2010-present St. Gianna Catholic Health Academy 2007-present Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, Wichita KS Honors Curriculum GPA: 3.9 Class ranking: 25 out of 270 Graduation pending, May 2011 Employment 2009-2010 St. Patrick’s School, Wichita KS

Managed the school office Monitored the classroom Tutored the students

Activities and Involvements

BC Pro-life Club, September 2009-Prsent BC Honors Curriculum, August 2008-Present

Server at St. Patrick’s Church, 2007-2008 St. Anthony’s Dance Team, 2005-2008

Special Awards and Recognitions

National History Day, 2010 BC Academic Achievement Award, 2008 Shocker Honors Scholar Banquet, 2010

Citizenship Award, 2007 Presidential Award for Academic Excellent, 2007

Volunteer Experience

St. Francis Hospital, August 2010-Present The Lord’s Diner, June 2009-Present

The ARC, October 2009-Present St. Patrick’s Church & School, May 2008-Present

References

Anita Emming Don Forster Leslie Lukens

Professional LecturesBesides going on rotations and learning about the different units in the hospital, students also listen to lectures over other healthcare careers. Some of the topics students this semester was exposed to are radiology, nursing, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and radiology.

Nursing:Like many other careers in the healthcare field, nursing plays a vital part in providing care for patients. It does not matter where nurses work, whether it is in the hospital or a clinic, the job of nurses is always to treat patients, educate patients, and provide advice and emotional support. Taking care of someone may seem like a very easy going job; however, not everyone can get along. So besides providing care for patients, nurses must also be able to deal with personal problems and patients’ family members.

Radiology:Radiology is a career that focuses mainly on obtaining images and interpreting them. The radiology department offers many different levels of careers, depending on a person’s interest and education. One could start out as a radiology technologist, then a radiologist assistant, and he or she could go on to become a radiologist. The education to become a radiologist is almost the same as becoming a physician. One must graduate from an accredited medical school and receive an MD degree.

Respiratory TherapyRespiratory therapy is a very young career compare to nursing and it is very different from other healthcare professions. People who work as respiratory therapists play a vital role in caring for patients and they must have a very profound knowledge about the respiratory system. They work closely with physicians and they assist in the evaluation, treatment, and care of patients with lung and heart disorder. Respiratory therapists must be quick in dealing with problems because nothing stays the same with patients who have respiratory disorder.

Psychology Therapy:Even though there are many different healthcare careers, something all the professionals have in common is the special connection between themselves and the patients. When the guest speaker came and talked to us about the healthcare career in psychology, I learned that people who are interested in psychology is much more interested in improving the lives of others than the high salary. The speaker told us about the different kinds of careers in psychology: clinical psychology and community psychology, and developmental psychology.

Zoo Veterinary Med.:The job of a veterinary is very much like a doctor who cares for patients in the hospital. Even though animals can not communicate directly with the veterinary, they still have pain and discomfort that need to be taken care of. So in order to understand what the animals are going through, the veterinary staff uses radiology or X-rays to look inside the animal without causing them any pain or surgery.

Classroom ActivitiesSome of the activities students do in class are making thank you cards, learning about blood pressure, reflexes, and where to take a pulse.

Career InterestsAt the very beginning of this course, students are expected to do research over six healthcare careers they are interested in. My six careers that I researched over are pharmacy, physician assistant, radiology, pharmacy technicians, cardiovascular technologists, and medical assistants. The career that I’m very interested in right now is pharmacy.

Pharmacy:I’m very interested in is pharmacy because I like how some of the settings are very small and comfortable and the tasks of a pharmacists is not as demanding as some of the other health professions. In order to become a pharmacist, one must earn a Pharm. D. degree through a college or a school of pharmacy. Before being admitted into the Pharm. D program, one must completed at least 2 years of specific professional study that includes courses in mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, humanities and social sciences

Physician Assistant:I am interested in physician assistants because there is more interactions with the patients and it is like a nurse but I would have my own doctor to report to. In order to become a PA, one must already have a college degree and some work experience related to the healthcare field. The admissions requirements to enter to a PA program vary; however, many applicants already have prior experience as registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics. PA education usually takes 2 years for a full time students.

Cardiovascular Tech.:I’m also very interested cardiovascular technologists and technicians because the heart has always be intriguing to me and I think it’s a good opportunity for me to work in the cardiac unit without spending a lot of time in school. Many cardiovascular technologists complete a 2-year program through junior or community colleges. During their first year, students learn about the core courses and during their second year, they will specialized in either invasive cardiovascular, noninvasive cardiovascular, or noninvasive vascular technology.

Medical Assistant:I chose medical assistants because I think that this job would be a very good introduction to the medical field and it could probably help me to decide if the healthcare field is right for me. Most medical assistants programs are offered through vocational-technical high schools, postsecondary vocational schools, and community and junior colleges. If a student decides to take the program in postsecondary schools, it usually takes 2 years. During this time, students will cover anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology.

Radiology:I'm interested in being a radiologist because its more focused on technologies and looking at X-rays and I would have the option of working at many other different departments related to radiology. In order to become a radiologist, one must obtain a premedical degree at a 4-year college or university. Courses like biology and chemistry are very beneficial in the quest for a radiology degree. During the third year of college, one must take the medical college admission test to get into medical school.

Pharmacy Tech.:I think being a pharmacy technicians and aides would be very interesting because right now my career of interest is pointing toward pharmacy and I think that if I work as a pharmacy technicians for a while then I could probably decide on whether or not pharmacy is right for me. There is really no specific training requirements for pharmacy technicians, however, most pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training which ranges from 3 to 12 months.

Final ReflectionHealth Academy has been much more than a class room to me. Not only did I gain a better understanding of the healthcare field, I was also able to meet new people and gain new experiences . Not every rotation was fun and exciting, but the knowledge I obtained was very beneficial to my future career decision.