Week 2:
Finding My Way

June 6, 2017

Week 2 has felt more relaxed, and just more natural. I know where I am going now (for the most part). The halls I walk in the hospital are more familiar, and I definitely have down the path to and from work much better now. Along with knowing where I am, I feel like I better understand the role I play in the lab. I now know that before every participant visit, I need to prepare and label tubes for blood draws. I know that in my down time, there is so much research to be done, whether it is my own or to help another researcher in the lab. With each participant visit, I practice the mood rating and mania rating scales (mood ratings determine depression while mania determines a manic episode in someone with bipolar disorder), and compare the scores I give the participants to the scores Dr. Fiedorowicz gives. I’m not great at this, but I can see myself slowly getting better at rating a person’s mood and mania just through interviews that are conducted. Overall, I am able to go through the days now with certainty of what I am doing and how I can help best.

One morning I got the opportunity to learn about pupillometry. In a study being conducted, the vasculature of eyes are being studied in individuals with depression. Pupillometry is one of the tests being done. It essentially measures how long it take for pupils to respond to light stimulus. A research nurse from ophthalmology came in to show us how it works. Then, we got to practice on each other. It was amazingly more difficult than any of us imagined. And I do not mean administering the test- it was being subjected to the bright light and not being able to blink for long periods that was difficult! It was a very useful experience, however, because this way we can understand what we are asking of the participants and be able to empathize with them better and better explain to them what the test is like. It would be easy to get irritated with someone that blinks when we say don’t blink, but now knowing how hard it is, that will not be the case. Empathy is so important in the world of medicine, even in medical research.

I have learned that research studies involving human subjects are complicated because of human error (like needing to blink) and because things tend to not happen the way they are planned. Several times this week, participants have had to cancel and reschedule visits for the studies they are in. This certainly is not an issue, as it is expected, and something that must just be accepted about clinical research. Dr. Fiedorowicz said it himself that clinical research gets messy, and I realize now how right he is. When looking at papers and results from studies involving human subjects, it is really important to keep in mind that perhaps this research wasn’t done on the exact anticipated timeline, e.g. visit two might’ve happened three weeks after visit one rather than two weeks afterward. This is just part of the gig because humans have lives outside of these studies, and it is bound to interfere at times. Even if things come up, even if the study doesn’t always follow the exact plan, the participation of individuals in these studies are so greatly appreciated and valued.

On a different note, adjusting to apartment life in Iowa City has been interesting, and I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. Initially, buying groceries was such a pain and hassle. Honestly, it takes time to get adjusted to shopping at new grocery stores! Finding what I want is sometimes a challenge, but I’m starting to get used to it. On top of that, I have realized everything I need in order to cook for myself, and realized how I definitely don’t have all the kitchen tools I need (like a can opener) which didn’t help the grocery costs the first week. I’m starting to get settled in this regard now, and the apartment is starting to feel more like home. It has definitely become a place where I am comfortable and can relax, and I can already tell that I will miss it at the end of the summer.