Advice from an Alumnus: Meet Allyson Stromer!

SD Mines has a reputation for excellence that reverberates through our students long after they leave campus with their degrees in hand. Today, we are featuring on of our alumni, Allyson Stromer, who earned her degree in Interdisciplinary Science in 2005, then she went on to earn her B.S. in nursing and later her M.S. in nursing education from SDSU. She is currently working for SDSU's College of Nursing as a nursing instructor right here in Rapid City! We caught up with Allyson to ask her about her time at SD Mines and how it helped to prepare her for a career in healthcare.

Hey, Allyson! How did your time at SD Mines prepare you for a career in nursing education?
My time at SDSM&T was filled with everything I needed to be ready for nursing school, including several biology and chemistry courses with associated labs, anatomy and physiology courses, and psychology courses. In addition to writing and humanities courses, the Mines laid the groundwork for a well-rounded education that helped me be successful in nursing school and as a nurse.

What kinds of healthcare experiences did you do to get a better feel for careers in healthcare while you were a student? 
I worked as a certified nurse's assistant (CNA) after my graduation from the Mines so I could decide if healthcare was something I was passionate about. I realized the development of the nurse-patient relationship was a strength I had early on and wanted to explore it further. 

Did you do any research as an undergraduate at SD Mines? 
I wrote a research paper as a requirement for graduation from SDSM&T but as I learn more about the research process, I know it wasn't a great paper! I haven't participated in any research outside of school requirements since then, but even those experiences have been valuable. The biggest take-away has been the development of information literacy, the concept of knowing I need more information and the ability to find a reliable, valid sources to support an evidence-based practice.

What kinds of volunteering did you do during your undergraduate?
I volunteered for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters school program.

In what other ways did you prepare for a career in healthcare?
In addition to my work as a CNA, I have several amazing nurses in my family who answered my questions and offered support in preparation for my schooling and my career. My mom, who has been a nurse for over 40 years, still answers any questions I have about nursing!

How did you balance studying, attending classes, and other student commitments with your personal life while at SD Mines?
The eternal struggle! There was always more studying to do, there was always another work shift available, there was always another get together with my friends. For me, balancing all that meant keeping my end goal in mind and only saying yes to things I really wanted to do. If that meant making time for me to sit and read and be alone, that's what I did. Also, surrounding myself with like-minded individuals helped during my time at the Mines. We had fun when it was time to have fun and we studied (a lot!) when it was time to study. 

What techniques do you use to manage your time and stress levels now as a professional?
As an instructor, I make full use of my planner and my Outlook calendar to keep me on track. Even class prep gets a time slot to ensure I am ready for each class. I am slowly (slowly!) going as paperless as I can so I don't waste precious time or resources printing PowerPoint slides that I will then re-work for next time. I also work to finish one task as completely as possible so I can easily move on to the next item.

When I feel stressed, I try to remember that it’s a normal part of life and I can control my response to it, no matter the circumstances. I prioritize tasks and remember to make time for my family and myself to avoid burnout. I also enjoy going back to hands-on nursing when I have the opportunity. It reminds me of the reasons I love being a nurse.

What advice do you have for pre-health students who are struggling?
In classes, make connections with the work. Figure out how things tie together and "make sense". Once you have a better grasp on the bigger picture, the smaller ideas begin to fit into place. Self-awareness is important too. For example, if you aren’t being as successful in your courses as you would like, take a minute to look at your study habits. Are you studying in a group in which you find yourself unable to get anything done? Perhaps it’s time to reevaluate those habits and try a new approach.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and have moments of "I can't do this". Find someone who will lend you an ear, a shoulder, any kind of support to help you through this time.  Take advantage of campus resources as well, there are many forms of help available for when you are struggling.

All About HOSA: Future Health Professionals

This post was written by guest contributor, Gabrielle Smith, a current SD Mines student that is part of the team of students working to start a HOSA chapter here at SD Mines.

HOSA participants learn about
medical imaging during
the annual conference.

Whether you are interested in public health, working as a clinician, laboratory science, or biomedical engineering, HOSA may be for you.  HOSA: Future Health Professionals is an international organization for middle school, high school, post-secondary, and college students interested in healthcare fields.  HOSA provides students with opportunities for competition, scholarships, and volunteering.  It is also currently the largest organization in the world for students planning on going into healthcare and healthcare-related fields.  With over 60 competitive events and multiple recognition events, there are a wide variety of options to choose from.

Students compete and attend symposia at annual conferences at the state and international level.  These conferences also provide valuable opportunities to network.  At the state conference, I’ve been able to go to sessions on pediatrics, being an obstetrician/gynecologist, suturing, family medicine, and emergency medical services.

Internationals take place every year in late June.  Over 11,500 attendees from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China at the most recent conference in Orlando, Florida.

View from the recent HOSA conference in Orlando, FL.

For the past four years, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to attend the International Leadership Conference.  At the most recent international conference, I was able to attend a presentation on the role of augmented intelligence in healthcare, a lecture on medicine in space, and a round table about the future of healthcare.  There were also sessions on palliative care, emergency preparedness, pediatrics, suturing, and designing prosthetics, among others.  Some of the speakers and representatives included people from Microsoft (including several mechanical engineers and a bioengineering researcher), IBM Watson Health, the US Surgeon General, a former senior medical advisor at NASA, HHS and the White House, and a branch chief from the US Department of Health and Human Services.  At other conferences, I’ve been able to get certified in mass bleeding control and attend sessions on emergency medicine, human trafficking, and post-traumatic stress disorder in emergency medical services.

Opening slide from a presentation given
during the International Leadership Conference.

During my time in HOSA, I’ve been able to compete in epidemiology, behavioral health, pathophysiology, and healthcare issues.  While all of those were based on written exams, there are plenty of other types of events.  In my previous chapter at my high school, students have competed at the international competition in events such as CPR/First Aid, EMT, Health Career Photography, and Forensic Science.  Some competitive events involve demonstrating clinical skills, while others involve demonstrating various labs.  Still others involve poster presentations in areas like biomedical engineering.

HOSA has been extremely valuable to me.  When I joined, I wasn’t entirely sure about what I was getting myself into, but I’m incredibly grateful that I did.  HOSA has provided me with opportunities to meet other students from around the world and given me the chance to further my knowledge in a variety of areas in healthcare.

If you’d like to learn more, or get involved with HOSA, please email me at Gabrielle.Smith@mines.sdsmt.edu or Hope Dosch at Hope.Dosch@mines.sdsmt.edu

You can read more about HOSA here in South Dakota
by checking out their website: https://sdhosa.org/  

Students Attend the 2nd Annual Heartland Pre-Med Conference

This time last week, a group of students returned to classes after a weekend spent traveling to Kirksville, Missouri, to attend the 2nd Annual Heartland PreMed Conference at A.T. Still University's School of Osteopathic Medicine. This school is the first osteopathic medical school in the country and was established in 1892 by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy and osteopathic medicine. The legacy of A.T. Still is described in the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine, which is located on the Kirksville campus. Our students were able to tour the museum during their time at the conference. The museum featured lots of interesting artifacts from A.T. Still's life and a collection of medical antiques that show the progression of osteopathic medicine through time.

One of the displays at the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine.

VP for Academic Affairs at ATSU, Lori Haxton,
delivers the welcome message at the conference.

Three of our fantastic pre-health students embarked on their journey to Kirksville on a Friday morning. We spent 11 hours riding in a school vehicle talking about life, the universe, and everything before finding our way to our hotel and settling in before the next day's conference. The next morning began with a good breakfast and arriving early for registration check-in. Everyone was given a bag with information about the conference and we were able to pick up fun conference t-shirts before the welcome message that began at 9am.

After welcoming students and their advisors to A.T. Still University, attendees were able to select from two presentations during the first session. One of the presentations was Professionalism and Ethics in Healthcare, which I attended and thoroughly enjoyed. The other session was Navigating Interview Formats, which all of our students attended and reported was helpful information regarding the different types of interviews that one can go on when applying to medical schools. This was especially useful for the two students who had signed up for doing a mock interview later in the day.

AdaptPrep MCAT Project Manager, Elizabeth Heeg,
talks to attendees about preparing for the MCAT.

The second session featured a presentation about ATSU's Biomedical Sciences Program titled An Opportunity to Improve Your Medical School Application and a presentation titled Strategies for MCAT Prep, which all of us from SD Mines attended. This session was sponsored by AdaptPrep and gave students a list of Do's & Don't's for MCAT preparation. AdaptPrep also donated free subscriptions to some of their test-prep products for all conference attendees.

The third session was hosted by ATSU's admissions department and focused on preparing applications for AACOMAS, the centralized application service used for applying to osteopathic medical programs. While specific to AACOMAS, much of the information shared was applicable to other centralized application services for professional programs in healthcare.

After this session, lunch was sponsored by the US Army, US Navy, and US Air Force. During lunch, there was a panel discussion with two ATSU students, one in the osteopathic medical program and one in the biomedical sciences program. These students provided insider information on preparation for and success in professional programs.

ATSU students demonstrate OMM.

There were two additional sessions after lunch. The first session allowed student attendees to choose between Strategies for MCAT Prep or Single GME & Residency Selection Process Explained. Because our students had already attended the MCAT prep presentation earlier, they all attended the other session to learn about the residency process. The second session allowed students to choose between Osteopathic Principles and Practice or Caring for Your Mental Health in Medical School. Because two of our students were still learning about osteopathic medicine and the third is planning to go into osteopathic medicine, the group decided to attend the first presentation, where they gained a clearer understanding of the profession and learned more about the holistic approach that DOs take when caring for their patients. Meanwhile, there were concurrent sessions for pre-health advisors that included panel discussions with representatives from various medical programs (both DO and MD schools) followed by a group discussion about letters of recommendation.

The afternoon was comprised of lab demonstrations of ultrasound, osteopathic manipulative medicine, patient simulations, and immersion room experiences. These were exciting experiences for our students, who saw live demonstrations, solved a simulated patient case using a robotic patient, and learned how to triage during an emergency scenario in the immersion room. Two of our students also participated in mock interviews, where they received feedback to use in future interview preparations.

SD Mines students, Lauren Wipf and Isabel McClachlan, work with Bill, a simulated patient, to diagnose his pneumonia.

Students learned how to triage and then entered an immersion room where they put their skills to use in a live scenario.

Students speak with a VCOM representative
during the medical school meet and greet.

Additionally, we all walked through the medical school meet and greet. This meet and greet featured booths with representatives from a variety of programs sharing information and lots of fun, branded freebies for us to take back with us to Rapid City. (You know what that means...free stuff available in Dr. J's office!)

After the conference was over, our group said goodbye to ATSU and made our way back to Rapid City. In reflecting on our experiences, the students agreed that the conference was a fun, worthwhile trip, despite the long drive. While the meet and greet and informational sessions were useful, everyone agreed that the hands-on activities were the most interesting and reaffirmed their choices for pursing a career in medicine. One student remarked, "It is a very insightful way of learning the basics of medical school." Another stated, "It helped me confirm my desire to go into medicine and helped me to understand what I needed to do to prepare." All three students would like to attend the event again next year and would recommend it for other students interested in a pre-medicine pathway.

Students attended the 2nd Annual Heartland PreMed Conference at ATSU.
Left to Right: Lauren Wipf, Isabel McClachlan, and Alex Reader