On Tuesday, May 2, OU-HCOM hosted the 11th grade students for their last day of the Aspiring DOctors Precollege Program! Students started the morning with a sensory changes lab with Dr. Wiggers. During the lab, students participated in activities that simulated the aging process.
These activities allowed students to experience cataracts, loss of the sense of taste, limited mobility, and more. That was followed up with a pig heart dissection. Students worked along with Dr. O’Reilly to identify the different anatomical structures of the heart as they dissected.
Before lunch, a panel of admissions representatives from Cleveland State, John Carroll, Baldwin-Wallace, and Ohio University visited campus to talk about the admissions process and student life on their respective campuses. Students got many of their questions answered and gained a better understanding of what they can expect going into their senior year of high school.
During lunch with their medical student buddies, each 11th grade student gave a handwritten thank you note and gift to their medical student buddy to thank them for all their help this year! We ended the day with a presentation on stress management. Most students agreed that they feel a lot of stress either in school or in their personal lives. 
As a group, they shared their strategies for healthily fighting stress in their own lives. We hope this brainstorming session allowed students to consider new ways they can relax when encountering stressful situations.
We are so proud of everything our 11th grade Aspiring DOctors have accomplished this year and we hope to see them back next year as seniors!