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Friday, April 25, 2014

Well April flew by...

It’s that time of year in schools... after spring break and the PSSAs. The weather starts getting warmer, and the year just starts to fly by. Well, at least for me anyway.

This Wednesday in our crisis prevention and intervention class, a professor from the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, and Forensic Medicine at PCOM came to speak to us about suicide and child abuse. It was nice to get some cross-departmental interaction, as we have little knowledge about the field of medicine and non-school related law.

It was a very informative and interactive presentation, although depressing at times. We discussed identifying manner of death (which is not as easy as you would think!), how to recognize signs of child abuse, and suicide. We talked a lot about how traumatic it would be for a young child to discover a loved one who had taken their lives. While this would be disturbing for anyone, let alone a child, and certainly require some mental health intervention, I thought more about the person actually committing suicide. What was going through their minds just before? What brought them to this point that suicide was viewed as the only option? Where were the warning signs? I wrote my prevention program proposal for class on suicide prevention programs in youth, so I was particularly interested in this guest speaker. I’ll leave you guys with something a little more uplifting. This is a video clip that our practicum professor shared with us after a night of heavy topics. There is a whole series called Kid Snippets in which kids come up with a dialogue that is acted out by adults. Enjoy!


Sunday, April 6, 2014

Spring time

You know it's spring at PCOM when you're a school psychology student and you get out of class before dark falls. Last Wednesday, the EdS year 2 cohort only had one of two classes this trimester and got out around 7 pm. As I walked outside, I felt a cool breeze (not the bone-chilling cold of the winter) and my eyes barely had to adjust from the light in the classroom to the light outside.
Philadelphia skyline from the top of the parking deck after class.


Some things to look forward to in the upcoming warmer months:

Neuropsychology club

One of the students in the PsyD Clinical Psychology program came to class recently to request our signatures for a new Neuropsychology club. The cohort expressed interest and a desire to bring together several programs under a common interest. Hopefully, she got enough signatures because that club sounds awesome!

STEPPs Year 2

During the EdS program, we have the opportunity to experience the "Standardized Patient" program each year during the three-year program. Last year, I remember being very nervous and not confident in explaining a report to an actor pretending to be a parent during a mock parent feedback meeting. However, this year, I feel a tad more confident in my ability to succinctly and efficiently provide feedback and advice to the "parent".

Guest speakers during practicum class

This Wednesday in class, a guest speaker from a charter school in Chester County will be speaking to us so that will be an informative and interesting presentation. We also have a few more scheduled guest speakers this semester so I will keep you posted!

No summer classes!

Our last class of the trimester is June 4th. After this class, we are off until internship starts in the fall. Some in our cohort are planning to relax and just enjoy the summer. Some are planning to start studying for the Praxis II. Whatever we do, it's nice to know that we have some time off before the craziness of internship year begins!

About 15 months until graduation...