UCI GMMA kicked off the new school year with an Ice Cream and Churros Social and an informational meeting! What a wonderful time of getting to know new and returning members, mentors, and supporters over a delicious snack and icebreakers! Here’s to an amazing school year full of bonding, serving, and growing in our knowledge and in Christ!!

Thank you Dr. Christine Jun for coming to talk about her experience as a physician and for sharing about her missions life, both locally and globally! She shared about specializing in palliative care in which she will work with an interdisciplinary team to treat the whole person. It was amazing to get to know how her faith plays a role in her work as she strives to show Christ’s love through her actions!

“We live in our own bubble, and there is this whole world out there that we will never know if we never see.”

Tip: Before choosing your career path, know yourself (identity, purpose, strengths, weaknesses, passions)!

We had our first hands-on workshop of the year yesterday with Nurse Eveline!! Big thank you to Nurse Eveline for teaching about triage, putting together a super fun and interactive triage workshop, and sharing her experiences as a nurse!!

And thank you to those who came and participated!! Hope you all had a fun time

Thank you to those who came out to our 3rd GM of the quarter last night!! It was a truly blessed time full of learning and laughter as we heard Dr. Scott Choi share about his journey to becoming a dentist from a theater major and really just how God has been so faithful and sovereign in guiding him to where he is today! Big thanks to Dr. Choi for also teaching us about dental and oral hygiene too!!

Please keep praying that he would be a blessing to the staff at his workplace and can share God’s love through his interactions with the patients!!

What does Dr. Nguyen do as a plastic surgeon:
– facial traumas, wound cares, restruction
– hand surgeries (started from plastic surgery)
– burn wounds

His journey as a Christian:
– offers prayers before the surgeries
– relatively a new believer (about 3 years since he became a Christian)
– read Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend
– seeking to heal people rather than feeding vanities

Life as a plastic surgeon

– life of a surgeon: do i want to be a surgeon? Do i want to be an OR? (Touch shifts) – requires sacrifices that you might think that isn’t worth
– business minded people usually do better (for private practice)
– work on all areas of the body
– Timothy keller: the reason for God
– Rick warren: what on earth am I here for?
– wanted to prove the resurrection of Jesus wrong, but couldn’t help but to be convincted: that’s how he became the Christian

– ongoing process as a Christian

What should students keep as a person of faith in midst of busywork?
– keep the Sabbath
– keep your eyes on the bigger picture of God’s plan for your life “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
– build margin into your life

“The gladiators of today are the memories of tomorrow”
– the more important question is: did God bring him to the kingdom?

7 aspects of life by dave ramsey: physical appearance is important, but it shouldn’t be too focused nor not cared; balance is needed

Julie Kwak (Nurse)
Julie Kwak chose nursing because of the versatility and broadness of the career that allows for both horizontal and vertical growth. She feels like she thrives in the hospital and really enjoys being in the hospital with patients. She has never doubted her career choice and believes that it is by God’s grace that she is where she is at today. She will continue to work hard where she is at to pursue her calling.

Advice:
It will all work out in the end.
It is easy to become comfortable with your own time, but don’t get comfortable.

Prayer request: trust that God will place her in the right job with the right people

Contact info: hyunjkwak@gmail.com

Nhi Nguyen (PharmD)
Nhi Nguyen chose pharmacy because of the patient interaction and one factor was her experience on a mission trip through GMMA. She always knew she wanted to do something healthcare related but realized she didn’t like the hospital setting. After going to Cambodia, she feels like her passion for pharmacy was confirmed.

Advice:
Trust in God.
For pre-pharm students, get a job as a tech or clerk or volunteer for experience and exposure that will be beneficial once you are in pharmacy school.

Prayer request: for strength and wisdom in shcool; finals next week

Contact info: nhin5@uci.edu

Michelle Park (pre-PA)
She chose PA because of the versatility and available options as well as the fact that they are clinical care extenderes. She currently works as a medical assistant and a scribe for pediatrics as well as dermatology. She had always wanted to go into healthcare and was greatly influenced during a GMMA Mexico trip. She believes that God opened door and paths to get her to where she is today. If this is where God wants her to be, she needs to be faithful in the moment.

Advice:
Study harder.
Don’t let your fears control what you do or don’t do.

Prayer request: strength in God so she can do everything for His glory

Contact info: michelyp@uci.edu

Thomas Won (pre-MD)
He chose MD because he has always had a passion and wants to bring healthcare services to underserved area. He wants to use his degree as a platform to bring services to such areas, and it will allow him to help patients directly. He just couldn’t see himself going into any other field and feels like he would regret it if he were not to continue on this path. He has had doubts since it is a long journey and big commitment to be a doctor, but he feels like the outcome and what you can get out of the result will outweigh everthing. He remembers to walk by faith and not by sight and to do everything with excellence.

Advice:
Don’t be afraid to pursue something you are interested in.
Try out new things. If it doesn’t work out, you will learn.
Don’t compare yourself. Just do your best!!

Prayer request: reliance on God for application process

Contact info: wont@usc.edu

Joanne Lee (DDS)

Check out this doc link for answers to the panel questions!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QYgG-Uwt2zaafKef9E5synAtnrP6MTilEr3mccyJL94/edit?usp=sharing

After doing some fun charades icebreaker, UCI GMMA students had the amazing chance to hear Nurse Virginia share about her journey from pursuing education to healthcare and how God has sovereignly planned every step. After doing some fun charades icebreaker, UCI GMMA students had the amazing chance to hear Nurse Virginia share about her journey from pursuing education to healthcare and how God has sovereignly planned every step. 

Nurse Virginia shared that she is not where she thought she would be since she was pursuing education and even started a PhD program. After a missions trip to Indonesia, however, a seed for healthcare was planted within her as she saw the disparities and poor conditions that contributed to malnutrition and other diseases. She was also able to see healthcare services in other countries that broke her heart for the patients. Although she had started her doctoral studies, she made a huge decision to forgo her studies and go to nursing school to more tangibly help people. She placed her fear and inhibitions at His feet and trusted in Him to come to a place where she could have peace and excitement for such a big change. She reflected on how she saw God’s faithfulness in her doubts. After working as a cardiac nurse where she was more frontline in helping patients, she now is a case manager where she can impact people more behind the scenes. Throughout her journey, she has seen that there are so many avenues to use the gifts given by God.

She realized:

1. Whatever field you may end up in, you may not be that in the future
2. Don’t ask God to bless your plans, but ask Him what His plans are for our lives.

Advice on being a witness in the workplace:

1. Put Christ on the table
   1. Don’t be afraid to publicly identify yourself as Christian
2. Work with excellence
   1. Work in a way that reflects Him
   2. Allow people to see the love of Christ through your life
3. Love your peers
   1. Invest into friendships; extend hospitality; share life; listen well
4. Prepare to evangelize and pray

Prayer Requests:

– That she may be able to have intentional and vulnerable conversations with her coworker at a conference; that God would open the door to plant seed of the gospel

– For her family; parenthood

Welcome to our first GM of Winter quarter! Adapted Physical Education Specialist, Kevin Ma came to talk to us today about his career. He works as a specialist at different schools, always enthusiastic and looking forward to working with kids with special needs. He works alongside other health professionals such as an occupational therapist and physical therapist, collaborating with them in order to better help the children. When he isn’t working at the schools, he teaches VBS at his church. He taught us how VBS really shares the story about the gospel through physical actions, connecting us with those who don’t speak the same language as us. 

Here he is teaching some of the moves to a VBS song.

Thank you Kevin Ma for sharing your experience and teaching us some dance moves!

Thank you to everyone who came out to our meeting, especially our grad panelists who took the time out of their busy schedules to share their journey to where they are today! Here are some of the advice that they had shared with us.

Karo, third year (D.O):

• School
  • 1st and 2nd year is mostly in the classroom while 3rd and 4th are clinical rotations
  • Work with a different specialist each rotation
  • Schedule varies based on the doctor or whatever the hospital has sent to you; typical hours are from 9-5
• Why he chose his field
  • Enjoyed biology and chemistry classes
  • Explored different fields with volunteer opportunities and lab and found himself as a natural fit
  • Enjoyed working with the clinicians
• Advice
  • Take what you learn and apply it to the real world

Audrey, gap year (Pre-med):

• Wants to do medicine and law
  • Dermatologist (own products and patent)
• Postdoc at UCLA for science classes
• Currently a medical assistant at a cardiologist clinic; gets 40 clinical hours a week
• Why she chose her field
  • Passionate about what she’s doing
    • Loves reading, writing, makeup and skincare
  • GMMA mission trip helped her; hoping to go on more mission trips in the future
• Advice
  • Dream big, if you want to do something, go for it
  • Think broadly and be creative with what you want to do in the future
  • Think longterm on what you’re going to do in the future; be passionate about it

Serena, first year (PT):

• Currently doing mostly didactic courses
• Why she chose her field
  • Went into undergrad thinking she would become a doctor
  • Did an internship for different careers
  • Ultimately chose PT to have a relationship with her patients and to continue to be active

Eveline (Nurse):

• Got license as a nurse and is currently working as a patient caregiver (personal nurse for the family)
• Why she chose her field
  • Originally wanted to be a pediatrician but saw how the nurses were the ones who were interacting and taking care of the patients
  • Didn’t want to do all the years of school if she were to pursue pediatrics
  • Many options that comes with nursing
    • Business, teaching

Joanne (DH):

• Dental hygiene program at USC; overall hygiene and health of her patient (health of mouth, gums, oral health)
• 2 year program; Associates, Bachelors, or Masters
• Currently applying to DDS
• Why she chose her field
  • Originally premed (pediatrician)
  • Took intro to Occupational Therapy and enjoyed it; wanted to become an OT but her parents were not okay with it
  • Liked the aspect of helping older adults
  • Initially forced into dentistry, but gave it a try and volunteered and shadowed dental students
• Advice
  • You can go into the health field even with a bad GPA! You may have to work harder and it may take longer, but it will be okay!
•  

FELLOWSHIP

A couple of our members and post-grad, Audrey, went to UTC for fellowship! 

Nurse Eveline Jho and fellow UCI alum taught us how to do an IV injection, one of the more simple injections that nurses have to do. We provided insulin, alcohol swabs, needles, and oranges in order to practice giving the injection. She demonstrated by:

1. Taking the cap off the needle provided and injecting it into the insulin
2. Carefully putting the cap back on the needle by putting the cap on the table or a flat surface and scooping it back on the needle. Once the cap is on the needle, push it down and secure it.
3. Use the alcohol swab to clean the orange
4. Take off the cap and make sure there are no bubbles, if there is, tap the needle on the side until there are no more bubbles
5. Inject the needle into the orange
6. Once insulin is injected, put the cap back on in the same fashion stated in step 2.
7. You’re all done!

Here are some pictures of our members giving in injection to their “patients”

Thank you Nurse Eveline for teaching how to do an injection!

Kwang Kim gave a presentation about how we should format our resumes, what activities we should put, what we should exclude, and even showed his very own resume! 

For the first meeting of Spring Quarter, we will be having a grad student health panel! In addition, the new board members will be revealed and March mission testimonies will be shared! Click here to RSVP