Mayo Intern Savors BVU Interim Teaching Role
Kevin Kelly, a Ph.D. student in biomedical sciences, offered an Interim course that taught BVU students how our bodies battle disease and stress.
January Interim, or "J-Term," is often the time Buena Vista University students serve internships that allow real-world experiences.
But in one Interim class this January, the intern served as teacher, an instructor from the Mayo Clinic Career Development Internship Program.
Kevin Kelly, a Ph.D. student in biomedical sciences, taught ”Your body on autopilot–physiological adaptations in response to changes in the environment.“ The intent of the course was to understand common changes the body undergoes when battling environmental stresses or disease.
Students were able to simulate what breathing is like at high altitude through a tank of gas emitting low oxygen levels. Students would breathe and then have their heart rate, pulse, and other vitals checked and recorded after experiencing roughly the same oxygen content as they’d find at Mount Rainier or Pikes Peak.
”I’ve never had experience with J-Term, so I had a lot of questions. I love that it allows you to have flexibility to take a class you might not normally take during the semester.“
Kevin Kelly
”Labs were participatory and something students could enjoy,“ said Dr. Thom Bonagura, BVU professor of biology and Kelly’s mentor for the 3-week course.
”I’ve never had experience with J-Term, so I had a lot of questions,“ said Kelly. ”I love that it allows you to have flexibility to take a class you might not normally take during the semester.“
One-third to one-half of the students enrolled in the class came from outside science-related majors, all of them aiming to gain a better understanding of their bodies and to appreciate changes the body is capable of when facing factors such as lung disease, diabetes and other environmental stress factors, some as common as standing up too quickly or eating a salty meal.
January Interim, which occurs during the January break between the first and second semesters, often represents an ideal time for students to learn in courses presented outside the realm of academic discipline, a concept embraced for decades under the University’s liberal arts mission.