 Results From Event Feedback : Selected site |
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| Cristiane | Campelo-Hess | This Saturday Academy was a blessing to me. I always had trouble describing myself and was never sure if I was using the correct words to do so. During the first workshop, I realized how loud extroverts are and how confusing it can be to characterize yourself in a precise manner. It was great to learn that each of us has a tendency or a preference towards a certain way to solve our issues, but that it is normal to use all the characteristics. I say so because it was extremely hard for me to decide if I was rather an intuitive or a sensitive person, and the exercises proposed by the lecturer were very helpful to me. Furthermore, when I saw my results from the online survey that I took, it confirmed my expectations that I am what they call a judging person (one who loves to make plans) and that I am an extroverted person. The only result that surprised me was to know that I am described as a sensitive person because I always thought that I was more of an intuition person. Perhaps, I changed with time or that was what I wanted to be; however, not necessarily what I really am.
Regarding the second workshop, I must saw that reading the book was an enlightening experience. As I flipped each page, I devoured the information and could not stop reading it! In addition to that, I think that the entire idea of the book and the website that give instant feedback on one’s Gallup’s results was amazing. Besides that, the results were helpful and I really liked when the lecturer said that one of my strengths is to be emotional, and that that may help me avoid lawsuits, and that also means to me that my relationship with patients and their family can be more than simple diagnostics, but true treatment. I also believe that all the advice contained in the book Strengths Finder2.0 will help me improve and guide my strengths towards my goal, which is to become a Doctor in Dental Surgery.
Thank you for the wonderful workshops! |
| Greg | Fliney | This week's Saturday academy provided an amazing opportunity for me to learn about myself through self-assessments, and throughout the day I also got to know the other UPP fellows on a much deeper level. The main portions of the day were: the Myers Briggs personality assessment, a game involving the interactions of different cultures, and the Strengths Finder 2.0 event.
Although I have gone through a Myers Briggs personality assessment in an orientation before, today's was unique for a number of reasons. The presentation of the four main personality domains were explained in a very clear and detailed way, and the accompanying exercises really helped me to predict what my personality index would be. For three out of the four categories of personality, I seem to be pretty close to the middle of the personality spectrum. This can be shown in my changing results. When I took this assessment about a year ago, I was an ENTJ, but this Saturday I was an ISTJ. The only indicator that strongly suggested my personality was the "T" which stands for Thinking. This showed me that I may need to listen more to people at the other end of this spectrum ("Feeling" people) so that I can be a little more subjective at times. If I had to assign myself a personality type it would be ESTJ.
After this, assessment, we all played a game which involved creating fictitious cultures that were forced to interact with each other. One culture had a large focus on physical contact and male supremacy while the other culture communicated using basic sounds like "ga", "ra",and "ka", and they signaled many things using their body. When I had to interact with the group that communicated differently than me, it was interesting and occasionally frustrating. This was a good example of how it sometimes is for people from different cultural backgrounds to interact.
The final part of the day involved reviewing our results from the Strength Finder 2.0 assessment. I wasn't sure what to expect from this part of the presentation, but I certainly had a very enlightening experience. Every person in the room had to stand up and tell everyone what their five strengths were. The rest of the fellows then gave input about how they have seen this person utilize their strengths. During this exercise I feel like I connected with everyone in the room. I was surprised by how we have all noticed each other's strengths and how positive of an experience it was to share these observations with each other. My top five strengths were: achiever, learner, focus, analytical, and significance. I feel like these were a good match for me as did a few of the fellows. The feedback I got from everyone was very uplifting, and I am quickly realizing that I am meeting life-long friends in this program. |
| Jordan | Wehe | At this Saturday Academy, the theme of individuality was omnipresent. Beginning with the Myers Briggs Personality type test, each fellow was presented with certain situations in which he/she had to decide whether he/she is extraverted or introverted, a thinker or feeler, a judger or perceiver, and a sensor or intuitive person. Out of these personality types, each fellow was presented with the four that best matched his/her personality based on the online MBTI test. This was super insightful, as I was able to learn what my personality type was, as well as the personality types of my colleagues. In the afternoon, the fellows were presented with their results from the Strength Finder 2.0 online test. Each fellow was assigned 5 strengths and was presented with: the definition of the strength, information on how to foster the strength, and how to successfully employ the strength both at home and in the workplace. However, that is not where the Saturday Academy ended. Each fellow was asked to present their top 5 strengths to the UPP cohort, and the cohort was asked to comment on when that individual employed that particular strength. This was both motivating and encouraging as it brought the UPP cohort closer together as a family. In retrospect, this Saturday Academy was as informing as it was intriguing. Because of this, my expectations are exceedingly high for the October Saturday Academy. I look forward to what is yet to come. |
| Alexander | Jones | Events:
Speaker: Terri Blevins on personality traits
Game: trading from different cultures
Speaker: Bob Nogueira
Reflection:
Today I learned a lot about myself. With Terri Blevins, we did the MBTI profile test, which essentially tells you what kind of personality you have. There are 4 different personality categories with 2 choices for each category. Throughout her presentation, I determined myself to have extrovert, sensing, thinking, and judging type personality traits. However, it was interesting to get my results back from the MBTI test because I was not exactly who I thought I was, or at least based on this test. I matched everything correctly, except for the introvert/extrovert personality. Initially, this did surprise me because in general, I like to meet new people and learn more about them. Not only that, but I like to be the voice that’s heard in a group of people. Then I got thinking about it, especially because the MBTI test says that it is “clear” that I am an introvert, and I decided it is actually pretty accurate. Although I may thrive around people in certain situation, I generally tend to do things on my own. One example would be that I study on my own, and I would much rather prefer individual assignments. Following Terri’s presentation, Bob Nogueira talked with us about strengths. Something he said that I found very interesting is that talent * time = strength. I thought about the five strengths that the strengthfinder found for me, and I would definitely agree that I am talented with most of them, and like to spend time doing them. Moving forward from today, I am going to spend more times perfecting my current strengths, and stop worrying about trying to acquire other strengths that may seem “good” for today’s society, or even more specific, today’s physicians. Bob made a good point that successful people are ones who master their talents, and maximize their strengths, regardless of what those strengths may be. |
| Howe | Qiu | Walking into this Saturday Academy, I didn't have the highest of expectations. I knew that we were going to do Myers-Briggs assessments and that we would go over the results of our StrengthsFinders test, but I had already done Myers-Briggs so many times that I just didn't see much purpose in doing it again.
It was great seeing everyone in my cohort again, catching up and bringing up old inside jokes. Once the session started, my mindset completely changed. I was very impressed by how the presenter, Terri Blevins, led our entire UPP cohort's discussions. She was very adept at being aware of our personality types, while challenging us to understand the personality types of others. I have always been an INFJ, but only slightly Introverted and slightly "Judging." I was already quite familiar with my personality type, but it was very beneficial to see and discuss everyone else's personality types. By knowing who else is extroverted and introverted, I can better see how to speak to them.
For the second half, we analyzed each other's top five strengths. Bob Nogueira was one of the kindest presenters I have had the pleasure of listening to. He led a very emotional and engaging conversation during which we each provided examples of how we have seen each other's strengths in motion. I definitely feel closer to my peers after our discussions and encouragements.
Since my expectations were blown away from this Saturday Academy, I expect the next one to be even better! |
| Tina | Do | This Saturday Academy session was very useful to me. I truly enjoyed finding out about myself, what type I was, and what my strengths were. It seems like I’m always worrying about what I need to improve on, so this session definitely boosted my confidence. I haven’t taken a Meyers Briggs test in awhile, so I was excited to take it again because as we grow older, we change. I was very pleased with the activities Teri put together in the session. It all helped my understanding of all the possible results. During the activities I definitely struggled a bit when we had to figure out and guess which type of category we fell under. I didn’t feel like I was one or the other, I felt like I was either depending on different situations. I never know what “type” I am unless other people tell me. But during the activities and getting an explanation about the different types, I definitely got a better understanding of myself and noticed why I do the things I do. I really enjoyed when Teri was explaining each type and giving different scenarios. It got me thinking about how I felt, and most of the things she said I could see myself completely falling under that certain type. I felt pretty good about myself after this session. My results said I was moderately extravert, but during the activities I definitely thought I was more of an introvert. I think it really depends on the situation. I like having my own space and being calm. Plus, when I study I prefer to study alone-to think about things more. Many peers have told me that I seemed like an extrovert, but that’s probably because I am in social situations. At the end of the day, I think I’m an introvert trying to play as an extrovert.
The strength finder’s activity was really powerful. I feel like I don't recognize my strengths as much as I should. Actually, I didn’t even really know what my strengths were, and when I got my results I completely agreed with everything it said. I do have to say there were some I didn't really understand at first. When I think about it and when Bob put it in perspective, I use my strengths everyday at school, at work, with my friends & even with people I don't know. It seems like all my strengths relate, & it also seems like I'm a definite people kind of person.
I really loved how everyone commented on each others strengths and how we see each other use it. It was definitely an awesome feeling listening to everyone say how great our strengths are because I know I don't recognize mine at all. One thing I definitely thought about when it comes to these tests is how accurate are they? Sometimes people put answers that they wish to be but not ones that really occur to them. All our results really play a role in how we are, how we do things, and are going to help us in the future as future professionals. I went into this Saturday Academy session not knowing about my specific strengths or even about myself and came out feeling better than ever.
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| Kyle | Callahan | The first Saturday Academy of the 2012 year started off with a bang. Terri Blevins from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Bob Nogueira, Senior HR Director, Talent Management, from Kaiser Permanente came to talk about various strengths and personality traits that not only define our character, but play an extremely important role in how we structure our lives and what kind of careers might be most suitable for us based on these traits and strengths.
Terri Blevins facilitated our discussions on the Meyers-Briggs test (MBTI). What was interesting about this is that we found out our results after we had discussed the various personality types and their importance. It was imperative to learn about these personality types and their significance because in the future, no matter what profession I end up in, I will have to treat, consult, advise, work, and collaborate with individuals of all personality types - the better I understand the differences between these types, the more I will benefit because it will make working with people easier for the simple fact that understanding one’s differences is the key to overcoming any misunderstanding and creates a more cohesive working environment as well as provides the bridge to potential friendships. I successfully guessed all of my personality types right (excluding one) and was not shocked about the results I obtained. The most interesting part about this portion of the day’s activities was the fact that most people knew themselves well enough to guess what their personality type was (which could have been attributed to the fact that many had taken the Meyers-Briggs test before). This activity showed me the importance of knowing what personality traits are and appreciating the traits of others because everyone has something different to bring to the table. I think it was important for me to realize that every person needs to be worked with in a different way, and the different views we have all contribute to new, innovative ideas.
The second portion of the day was headed by Bob Nogueira who discussed our results from the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment test. When I had first printed it out, I wasn’t sure what my traits really meant except for “command” (how fitting). Throughout the course of the discussion, I found out why my assessment gave me the strengths that it did. Every person stood and announced their strengths to the group and Bob’s mission was for the rest of the group to tell the individual examples of when they had seen one of their strengths in action. It was refreshing for all of us to get together and identify what the other had to offer because most of us will be working in environments together in the future and have a lot to learn from our differing characteristics. Ranging from Jordan and Harraz’s wooing strengths to Gavy and Andy’s achieving strengths, I think we all learned a lot from each other and began to understand that our strengths do not define us nor does it restrict us to any set career path, but they do determine what we would be best at doing. I am proud to say that I am surrounded by amazing individuals who all value me as much as I value them - it was really inspiring and amazing to witness.
Bob said something during our discussion that really made me think: “Don’t overuse your strengths. Just because you are strong in one area, doesn’t mean should be okay with being insufficient in another.” I think that we often think about our weaknesses more than our strengths which is damaging not only to our psyche but also to any potential progress we make with ourselves in the future. However, I know now that ignoring my weaknesses and not attempting to improve them is equally as dangerous and can lead to unnecessary failures in my future. I am confident that the tools I learned during this academy will help me to further succeed in my future and will help me realize that the traits the people have merely add to group understanding and the formation of innovative ideas and methods. |
| David | Chen | For the past few months, as I have entered my senior year in college and begun preparations for applying to medical school, I have struggled with some fundamental personal questions.
For one, I am at a loss when it comes to the prospect of writing a personal statement. I feel that in order to form a coherent, compelling, and honest assessment of just why exactly I want to attend medical school and become a doctor, I still need to perform a great deal of self-examination and gain some additional character defining experiences.
Over the summer, I gained a basic understanding of the career of a surgeon. Dr. Schoen, Dr. Rothchild and his team allowed me to witness the merits and daily life of being a surgeon, and to think about how my own personality, preferences, and abilities measured up against the demands of the surgical profession. Although I have gained a much more complete understanding of the rigors of medical school, residencies and fellowships, I have yet to truly test my abilities in a clinical setting, or even to define them clearly. As a result, this summer I began to read books like Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, Timothy Ferriss’ The Four Hour Work Week in an attempt to build a more complete catalogue of my talents and weaknesses, and how they fit into a future medical profession.
One of my close friends had recently taken a Meyers Briggs personality type indicator test in an attempt to determine his idea major, and had found it to be a major influence on his decision-making process. Because of his success, I looked forward to the first Saturday Academy for our UPP cohort, which consisted of a Strength Finder workshop and a Meyers Briggs test.
The opening pages of Tom Rath’s Strengths Finder book argued that our society tends to urge us to find our weaknesses and to attempt to cover them or to minimize them, while the more efficient use of our time would be to identify our natural talents and to work to develop them into true strengths.
At first, I was a bit skeptical about discovering my true talents through an online assessment. After all, what could a simple, one-size-fits-all web assessment tell me about myself that I had not already learned on my own? I was at first doubtful of the assessment’s questions as well, since the questions seemed rather generic and abstract, and I oftentimes found myself simply answering in seemingly random fashion, since I felt that I truly could not make up my mind in a certain scenario. It was not until I printed and examined my Meyers Briggs and Strengths Finder reports that I began to identify with some of the personality descriptions.
According to my answers, the Strengths Finder determined that my top five strengths are Empathy, Harmony, Adaptability, Deliberative, and Relator. The Meyers Briggs classified me as an “INFP” personality type, tending towards Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, and Perceiving. Simply put, these two tests concluded that I am someone who makes careful decisions, gains satisfaction and fulfillment from close personal relationships, and has an exceptional ability to listen to others and place myself in their frame of reference, gaining an understanding of how they perceive the world.
When matching my personality with the full descriptions of the themes and character traits, I found the themes to be rather hit-or-miss overall. However, I was able to sift through the descriptions and tailor them to my own self-perception, gaining some honest insight along the way.
Because of the results of the assessments as well as my own previously conceived notions, I have begun to consider psychiatry or social counseling as a profession. As of now, I feel that my ability to relate to others and to characterize their motivations and insecurities would be suited for a career in psychiatry or the like. I feel as if the realm of psychiatry may be the field in which I have the most to offer.
I have not yet explored the profession of psychiatry or even talked to a psychiatrist, having never seriously thought about it before. Now, though, I would like to learn more about psychiatry in an attempt to determine whether or not it would be a good fit for my personality. I feel as though this weekend’s workshops have allowed me to take a definitive step in forming an honest picture of my personal strengths and weaknesses, and how I may utilize my unique personality and talents to make my contribution to the medical field.
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| Aurora | Brooks | This Saturday Academy focused on learning to better understand ourselves and how to develop ourselves, both professionally and as people. The Myers Briggs Personality type test was extremely interactive (an amazing presenter) and easy for everybody to understand. Not only were we given our test results, but we were encouraged to think about certain situations and, based on our responses, to try an guess our results for each section. I was very close to my guess and I feel like using this type of teaching style encourages people to try and understand who they are more than listening to who they are being told they are. I had taken this assessment about a year and a half ago and I was pleased to see that 3/4 categories now had a higher intensity than earlier in my life. This has shown me how much being a part of the University of Colorado Denver and the Undergraduate Pre-Health Program have helped to shape me into the person I dream to become one day. I feel like most of the fellows gained a new appreciation for themselves with this exercise. In the later part of the day, fellows were given their five strengths as resulting from the Strength Finder 2.0 test. What really made this exercise meaningful was not how accurate the results were to each individual, but rather that we all went around and stated our five strengths and our peers were able to comment on them. Before this exercise, I was complacent with saying, "Oh yes, that is so-and-so." After this exercise, however, I am able to recognize when my peers are especially demonstrating one of their strengths. I am extremely motivated and impressed by my peers in this program (and of course those who have made this program possible). I know that every person has grown and will continue to grow as a part of the 2012-2013 Cohort. |
| Kristen | Mahler | The first Saturday Academy focused on the Strength Finder assessment and the Myers-Briggs personality assessment. We had two subject-matter experts speak to us to help us discover our natural talents and strengths. My top 5 strengths were Individualization, Learner, Achiever, Positivity, and Context. I feel like these fit myself very well. People that have the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualitites in each person. We are very good at getting people who are very different to work together as a team. The learner theme shows a great desire to learn throughout ones life. The process of learning, rather than the outcome, is what excites me. I am always trying to learn new things whether it is academically, socially, culturally, etc. I consider every event in my life, whether good or bad, as a unique learning experience. Achievers have great stamina and work very hard to accomplish their goals. The positivity theme shows my contagious enthusiasm. I try my hardest to look at the bright side of things instead of the negatives. I believe this fits along with the learner theme for me because I see every event as being a useful learning tool. The last theme is context, which is thinking about the past and applying it to your present and future. Bob from Kaiser Permanente gave us a valuable mathematical expression: Talent + Investment= Strength. Looking over my talents, I see that I can apply them today so that they will help me get the most out of life. |
| Jamie | Walter | As Harraz and I drove down Highway 85 this Saturday morning, I had no idea what would be in store at our first Undergraduate Pre-Health Program Saturday Academy. I was very curious about the day, after completing both the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strengths Finder assessment earlier this week. I was also excited to reunite with all of the UPP fellows. They have become like a family to me.
Upon arrival at the Anschutz Medical Campus, I felt such a strong sense of nostalgia. Summer memories of walking through the doors of the hospital, ready for days of exciting observation and hearing screenings flooded through my mind as I walked to Education 2.
As the day began, we were asked to evaluate ourselves based on the four categories of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I found this exercise to be incredibly enlightening; as it forced me to forget about the opinions and voices I am constantly surrounded by and categorize myself based upon my preferences and experiences. We were asked to put ourselves into groups based upon whether we were introverted or extroverted. This was a challenge for me, because I find myself torn. I love surrounding myself with people and meeting new people but find great peace and energy from working and spending time alone. I placed myself in the “introvert” group and found that the students in my group shared many of my mannerisms. We discussed our tendencies to wait and listen to conversations and debates before voicing our opinions. I related to the feelings shared by my group and was surprised to find that my internet assessment classified me as 100% extroverted. I am not sure which is more accurate, but I am willing to believe that my natural instincts are introverted and that I fall back upon this preference when I am tired or stressed. Each of the other personality traits fell as I had predicted, with the exception of “sensing” and “intuition.” I placed myself in the intuition group because I feel like I normally see things from a “big picture” view. However, my online assessment indicates that I fall into the “sensing” category. My thoughts about this variance are that I often judge myself as lacking in the detail-oriented category. However, I am naturally detail-oriented and focused on what I am doing or looking at, and this came out in the online assessment.
The “Strengths Finder” portion of our day was my favorite, by far. We were asked to read our 5 strengths that were identified through an online assessment to the group and the group responded with their opinions on when they had seen the specific strengths present in our interactions. I was nervous, at first, for this activity. However, once we got started I was so inspired by what was shared. Everyone opened up and really lifted each other up by noting how each one of the strengths was evident and how we had witnessed strength in each other. When I stood up and read my 5 strengths, “developer, empathy, futuristic, discipline and positivity,” I was overcome by the responses I received. I was told, by individuals who I met less than 6 months ago, that I was very positive in my interactions and empathetic in my conversations. I was also told that I had a firm grasp on my future and appeared dedicated and disciplined in my quest for my future career. This made me feel so great about myself and emboldened by the thoughts of others and the realization of my own strengths. |
| Cara | Campbell | This past Saturday Academy, we focused on our personal qualities and strengths that make us who we are. First, we participated in a Meyer’s-Briggs seminar in which we analyzed our personality types. We did this two separate ways: first, we took an online test that analyzed our answers to multiple questions and determined what kind of person we were. Then, we learned about the different types with our presenter and decided what we thought we were. Using this judgment, we divided ourselves into groups with similar traits and discussed our own type and other types, and the ways that we look at the world and interact with each other.
Although I have done something like this before, it was fascinating to revisit it in a different time period and as a different person. Like the last time I did this, I felt the same conflicts that I did before: am I really an extrovert, even though I am often shy and quiet? Am I really a feeler, rather than a thinker, or do I just wish I was a feeler? Is there a difference between who I think I am, and who I really am?
I didn’t get all my questions answered, but I still appreciated the way that this made me think about who I am. I don’t often spend time doing personal reflection, and I feel that this is very valuable. It is important to know who we are, so that we can put ourselves in situations that help us to grow and develop.
In the afternoon, we focused on a different test that gives us a different set of strengths. Mine included empathy, harmony, and positivity. The main idea of the afternoon was that if we focus on strengths rather than weakness, we will be more productive and more satisfied with our lives. We spent a great deal of time telling everyone our personal strengths, and then listening as our fellow UPP members gave examples of when we used our strengths. I thought this was wonderful. We genuinely took a long time for each person to build on their strengths and make them feel like a unique, amazing person. I know that my confidence was boosted, and I am sure that everyone else’s was too. I think that this was valuable for everyone’s self-confidence, and I am so glad that we took the time to do this. People always tell each other that everyone is special in their own way, but this gave specific examples of how everyone in the room had something valuable to contribute. It also gave me ideas for how I can use my qualities to improve myself and the rest of the world.
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| Erika | Guevara | Events:
Myers Briggs--MBTI Personality Profile
Strength Finders 2.0
Observations:
This Saturday academy was thoroughly both enjoyable and beneficial. I have never used either of these two programs to evaluate my strengths or personality type. I see value in understanding what type of person I am. I believe understanding and accepting what type of person I am can help me tremendously in how I interact with others, how I learn, and how I can maximize efficiency in tasks.
The Myers Briggs type analysis was most beneficial for me. I enjoyed using real life scenarios to evaluate how I react in various situations. I also enjoyed embracing what “type” I was and being able to share that with other colleagues was empowering. Between Introvert and Extravert, I was not surprised at all. The online assessment and self-assessment were synonymous in defining me as an extravert. I know I am an extravert; I always have been. I am uncomfortable in quiet situations and I prefer being around other extraverts who are loud and vocal and direct. Sometimes this quality hinders me in that I speak before I think which can put me in an unfavorable situation. Between sensing and intuition, I was sensing on the online assessment and intuition in class. I think I am more intuition in that I see the big picture and I am less concerned with details in most instances. But, there are times when I am a “list” person, so I see why there could be more of a blend of these shining through my personality. Between thinking and feeling, I found myself being a thinker. I believe rules are rules and we shouldn’t let emotions get in the way of our actions. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made and in the long run, the person it affects will be stronger and more capable in the future for have going through a hardship. The online assessment said I was pretty neutral on this, I was just slightly a thinker. Between judging and feeling I was only slightly more perceiving. I agree with this, I like to work under pressure and at the last minute but I still give myself enough time to do quality work. Overall the MBTI described me as flexible, adaptable, practical, realistic, resourceful, able to respond creatively to challenging situations, rapid talking, antsy, expert at seeing the need of the moment and reacting quickly to meet this, plunges into projects and learn what’s needed as they go along, seen as gregarious, fun loving, and spontaneous. It categorized me as being more interested in surgery which I think is exactly right for what I was thinking for myself based on the experiences I’ve had shadowing various specialties.
Finally, the strength finders workshop was different but equally rewarding. This workshop narrowed in on five signature strengths out of 24 possible. My top five strengths were Achiever, Focus, Futuristic, Learner, and Positivity. I felt like all these qualities fit me extremely well. I can see myself encompassing all of these qualities in my personality. Within my group of friends I am always the positive one making comments like “how bad is the situation really?” or “in the grand scheme of things, is this going to affect you THAT much?” I have a tendency to miss details in the present because I am so focused on the future. I have already thought about the present years ago so now I want to think about the next few years and that is how I continually progress and propel myself into the future achieving my goals along the way. I am an achiever in that I always complete my tasks at hand. I stick to my word and I never quit something half way through. I achieve every goal I have set out for myself—this goes along with my focus. Finally, in learner, this is the whole reason I want to pursue medicine. I enjoy continued learning and I love teaching others along the way. During the summer, I am the student who gets bored if I’m not being intellectually stimulated and I can’t wait to have a new class schedule.
Overall, this Saturday Academy was great! And, I found out so much about myself going through it. The time was used wisely, and we were constantly interacting and involved. I found an immense amount of value in this Saturday academy.
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| Cori | Terahara | This Saturday Academy session focused primarily on the development of the self through understanding our strengths, weaknesses, and the manners of which we learn as an individual. Having taken a Myers-Briggs test twice before, once by the prompting of my friend in high school, and once after entering college after re-learning about the test, I wasn't terribly surprised by what my results said. In receiving the result of ISTJ all three times emphasized things that I know about myself, both strengths and weaknesses. As an individual, I find myself introverted in that I tend to be a wall flower and comment only when necessary, gathering information and thinking my ideas through before doing anything – which, in terms of my experiences is both positive and negative as I am able to better understand an array of ideas, but at the same time do not voice my own. It was interesting to see the breakdown for my test, as I am on the borderline for both the S/N (Sensing or intuition) and T/F (Thinking or feeling) categories, which I find understandable. I adapt to different situations and different groups of people, altering the way I work to fit what works best with my group at the time, or the way I feel like working in a given situation. Finally, the final category of Judgment seemed to make a lot and very little sense at the same time; although I prefer to have a set structure before going into something, I am more often than not okay with making changes and going with the flow (even if I can find it to be annoying to have things abruptly changed on me!). It was interesting to find out that my strength tests according to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 were Learner, Achiever, Deliberative, Intellection, and Competition. The first four didn't strike me as odd, as I've dedicated my time to learning – about the world, myself, academia – and enjoy learning about new ideas and concepts; I am driven by the idea of achieving my goals and seeing them come into fruition; and am both deliberative and exhibit intellection in my ability to see an argument or plan from many angles and use my knowledge to determine what would be the best course of action, or the one that would best suit my personal style. However, my initial reaction to seeing Competition as one of my strengths was confusion, as I don’t really see myself as competitive. But, after hearing Bob Nogueira speak to us about what the strength can mean, I understand its connection to myself as an individual. I enjoy competing with myself, always trying to improve upon what I've done in the past, and finding new ways to work towards my goals and aspirations in the future. Although my choice of profession is uncertain, seeing these traits and strengths being reaffirmed and brought to new light will help me grow as an individual, and (as cheesy as it sounds) help me become the change I hope to see in the world. |
| Didi | Gordon | This Saturday Academy was an interested and fitting way to start them off. Our first presenter was Terri Blevins and the strengths finder assessment. It gave a chance for all of us to get to know each other more than what we have. It was interesting to see that the groups of friends that have been established throughout our program pretty much went in the same groups of the activities. I think the things that we learned in this academy will help us to study as well as figuring out how to maneuver in life. In the first set of activities I learned that the reason why I am very quiet as well as a thinker before I act kind of person is because I am an introvert. It is ok to be this way as it gives balance to the extroverts who are pretty loud and act before they think. Overall, I think the morning exercises gave us insight to why some people are the way they are and how they act. It also gives us ways to tell with people in a way that would produce the most positive results. In the afternoon our speaker was Bob Nogueira and the Meyers-Briggs assessment. During this activity I learned that my five themes were restorative, harmony, intellection, learner, and relator. I don’t think that my themes could have described me any more than what they did. As a restorative I am the type of person that adapts well with dealing with problems. I can say this is a trait I had to master as I grew older. I am now in a place in my life where I realize that I don’t have control over obstacles that get in my way. I need to assess the situation and form a plan to conquer the issue. Stressing over the situation will get you nowhere and is not good for the body as well. I also write out everything that is due in my classes to make sure I don’t forget anything and feel satisfaction when something is checked off my list. As a person of harmony I don’t like conflict but know how to deal with it if it comes my way. I like everything to be peachy and try my best to keep it that way. I don’t ever like to show my ugly side and try to do everything to prevent that side from coming out. My intellection reiterates my desire to learn and filling my brain with as much information as I possibly can. My relator side helps with connecting with people because I am an introvert it can be sometimes hard to establish relationships because most people are intimidated and mistake my facial expressions and quietness for harness. I think that I am a very giving individual and everyone who I have established relationships with can say positive things about me Lastly my learner coincides with my intellection by me always wanting to learn and gain knowledge. I don’t think any other theme could have described me better than those and it was interesting to see not only what type of person I am along with what type of person my cohort family is. |
| D'Andra | Mixon-Walker | Today was very insightful as we all were able to see and analyze the results of our tests. In preparation for today’s Saturday academy, we were asked to complete the Myers-Briggs assessments as well as the Strengths Finder assessment. Terry described the differences between the results of the Myers-Briggs test (MBTI) and helped us to further understand by having us participate in activities. The most interesting activity was when she had us interpret a picture. I had put myself in a group with people who make lists of the little details rather than the group I realize that I actually belong in. I am a person who cares about the big picture and I would rather put those tiny details into a story to understand “how” or “why” those details fit together. In another exercise, we were asked to decide whether we believe that people should be treated fairly or equally. This was a difficult decision for me to make, usually I believe that people should be treated equally regardless, however, in the scenario were given, I felt that people should be treated fairly based on their situation.
This was the letter that changed for me when I received my MBTI results. The few times that I had previously taken this test, my results told me that I was ESTJ. This means that I am an extrovert and a judger, but also that I use sensing and thinking as a way to bring in information as well as to make decisions. When I received the results from yesterday’s test, I was an ESFJ. Although I ranked only “slight” on the scale, this means that I may have given up a bit of my “firm-mindedness” and “logical analyzing” when making a decision. I never had consciously recognized this change in myself but considering the difficulty I had in the scenario exercise, the change makes sense. I enjoyed this test and this half of the day because it helped me to understand myself much better.
After lunch, we spent time the rest of the day exploring the results of the StrengthsFinder test. This half of the way was touching and equally insightful. Bob, the speaker was excellent because he was so relatable and easy-going. He had us do an exercise that was interactive which was a wonderful alternative to being lectured at. He had each person read aloud his or her five strengths. The rest of the cohort was able to affirm those strengths by letting the student know when he or she actually has exhibited those strengths. It was truly wonderful to hear the kind comments. I can honestly say that there is not one person in the cohort who hasn’t worked hard to be kind to a shy student, or who hasn’t worked hard to reach their goals. It was great to hear the personal experiences and I am glad that everyone was able to be recognized for his or her strengths.
My top five strengths from the test were Restorative, Consistent, Discipline, Achiever and Learner. I have noticed that I do indeed love solving problems in all of their forms (regardless of the size or situation), thus I can attest to the restorative strength. I enjoy helping others with their problems as well, and the problems often consume me into they are completed. I had a difficult time understand how consistency could be one of my strengths until one of my fellow cohort-members kindly pointed out that she has seen me treat others in the cohort equally, even though I knew a few people from CU Denver before coming into the UPP program. That was such a nice thing for Monica to say, and I plan to make sure that I remain consistent. It was also fun to read about the other three strengths because although I am not perfect at either of the three, I plan to continue to strive at all of them.
Overall this was a wonderful Saturday Academy because it helped us to learn more about the positives that we all exhibit. Because we all have a long road ahead of us in the healthcare field, it is easy to feel imperfect and not good enough, but it was nice to be reminded that we are all awesome!
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| Eddie | Soto | After determining the five strengths I possess via the StrengthsFinder 2.0, I reflected on the answers I had received. It was difficult for me at first to think about where and when I displayed these qualities. Our first presenter guided us through a Myers-Briggs workshop. I have done one of these workshops before, however every time I do, I learn something new. Our first activity was a perfect example of how people think differently. The activity separated introverts from extroverts and immediately there was a change in the communication between both groups. Running through all the activities made me progress through a self-evaluation to make sure what I was doing in terms of studying and socializing was the most productive and beneficial way for me to work. Seeing what I prefer to do, answered questions such as, “What is the best form of studying for me?” and “How can I get the most work done without getting distracted?”
When I received my results for my Myers-Briggs test, two letters had changed from my previous results. The change was not drastic. The importance of the test was not to label a defined personality of oneself but rather to gain a deeper understanding of the personality one possesses. I believe that in doing so, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and where and when you feel comfortable during differing situations. Although we were told that our basic personalities are apparent and follow through our lifetime, it would be interesting to see how drastic changes can occur.
The StrengthsFinder presentation was a fascinating approach to addressing the qualities we as individuals possess. Through these strengths we were told to utilize them and let them grow into their full potential. The approach to this was something new to me and I have never truly really reflected on it before. The afternoon consisted of the cohort commenting and sharing stories on each other’s respected qualities and how they are seen “in action”. It was refreshing to hear everyone’s strengths and to learn from the other fellows. Learning about other’s strengths made me realize that you can couple certain strengths with one another to accomplish certain goals. It’s the basis of what makes excellent team chemistry. When we focus on our strengths and use them to their full potential, incredible things can come out of it. It is when we recognize who we are and what we are capable of doing when we can proceed to accomplish goals. I believe that this month’s Saturday Academy did just that, it allowed some of us (including myself) to take a step back and reassess who we are as individuals instead of striving to be someone we are not. In doing so, we can unlock potentials that we never thought were possible.
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| Gavriel | Roda | This Saturday Academy provided much insight as to the characteristics and strengths that each of us contain, by combining the results of the Meyers Briggs type indicator assessment and the Strength Finder 2.0 assessment. The day started by discussing the differences and similarities of each option within the 4 categories of the Meyers Briggs quiz. The group gained a better sense for which type they might match. For example, the group split into 2 groups based off of what type they felt they best matched, extroverted or introverted, and discussed common misconceptions associated with each personality type. Exercises like this were performed on each of the other categories – intuitive versus sensing, thinking versus feeling, and judgment versus perception, previous to receiving their results. Following this, the results of the Strengths Finder 2.0 assessments were discussed as each group member was told, by his or her peers, how each strength had been observed or demonstrated in the past. Although I had taken the Meyers Briggs type indicator assessment several times in the past, receiving the same results each time, I had never given much thought as to how my behavior might be fueled, or be harmed, by having each of these characteristics. For instance, I was categorized as a strong extrovert. I always understood that being extroverted correlated with being able to communicate efficiently with others and the desire to verbalize thought processes. However, until this academy, I had not considered that sometimes extroverts, including myself, prematurely jump into action and tend to not think through all their options, as introverts might do. Furthermore, this portion of the academy allowed me to see my habits in action and how those habits relate to my specific type. However, what was most valuable about this day was the opportunity to combine the results from both the Meyers Briggs test and the Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment. By blending my identified top 5 strengths with my Myers Briggs type, I was led to recognize attributes in myself that have always been present, but not always considered. In short, these assessments allowed for my strengths to become better known, and therefore, able to be used to my advantage. The author of the strengths finder 2.0 assessment, Tom Rath, wrote, “You can’t be anything you want to be, but you can be more of what you already are.” This statement was particularly emphasized today, which promoted important and edifying self-reflection.
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| Natalie | Lesinski | Waking up at 6:00 AM on Saturday, September 22, 2012, I had no idea what to expect and I am happy to say it turned out to be a wonderfully spent Saturday. Seeing and interacting with friends I had met and gotten to know during the summer was quite enjoyable. Furthermore, the activities that we had done were very rewarding. The first half part of our day was spent going over the Myers-Briggs Test and the second half of the day was going over StrengthsFinder 2.0. These are two tools used to gain a greater understanding of who an individual naturally is. Through this Saturday Academy, we took this information further and learned how we can take these inborn aspects and truly emphasize them to our advantage.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is an assessment designed to measure psychological preferences. Before obtaining the results, we learned about all the different types of preferences. Additionally, we analyzed ourselves to predict what our results would be (these were predictions of our dichotomies). The four dichotomies are 1. extraversion (E) vs. introversion (I), 2. sensing (S) vs. intuition (N), 3. thinking (T) vs. feeling (F) and 4. judging (J) vs. perception (P). After obtaining a clear understanding of the different characteristics, we learned how best to work with these classifications. Finally after learning about different people’s classifications and what they meant, we obtained our own results. Through this workshop, I not only learned what type of individual I am, but also how my type best works with others.
Through the second half of the day, we did a StrengthsFinder workshop. This was a wonderful way to spend the day. After coming prepared with the StrenthsFinder 2.0 assessment, which comes up with an individual’s top five strengths, we talked about each person’s strengths and how we have seen these strengths in action. What made this afternoon so enjoyable was that we got to learn so much about each other while also sharing what we have already learned about each other. It has been a privilege to be working with a group of motivated, strong and successful students as the ones within the Undergraduate Pre-Health Program. This activity reminded me of how fortunate I am. As individuals shared how they have seen other’s strengths a warm and pleasurable environment was formed. Everyone was kind, and I believe everyone grew as individuals and we certainly grew as a cohort. Hearing people compliment and cherish each other’s strengths was a true team building activity. At the end of the workshop, Terry, the gentleman leading the activity, expressed how we should reflect on this conversation if we are ever feeling down because after all, we are all incredible. Sometime we just don’t notice it, yet we should never forget about it because others (just as our cohort team) know about it and, more importantly, the strengths we have are real and amazing.
Being part of Undergraduate Pre-Health Program is building me up to be a stronger individual in my personal and career life. I have done the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment multiple times before; however, I have never had the opportunity to really dissect all the aspects of the exam and learn how to best use my and other’s characteristics. I also found the StrengthsFinders activity to be wonderful and unique. In fact, this is an activity I would recommend everyone to do. Now, I cannot wait to see what we will be doing in our next Saturday Academy.
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| Monica | Treto | This being the first Saturday Academy of the year, I was expecting a lot convince myself that waking up early on a weekend would be worth it. I would have to say I was absolutely not let down this Saturday. First of all, I was so excited to see everyone that shared this exciting and difficult summer with me! The morning luckily started with an activity where we didn’t have to sit quietly the whole time. First, each individual would classify himself or herself into where they thought they belonged on the Myer’s Brigg Test based on intrinsic vs. extrinsic, feelings vs. thinking, and other categories. At each station we would discuss why we felt we belonged in this group and our preconceptions of the other group. At the end of the activity we received our actual results, and it was interesting to see how most people knew themselves well enough to know which type they were, but there were some instances where the person did not sit in the “right” group. The facilitator explained that this can be due to how we were feeling when we participated in the activity or when we took the test. I saw this in myself when I sat with the introvert group, but when I received my results they said I was an introvert. I think this was due to the fact that early in the mornings I am not in the best mood and would rather be alone, and I took the test at night when I feel most social. Another thing I found interesting during the discussion was how everyone thought that they group they belonged to was “better” than the other group, but the facilitator was so good at explaining the positive qualities in each subset and why the each group needs the other in certain situations.
After lunch, Bob from Kaiser Permanente facilitated a discussion about our Strength 2.0 results. First, we just looked at our own results and saw what they meant. Then, one person would stand and share their own strengths and we would share our thoughts about when we saw that person display each strength. It was a very positive environment where no one was putting any one down, only positive experiences were shared. I realized that everyone notices what you are doing even when you think no one is watching. Most of the stories shared were not experiences only that person saw, but everything everyone said I could agree with because I saw that person doing that also. This activity really let the group open up about each other, not just debate about ethics issues or laws, which brought us much closer. We each realized how special and important each one of us is. We now know each other’s strengths better and can use them when working with each other. Instead of expecting another person to work just like us, we can now acknowledge each person thinks differently than we do. And bringing in different ideas to a project only makes it better.
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| Andi | Perloff | Before this Saturday academy I was aware of my strengths but I never fully knew what they were and how I could use them. After I got the list, unlike most of the fellows, I was in denial and did not feel as though they fit my personality. Even after reading the descriptions I felt that only a couple applied, but not fully. Only after I listened to my peers talk about how each of the strengths applied to me did I fully believe that they were mine. I learned that what I thought my weakness of competition was actually a strength. I learned how I can apply my strengths to my everyday life and further more be able to describe myself in essays and personal statements with pure examples of how my strengths make me a good canidate for medical school. I really enjoyed the Myers Briggs portion of the day because I became aware that my personality directly relates to my study habits. This academy has really given me the tools of how to prepare for my future, and how to use my strengths to better myself and make myself a better medical school applicant. Along with this, it allowed me to hear positive feedback from the other fellows. |
| Roshan | Patel | I think that the September Saturday Academy was actually pretty interesting. I initially thought that the Saturday was going to be repetitive and boring because I had already done the Strengths Finder assessment multiple times. I was glad to find that Bob Nogueira was able to make the presentation very helpful and interesting. Instead of just reading off what each strength meant, Bob actually made us reflect on how useful each of these strengths were. I really liked that Bob made us think about all of the strengths on a more personal level. Having this time for self-reflection made the assessment much more useful. In addition to reflecting on our own strengths, Bob had us identify the strengths of other fellows. Having to identify the strengths of other fellows made us really see how these strengths are used in application.
There was also a very interesting segment on the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. This is another assessment that I have done many times and I figured that the presentation was going to be very dry. Again, the presenter really made the presentation very interesting and fun. She accomplished this by having the fellows get into groups and work on activities that related to each letter from the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. Similar to Bob, the presenter used activities to show how each of these letters actually manifests in real-life application. The activities that were used also forced different types of people to work together in order to try and figure something out. All of the activities that we did related to the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator actually translated to the real-world very well.
Before the Saturday Academy, I thought that assessments like the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strengths Finder Tool were just useless tools that gave very generalized characteristics. I now see that these generalized characteristics can be pretty accurate when you reflect on yourself as a person. It is easier to identify these strengths and characteristics when you are doing activities that bring them to light. Both presenters were able to validate the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strengths Finder Tool by having the fellows go through different activities. In addition to the activities being helpful, they were also very interesting and fun. I really enjoyed going through the different Meyers-Briggs activities because it caused the fellows work together to see how different types would work together when in a team setting.
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| Wesley | Gallegos | Our first Saturday Academy of the year was extremely helpful in terms of helping me understand my strengths and weaknesses. In the morning, we had a guest, Terri Blevins, who works at the School of Medicine, come in and lecture on the Myers-Briggs assessment. In the afternoon, we were honored by the presence of Bob Nogueira, the Senior Director of Human Resources for Kaiser Permanente Colorado. Mr. Nogueira lectured on the Strengths Finder assessment and helped us understand the results.
The morning session with Mrs. Blevins was very interesting to me. When I last took the Myers-Briggs assessment around tenth grade in high school, I turned out to be an INFP (introvert, intuitive, feeling, perceiving). This time around, however, I found that I had changed slightly. I am currently an INFJ (the last letter represents a judging individual). The results of this assessment were not revealed until the very end of Blevins’s lecture, so we had to predict what we were after she provided a description of each of the four components of the personality assessment. The way we tested out whether or not we truly belonged in the category was by participating in groups of individuals who identified like us. For example, for the introversion versus extroversion portion, introverts sat with other introverts and discussed their own characteristics and those of the extroverts. To my surprise, I was able to accurately identify exactly what my Myers-Briggs profile was prior to her handing out the results. She said that this meant I knew myself well, and I was very proud. Of course, my estimates may have been biased as I had already done this assessment four years ago.
I was surprised of the variety of personality types that exist in our cohort. To my delight, I discovered this by seeing the results of the two fellows immediately seated next to me. The fellow to my right contrasted sharply with mine. She had an assessment of ESTP (extrovert, sensing, thinking, perceiving). This was interesting to me, and I realized that we would probably get along very well in the workplace because the relationship between each of the two possibilities within each component is almost symbiotic: One cannot exist without the other, and each of us possesses all characteristics to an extent. The other fellow to my left was exactly like mine (INFJ). I feel that we would not get along in a group because of the reason I just mentioned, but I won’t truly know that unless I am exposed to such a situation.
The afternoon session with Mr. Nogueira was also very helpful. He helped all of us understand each our strengths. My strengths, according to the assessment I had completed the week prior to this academy, were maximization, futuristic, achievement, discipline, and strategy. I thought that this was a very unique combination as each of these relate to one another, especially discipline and futuristic. I thought the results were accurate, and Nogueira even commented on the fact that these strengths would assist me in pursuing a career as a physician assistant. (Although it is important to note that the assessment does not provide one with ideal career possibilities; instead, it finds strengths that can be applicable to any profession.)
The latter portion of the session involved each of us sharing our strengths with one another and commenting on examples in which we have seen each other express these strengths. It was very emotional even though none of the fellows cried. I found it to be very helpful, especially for those days in which I am just not feeling like the best person I can be. On those days, I can just remember all of the amazing compliments I received.
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| Malik | Atiyah | I was pleased to have spent the morning exploring and learning about my personality with Terri Blevins, an intellect in student behavior and student counseling from the School of Medicine. During our time spent with Terri I was able to broaden my understanding and learn about the various traits that make each individuals personality so unique. My personality was unique in that the preference clarity index translated it to ESTP, extravert-sensing-thinking-judging. Throughout listening and analyzing the meaning of each of these personality traits I was able to contemplate on how I could use each of these characteristics to my advantage to make me a better individual, student, and most importantly a more competent healthcare provider.
In the afternoon I enjoyed playing the trading game. While we were not able to complete the game I was able to conclude a few of the lessons that the game strives to educate on, the most important lesson being that of communication. Throughout the game it was apparent that with a lack of communication one was unable to convey his thoughts and this lead to the lack of understanding of one another. Another important lesson was that of stereotypes within societies and tribes. It was ironic that we all knew each other well and we all got along coherently before we were split into different tribes. As my tribe later began to trade with the other tribes it was apparent from speaking to one another that each of us had stereotypes towards the other tribe. This lesson is crucial to understand as a future healthcare provider, it is important to remember that we must respect one another the same way we all did before we were split into our different tribes, and that we must be able to put our differences and stereotypes aside and focus on providing our patients with the most efficient treatment.
The last part of our day consisted of finding our personal strengths and learning about how these strengths are unique to each individual. I loved the fact that after we shared our strengths our cohort spent time in discussing them. Throughout the discussion on each individual’s personal strengths I was able to conclude that each of these strengths contributes to our daily actions in a different manner but ultimately they are the key that make each individual so remarkable and distinguishable. It is my job to learn more about these strengths and strategies on how to improve them and put them to use in healthcare.
Today was very insightful and I hope to build on the knowledge that I have acquired and translate it to action throughout my daily experiences.
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| Harraz | MohdReza | It was fun to be able to see everyone again. I have missed them all so so much. For this month’s session, we all were required to take a “strengths finder” quiz that would analyze our responses to a set of a hundred plus questions and then generate the top five strengths that each one of us have. This was a very cool exercise since I have never been able to take a legitimate “strengths finder” quiz ever. Of the 34 possible strengths a person can possess, my most prominent ones were woo, arranger, positivity, futuristic, and relator. I feel that this is pretty accurate for the most part.
I really liked how the quiz also gives us ways of further improving our lives by enhancing our strengths. This is a very interesting approach especially since it seems like we have been groomed to focus more on our faults and how to overcome them than really focusing our time and effort into the stuff that we are already good at.
During the academy we were able to learn of everyone else’s strengths, which was also very interesting. It was fun to be able to make the connection between the people that we were able to get to know over the course of the summer and how eerily accurate the strength finder was able to identify their strengths.
Throughout the whole exercise I could not help but marvel at the level of talent and prestige that my cohort possesses. It is a very humbling experience to be amongst a group of equally (if not more) talented people. I am honored to call them my colleagues and more importantly, my friends. I cannot wait until our next Saturday academy.
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| Chi | Huynh | The Saturday Academy this previous week focused on how to improve your skills through Myers-Bridge Type Indicator and Strengths finder. Myers-Bridge Type is use in many work places to determine, based on the given questions, which characteristic you express during a stressful situation. What I got from Strengths Finder is that you should always see what you are talented in and what you are weakest in to determine how much energy you need to put into improving yourself. The book suggests that people with raw talent, let’s say math, should be an account. If they want to be an astronaut, it is going to take more time to develop the skills for that profession because that person does not have the raw talent for that. Strengths Finder is right that a person with raw talent would spend less time to master a subject compared to a person without the natural talent but it does not mean that a people without the natural talent should stop trying. If you put enough work into any subject, given that you are cognitive about the subject, you will be able to succeed.
The Myers-Bridge Type Indicator categorized each person depending on how they react to a certain situation. One of the distinguishment depended on how much person speaks compare to listen during a conversation. If someone listens and process things without speaking too much during a conversation, then they are an introversion person. If someone is very outspoken and throws many ideas out during conversation is an extraversion person. The difference between these two types of people plays an important role of how a conversation will go.
As an introversion person, I rather listen to someone talk and try to image the conversation as if it is a movie. After the “movie” is over, I will discuss my options on it and see what people have to say. Due to the way I process information, there are many awkward silence during a conversation. I do not believe that they are awkward but just a time to reiterate the conversation to see if all of the statements are correct.
Strengths Finder had us answer many questions to determine our top five personal strengths. After hearing everyone’s result, the strength seems to match up with the individual quite well. People who were humble seem to have “harmony” as one of their top five. Those who excel in their people skills, had “woo” in their top five. It is important to work with people with different strength and weakness so we can help each other out when needed.
From this experience, I am able to describe a person’s characteristic more accurately. Normally, I would describe I person by their appearance but now I can describe the way they present themselves. It is important to only to know that there are differences between people but how the differences will effect a conversation and a work environment.
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| Kaziwa | Ibrahim | This week's Saturday Academy was an excellent way to learn more about myself and what the other fellows perceived me as through the Strengths Finder and Myers Briggs self assesments. I have done the Strengths Finder assesment before, but it was interesting to see that I had obtained different results than when I took it my freshman year. It really does show that you're personality and strengths alter as we grow up. Terry Blevins was truly a joy to have presented the information to us, he was uplifting and had positive input about all of us even though we had only met him a couple of times. My top five strengths were: includer, achiever, responsibility, focus, and learner, all of which i definitely see myself having. Hearing everyone's input on the strengths that we all had was extremely beneficial I thought! Although I saw these as being some of strengths, it was fascinating to hear when others had noticed it as well. Having us all share the positive examples of the strengths we have seen firsthand brought us all a lot closer together. The Myers Briggs personality assesment was a first for me. It was interesting how it assesed your personality, I had not heard of any assesment that did such a thing. The results were seperated into four sections that were presented in an extremely clear fashion. Suprisingly the four categories that I was assigned fit in really well with how I see myself. I really enjoyed how the presenter split the class up based upon the different traits that we thought we related to ourselves the best and then after we got through the sections we got our results. We also played a game at the Saturday Academy that involved the interactions of different cultures. It was a little hard to understand because the two cultures were so completely different, but this was so incredibly represenative of the frustrations that are faced on a regular basis when different cultures interact with one another. Our culture was mainly about physical contact and the men of the tribe, while it was hard to even detemine what the other tribe entailed.
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| Fernando | Garcia | Fernando Garcia
The first Saturday Academy was very helpful and interesting. I came out learning of five strengths that I possessed. They were Learner, individualization, developer, Restorative, and Arranger were my five themes. The two that really surprise me were developer and arranger because I did not think I had any of that at all. Arranger: people strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity. I sat down for a couple of minutes to try to figure out how I related to those themes. This semester has been very busy, and I have arranged my life's schedule around school. I think I have done a truly good job managing school, volunteering, work, and UPP. I have discovered the time of day when I am more effective when it comes to studying, how to study, and who to study with. I was wrong thinking I did not possess that strength. The Developer theme was the other unclear one. Developer: People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.I really thought about it and when people in the academy started to point out how they have seen how I have tried to change aspects of me one step at a time, and how it satisfies me when I accomplish these changes. I have also realized that I am always giving people positive feedback when they deserve it. I know I cannot change who I am completely, but I will improve aspects of myself one step at a time.
The speakers were excellent at what they do, and they have a way of talking that makes people feel good in the way they are. It really felt good seeing how many peers in the program are the same way I am and there is nothing wrong with being an introvert. I have learned a lot from this first Saturday academy, and I am planning to use these strengths as tools to help me improve not only as a student or a professional but as a human being as well. This first Academy was a success.
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| Kelsey | Estes | I have done the Meyers-Briggs test before, but I still thought that this past Saturday Academy was a valuable experience. I feel that knowing more about yourself is a very valuable thing. Sometimes, I get so caught up in everything that is happening in my life, I forget to evaluate myself, and I am grateful that this Saturday Academy allowed me to do this. In addition, I have recently found that I have a deep love for the subject of Organic Chemistry. One reason for this is my learning style, and finally discovering the way that I problem solve the best. If I had known myself better, I probably would have been a chemistry major ever since I entered college. My results were ENTP, which helped to remind me of the way that I approach the world. I have known that I am an extrovert my whole life. I also know that I go with my intuition, and I have learned to trust my first instincts. I deal with situations logically, which explains the “Thinking” that I received.
I also enjoyed learning about my strengths. I was not surprised by my choices once we went through and described each one in detail. I have always in known that I am a people person, which explains “Woo”. I enjoy the company of others, and can always dive right into conversations the instant that I meet them. I also have been told that I have a way of making people feel like I am really listening to them, something that I am constantly working to perfect. I believe that as a future physician this could be one of my greatest strengths if I work at becoming better at it. I also had the strength of intellectual: I love to learn. Instead of a chore, I think of school as a path to my future, and I enjoy gaining the wealth of knowledge that is being provided to me. I thought it was very interesting to hear about everyone else’s strengths, as well. I enjoyed the way that we all managed to find positive aspects of one another, and I felt that we grew together as a cohort from this experience. It was nice to hear that other people agreed with my strengths and it was a ton of fun to realize just how spot on the strengths tests were with my peers as well! |
| Kelsey | Estes | I have very little diversity in my family. I am an excellent example of the term “of European Descent”. My ancestors are a mix of Italian, German, Scottish, Irish, Swedish, and other countries with very little skin tone. For this reason, I always do my best to learn as much as I can about other cultures. I don’t know much about Native American culture, but I think that they are a fascinating people with an interesting history. I think it is appalling what this country has inflicted on the Native Americans, and I am astounded that conditions continue to be so awful for them. I thought that was excellent that Medhat chose an ethnic group that none of us had ever been exposed to. As future doctors, we will have care for people of Native American origin. Since Denver does not have many Native Americans, we will have to learn about their culture from other sources.
The conversation that was conducted after the video was interesting. We had an in depth, controversial dialogue about the ideas of assimilation and acculturation. I was upset to hear some of the cohort suggesting that assimilation is not a bad thing. In my opinion, people should never have to assimilate. Every ethnic group should be able to retain as much of their culture as possible, in addition to acquiring certain characteristics of other cultures. Complete assimilation, on the other hand, is never good thing. Someone should never be forced to give up their beliefs for fear of persecution and I believe that a very important distinction needs to be made between assimilation and adaptation.
After this conversation, Medhat gave a presentation about the healthcare in this country. I am particularly passionate about this subject. Because of private insurance companies and physician’s mistakes, my mother’s health insurance was denied due to a pre-existing condition, a condition that continues to threaten her life today. My family has difficulty covering all of her medical costs, and she has attempted to live with her condition without all the treatment that she actually needs. After taking care of my mom for years and not knowing how long I will have with her, I am absolutely appalled that anyone would be opposed to universal healthcare. How could we ever justify someone not getting the health care that they need to survive? Is it really worth it to save our national debt? What gives us the right to value finances over human life? If everyone had equal access to healthcare, my mother would have had access to the preventative care that she needed. Her condition would have been treated early, and I never would have had to hear the words, “Your mother may only have two more weeks to live.” With universal healthcare, my mother would not be in the hospital at this very moment. If everyone had to experience this, there would be no question that “Obamacare” is what we need. With the election approaching, Americans need to decide what is more important to them: balancing the budget, or helping sick people to spend more time with their love ones. Even if I had not been through the things that I have been through with my family; for me, the decision is not a hard one. |
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