Every day at the CARLOW Center is busy, as students are always working on projects, medical skills, and medical terminology. This year, we’ve welcomed many new members who are excited to begin their journey in medicine. We’ve already covered most of the foundational skills, including CPR and AED use, bleeding control, splinting, and immobilization of head, neck, and spine injuries. The PCC medical terminology course has been a challenge for some students, but they’ve been pushing through. There’s always an adjustment period when transitioning to college-level work.

The environment at the CARLOW Center is very different from a traditional classroom. While we have a structured curriculum, students work through it at their own pace. On any given day, you might find a student working with their cells, preparing their project write-up, tutoring one another, or practicing the medical skills they’ve learned. The busiest and most challenging days to manage are Mondays and Wednesdays. On these days, I’m teaching our PCC class while also answering questions from students working with their cells. Balancing these two or three activities happening concurrently can be tough, but we all make it work.

In addition to the typical daily activities at the CARLOW Center, students have been working on getting their pre-approval project forms submitted for the LA County Science and Engineering Fair. We’re gearing up for science fair season and hoping to raise the bar this year!