THE ONE WITH THE ANNUAL BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM

During the week of October 2 to October 7, the Independent Study and Mentorship students expressed professionalism in the annual Business Symposium. Also, some of the personal goals that I achieved was the completion of two informational interviews and brainstorming ideas for original work and final product.

The Frisco ISD ISM Business Symposium is an annual event for the students to network, gain insight on their resumes, conduct one-on-one interviews with professionals, and receive scholarship information from colleges. I was fortunate enough to have networked with a hospital board member at Plano Surgical Center, who was able to give me some contacts of medical specialists that I could potentially interview. Along with networking, the two professionals that interviewed me were able to advise me further on reformatting my resume to be more suited for my particular field of study in cardiothoracic surgery. Finally, a representative from Dallas Baptist University told the juniors and seniors application processes for scholarship, FAFSA, and college applications as a whole.

In terms of personal achievements, I was able to complete two informational interviews with Dr. Matthias Peltz at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dr. Justin Schaeffer at Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, both of which are cardiothoracic surgeons. Through these interviews, I was guided down the various paths that I can take throughout college which will take me towards my goals. However, a challenge that I am facing is scheduling more interviews with medical professionals.

In the upcoming weeks, I want to focus on obtaining more interviews as well as continue research of cardiothoracic cases.