About me
My name is Rawan and I was born and raised in Kuwait. I came to the United Kingdom to study medicine. However before studying medicine, I am doing a clinical in foundation studies course which helps prepare us students for the challenges we will face in the future. Medicine has been a career I’ve wanted to pursue as it gives me the opportunity to apply the scientific knowledge I have gained to make other people’s lives better.
I attended a british school, Kuwai English School. During my school years,I was the form representative of my class. I found it extremely rewarding. As I learnt to be more responsible, by setting priorities and taking action on them. I also familiarize oneself with how to deal with a load of pressure and work, in arranging events like raising money for charity events for breast cancer and for people living in LEDC’s. This gave me a better sense of awareness of people around me which have been less fortunate than many others.
Furthermore after getting my medical degree, I wish to succeed in the medical field, develop and discover new medications that will help worldwide. I am longing to become a part of a globally recognized field with diverse career opportunities for graduates. I have chosen to study in the United kingdom as it is known for its cultural diversity, importance of research, keeping up with science and have the very best universities internationally.
Timed writing
Question 1
The research concerning coffee consumption and health, was conducted by the researchers from the University of Southampton. The aim of this research was to decide whether a better quality study which involved clinical trials and giving participants three to four cups of coffee was worth doing. Therefore, the study’s finding must not be taken as a guidance for positive health as there is no evidence yet that drinking coffee is beneficial. The study was published in the British Medical journal and was peer-reviewed. The study also consisted of an umbrella review, meaning 201 previous researches were meta-analysed and systematically reviewed. As a result of that, the reliability of the research relies on the studies being peer-reviewed and meta-analysed. A study that was reviewed in the research was found to have a connection to a coffee company and therefore its finding may be biased, although this study’s results was discarded from the final findings, it is uncertain whether any other study in the research had a connection or was funded by a coffee organisation hence giving unreliable findings in the research. In conclusion, the studies were said to be low quality studies, therefore is a better-quality study which involves clinical trials and giving participants three to four cups of coffee worth doing.
Question 2
The main findings from the study that was conducted was that drinking 400mg of caffeine or less per day seems safe and may have more health benefits than risks. Moderate coffee drinking may lower the risk of mortality from a stroke and liver disease and some specific types of cancer. Also, moderate coffee drinking may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The study also states that pregnant women and women with fractures should only consume a maximum of 200mg of caffeine per day because more than 200mg of caffeine per day may increase the risk of miscarriage and fractures. The researchers also state that the results are observational hence there is no significant evidence to support those findings. As a result of that, starting drinking coffee for its potential health benefits is not recommended. Other factors which were not taken into consideration such as genes, play a vital role in our health therefore the findings may be unreliable. In addition, caffeinated and decaffeinated drinks have similar results. In conclusion. drinking 400mg of caffeine or less per day seems safe and may have more health benefits than risks and more research should be done to support this claim.
Question 3
The BBC states that ‘’drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may have health benefits’’ while the Daily Mail states that ‘’ you should drink three to four cups of coffee a day as it will reduce the risk of diseases and provide you with a longer life expectancy. The BBC was focused more on the words of the study and its findings, while the Daily Mail used the findings to say that we should drink three to four cups of coffee a day. Both the BBC and Daily Mail agree that drinking coffee while being pregnant is dangerous as it harms the baby. Moreover, both articles agree that the study shows how coffee intake lowers the risk of liver disease, diabetes, cancer and death from stroke. But, the BBC mentions how the lower risk could have been to other factors which are currently unknown such as genes, age and exercise. But, the daily mail mentions how the lower risk is due to the antioxidant plant compounds in coffee. After saying you should drink three to four cups of coffee a day, the daily mail contradicts itself by saying drinking coffee seems to increase the risk of leukaemia, lymphoma and lung cancer. The BBC states that it is not proven that coffee is the reason for those health benefits therefore people should not start drinking coffee for its potential health benefits but the daily mail does not mention that.
Rawan Al Shahoomi
Reflection
This reflective essay will outline the struggles I faced in the first semester of the Certificate in Clinical foundation studies at Queen Mary. In this essay, I will be using the Gibbs’ reflective cycle (Gibbs, 1988) which consists of six stages to be followed in a particular order to help organise thoughts in a structured way. These stages being: a description of a particular event, an explanation of feelings, an evaluation of that experience, an analysis, a conclusion and an action plan for the future if that particular event was experienced again.
For the PSP 1 class, during the weekend prior to the due date of my first draft, I was working on my essay ) and believed it was well-written, therefore I submitted it with confidence. I had never failed in any class and mostly achieved high grades such as 80% and above. When I received my graded essay I was surprised, disappointed and anxious to know that I failedwith a grade below 60% which was the pass grade. Although failing was upsetting, it made me realise that I lacked mandatory skills that I required such as brainstorming , planning and thinking before writing. Those skills are not only needed to pass my PSP module but also are mandatory for medical school. After coming to this realisation, I managed to redraft my essay in a more organised manner. I started with reading my graded essay and understanding where I went wrong. I read the article that I had to summarise for my essay about 3-4 times again to fully grasp the main ideas. . After redrafting my essay, I managed to pass and achieve a grade of 65%, which to me was a huge improvement as originally, I was graded 52%. This experience taught me that if I was to encounter a similar situation, I would firstly read the article multiple times to avoid misunderstanding it, plan my essay, pick up the main points and think before writing.
Another difficulty that I faced this semester, was transitioning from classes of 15 students where the tutor was focused on each student to lecture halls which consisted of 200 students. Mathematics 1 and Introduction to Chemistry were carried out in lecture halls and I was not focused, finding it difficult to understand the content of the lectures. I felt lost and overwhelmed. While studying the material from chemistry and mathematics, I had doubts which I left till last minute and did not ask the professor about. After noticing how lost I was, I decided to approach both my mathematics and chemistry professors. They both suggested that I should not only read the lectures, but also the recommended textbook for the module. While I started reading the textbooks, I I gained a better understanding of the topic that was on the lecture and started comprehending the material in a better way. The following week, I had upcoming midterm tests for both mathematics and chemistry. I started revising by reading the lectures, after that I took the professors advice and read the textbooks. I applied the knowledge that I gained from both the lecture notes and textbooks to solve past exam papers. I found myself understanding the module perfectly and slowly my doubts about the module content started diminishing. When I received my midterm results, I was astonished to see that I obtained 100% in chemistry and 90% in mathematics. To me, this was the most significant learning experience as it made me realise that I am responsible for my own understanding. Also, if I ever approached a module, I should use all the recommended material and not only the lecture notes.
In conclusion, each difficult situation can be used as a learning experience. For example, I learnt that if in the future I was assigned an essay, I should start planning it a couple of days beforehand which will help me write it in a more organised manner. Also, I learnt that university is different than high school, I am responsible for my own education and should not be dependent on the professor. I believe that going through this experience will teach me how to cope with similar situations in semester 2.
References:
Gibbs, G (1988). Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic
Eat Fat Essay
Eat Fat, Cut the Carbs and Avoid Snacking to Reverse Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
The report entitled, “Eat Fat, Cut the Carbs and Avoid Snacking to Reverse Obesity and Type 2 diabetes”, published by National Obesity Forum in association with the Public Health Collaboration, states that the health consequences such as type 2 diabetes, caused by the obesity issue is the greatest public health challenge nowadays. The report presents strong claims relating to the origins of obesity and discusses the recommended alternatives which hopefully could undo the damage from recent policies in public health messaging. The report gained a substantial amount of criticism from Public Health England, accusing the authors of giving ill-considered advice to readers, based on selective evidence that strengthens their claims. This essay will outline the reports controversial claims, and discuss the claim that exercising alone does not lead to weight loss.
The report’s first claim, is that the consumption of fat does not lead to weight gain. The proposal of reducing fat consumption to reduce body fat has been the basis of the previous dietary recommendations. However, multiple weight loss trials have showed that a higher fat, lower carbohydrate diet is superior to a low-fat diet for weight loss and cardiovascular reduction. Moreover, it says that the relationship between saturated fat and heart disease is not a causative relationship. A recent study in the report concluded that individuals in the highest tertile of whole-fat dairy intakes, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt had significantly lower odds of being obese. The report also states that processed foods which make claims such as “low-fat” or “low-cholesterol” should be avoided. This statement was made, as there is no evidence that demonstrates that the reduction in dietary saturated fats reduces cardiovascular events and deaths. Also, it says that to prevent and reverse type 2 diabetes, refined carbohydrates and foods containing starch should be taken in small quantities because they increase blood glucose levels which may lead to type 2 diabetes. The report makes a further claim that the ideal sugar intake for health is zero. According to the authors of the report, excess sugar consumption is strongly associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the intake of added sugar should be reduced (National Obesity Forum, 2017).
Another interesting claim in the report, is that high intake of vegetable oils increases the risk of death and heart disease compared to saturated fats, concluding that they should be avoided. The report states that the counting of calories should be stopped. Since calories from different food have different metabolic effects on the human body, counting calories would be ineffective. The report also states that meal frequency should be limited because consuming snacks may lead to weight gain. Moreover, continuous eating doesn’t allow the human body to digest the food consumed as this creates a chance to store food energy without an opportunity to burn it. Lastly the report emphasises the need for incorporation of evidence-based nutrition into education curricula. The authors have emphasised this point due to the large amount of misinformation regarding nutrition amongst medical professionals (National Obesity Forum, 2017).
The statement in the report which states that exercising without maintaining a healthy diet does not contribute to weight loss is, I believe, true. A recent study proved that eating food then exercising is not the solution. As obesity is a result of a bad diet rather than lack of exercise (Campbell, 2015). A study was carried out involving 811 overweight adults chosen randomly. The participants were assigned to four different diets containing different percentages of fat, protein and carbohydrates. The results of the study show that all participants lost an average of 6kg; however, some lost more than others depending on the diet followed (Anon, 2009). This supports the claim that, to lose weight, a healthy diet must be followed.
In conclusion, the report states healthful ways to prevent as well as reverse type 2 diabetes, which will have an advantageous outcome, in both the individual’s health and the cost burden of treatment on the National Health System (NHS). Moreover, the report recommends a change in dietary guidelines in the United Kingdom. If recommendations are followed, the incidence of obesity in the United Kingdom will ultimately decrease.
References:
Anon, (2009). Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates. [online] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763382/ [Accessed 27 Nov. 2017].
Campbell, D. (2015). Exercise is good … but it won't help you lose weight, say doctors. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/22/obesity-owes-more-to-bad-diet-than-lack-of-exercise-say-doctors [Accessed 12 Nov. 2017].
National Obesity Forum. (2017). Available at: https://phcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Eat-Fat-Cut-The-Carbs-and-Avoid-Snacking-To-Reverse-Obesity-and-Type-2-Diabetes-National-Obesity-Forum-Public-Health-Collaboration.pdf [Accessed 27 Nov. 2017].