When you hear the word “exemption,” you think of flying lessons, swim training in the fall, and practicing the cello. This past winter, however, Louisa Hanson ’13 pursued her passion for medicine at Franklin County Hospital, and this spring, Zatio Kone ’12 will explore her interest in social psychology.
Hanson sees herself becoming a doctor and decided to see what the life is like.
“I had been talking about programs that I could do during the summer with science teacher Dr. Ivory Hills, and he suggested taking a summer program idea and applying it to a science exemption,” said Hanson.
Hanson works four days a week with various people at the hospital. She is at Franklin Adult Medicine, a primary care doctor’s office, two days a week, and shadows Dr. Sara Rourke to watch her consultations, checkups, and appointments.
In addition, Hanson works with Nurse Rosy Feldman to create her final project: a care plan and a follow up plan for two different diabetic patients.
On Tuesdays, Hanson works with hospitalists to care for patients admitted into the ER.
For Hanson’s last day, she works with Dr. Stephen Fox, who helped her plan the exemption. She also observes surgeries or endoscopy with Dr. Fox.
“The first time I went into the Operating Room was incredible. I was nervous that I would pass out, but it was so interesting to see them operating on a person,” recalled Hanson.
Meanwhile this spring, Zatio Kone will conduct a directed study with Dr. Stuart Bicknell, the school psychologist.
“My directed study is a course that focuses on social psychology, in particular the study of how the individual relates to the larger group,” revealed Kone.
During each of the eight weeks in the term, Kone will study a famous social psychology experiment and write a paper on the experiment.
“I will be studying the most influential experiments in social psychology, such as the Asch Test on Conformity and Stanley Milgrim’s Study on Obedience,” she said.
Dr. Bicknell stated, “One of our aims for this directed study is to apply the knowledge gained from the experiments to the phenomenon of how groups develop and the ‘power of the situation’ here at Deerfield Academy.”