Name: Rachel Akers
Year: Senior
Major: Neuroscience, Biochemistry and Public Health
Q: So kind of right off the bat, you know, spring break. Where were you, what was your situation?
A: So it's hard to explain without like, digging super into my personal stuff, but I don't go to my parents very often. So um, I kind of live on campus permanently, like Williamsburg is my home, which really sucks. But anyways, I was living on campus junior year at Dawson. And I remember getting the news. I hadn't gone anywhere for spring break, because I didn't have anywhere to go. I work at Riverside Doctors Hospital in the emergency department. So you know, it was kind of just a normal spring break for me. I was working a lot, studying a lot, and being like, âWell, my friends are posting beach photos. This is pretty lame.â But I got the call or the email or whatever and I was like, âAlright, I guess I should probably move out of my dorm into my boyfriend's houseâ because he had an off campus house in Williamsburg. So, yeah, that's where I went.
Q: Gotcha. So was that where you went for the entirety of quarantine?
A: Yeah, that's where I went until his lease ended in June. And once I got to that, I found a one month sublease at an off campus house on Indian Springs. And then I moved into my own year lease off North Henry Street. Yeah, so that was really stressful. Like constantly moving around sucks. Moving and packing up.Â
Q: So I guess on the same kind of trail, at first there was, âoh, we're just pushing it back a week.â Everybody's like, âoh, extra spring break.â And then, you know, we get the email that we had gone fully remote and we're not coming back to campus at all. What was your reaction?Â
A: Oh, I mean, I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, or like a doomsday prepper, but I just think staying back home was pretty obvious to see.Â
Q: So overall how was your transition to online classes and how was finishing your spring semester up?
A: I mean, I made the Dean's list. So like, it could have been worse. Um, I don't know. So my professors didn't handle the transition well. Some of them went from like, you know, having class every Tuesday and Thursday to just posting PowerPoints and being like, âAlright, look at the PowerPoint.â Now we have an exam and it's open note, so don't even worry about it. Unfortunately, I feel like that was not a great response. Because I don't know, let's be honest, an open note exam is kind of a joke, especially with our PowerPoint right next to us. I don't know, it was hard to keep teaching in the chem department. That was weird, like moving online for that. It was very strange, because you can't do a lot online. But I don't know, it's hard when it's online now, because they're really trying to ratchet up the hardness of it by including, like, extra problem sides. And then you know, these students are already trying to adapt to a completely different forum to learn like an online. It's ridiculous stuff. Oh, it could have been better. It could have been worse. I think the worst part about it was like now that I had asynchronous classes that this works for. So it was like, âalright, well, I used to be part time and now I'm full time and I'm teaching myself like 16 credits, and I have a research project this summer, but I don't know what's gonna happen to that.â Yeah, it was a stressful time.
Q: So how did your summer quarantine go post-classes?Â
A: It was really stressful because we had this very short period of time to adapt from very much in person using like EEGs to measure brain asymmetry and food neophobia. We ended up doing a great study that focused on validating questionnaires, so it was largely online. There was a lot of really interesting data collection, but ultimately, I do feel like my research was curtailed by COVID-19 which really sucks, but we're trying to get it back on track maybe next semester, but I mean, I don't think that's gonna happen either. So then I was also studying for the MCAT that summer. I think the fine line is like staying busy and being productive versus like, thinking that you're being busy and just you know, burning yourself out for no reason.
Q: During this period and now, have you had any physical or mental health concerns for yourself and/or for other people?
A: We see all these patients who have like very acute conditions and, you know, pages of past medical history, and itâs very contradicting stuff like hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, all this like, they have like deep brain stimulators implanted, they have pacemakers, they have to be intubated multiple times. And you know, when you keep seeing these people come from the same place, and it's like, âpossible Covid positiveâ you're like, âokay, well, great. They're gonna die.â Well, I mean, it's annoying that college students don't take it as seriously as they should. Right? Because it's not good. Anyways, back to my original point, which was I've seen a lot of physical stuff that definitely could have been avoided from COVID-19.
Q: Kind of like the same thread, but you've kind of mentioned patients that have contracted. Is there anyone else in your life who has contracted COVID and what was their experience?
A: Um, yeah. So a couple of the physicians that I work with got COVID. Or they had one of them that was a suspected positive. And this was back in March, when everything was really new. And they thought okay, this is gonna be a terribly infectious disease, which it is, but not to the extent they were expecting like ebola level, right? Yeah. And so they made her stay home for 14 days after she'd been exposed to a presumed positive, so not even a positive yet. And I had to help out and take care of her kids, because weâre buddies. And it was so sad because her kids are like, you know, three to seven. And they're like, why is mommy locked in a room all the time? Why can't she come out and talk to us like, she's not at work, but like, why are we leaving food outside of her door. And that's like, pretty horrible for a kid that young to go through. Not even to mention having to wear a mask every time. The social just like devolving they're going through by not being able to interact, and they're lucky to have siblings. And then anyways, another doctor got COVID but I mean, he's crazy. He thinks it's a hoax. And he's like, âoh, come on. It wasn't that bad. I just had a fever for like two days.â I'm like, Yeah, but you're also like 30 something and you're in the best shape of your life. Better shape than I am in so yeah, you win some, you lose some.
Q: Along with the health concerns, COVID also forced a lot of missed opportunities. How was that for you?
A: Yes, studying for the MCAT in a pandemic sucked. Oh, it was horrible. Honestly. Especially because I don't know, you could see other people hanging out. And you'd get that sense of like, righteous anger, like, hey, they donât seem to be social distancing. And then you're like, wow, I haven't had human contact with anybody for like, two weeks, except for my pi over zoom telling me to use SPSS in a different way. And it's like, that sucks, right? Itâs really depressing. Um, but I don't know. Yeah, I think I could have done better if I wasn't taking the MCAT during a pandemic, but also, you know, the MCAT, they did have a big controversial change where they shortened the test length, right? Yesterday, they shortened the exam. And then that means that actually like you get less time per question, and each question counts more. And the exam is shorter. And also you don't get a lunch break. And it was like, are you kidding me? This is ridiculous. The hoops you have to jump through for anything? Um, but I don't know, I just got my MCAT score back and like I did, okay, I got 80th percentile. And then like that research project, I was mentioning, that really sucks. I was hoping a publication would come out of that. And obviously, like publishing is not the end goal. Well, it is for some, but it's not the end goal of my research. Fundamentally, I just want to discover new things about the human brain. I also was supposed to start volunteering at this diabetes clinic in Norge, but that didn't work out either. Because they were like, well, you know, we're not paying you. So you can't really sign like a liability form that says you're receiving compensation for whatever. And so that also didn't work out. And yeah, a lot of my volunteer activities got put on hold, you know, because I volunteered at the animal shelter here at Heritage Humane Society. And they were like, well, we don't know if our dogs can get Covid yet, so don't come in. And I was like, âAll right. Okay.â Which is a valid worry to have at the time. But I think that I was pretty proactive and seeking out like other volunteer opportunities. So like, I volunteer, like an online tax hotline now.Â
Q: I guess simply put, how are you feeling about the future?
A: So if I can start kind of like anecdotally, I really hate people who are like, âOh 2020 is such a bad year, can it just be over already?â Because I'm like, that's such a cop out and like ignoring all of the issues in our society that led to the spread of COVID-19, right? Because, you know, this starts back in the 90s with global warming and BP Oil making their huge carbon footprint and shifting the blame to the individual for climate change, right. And then, you know, global warming: it decreases our biodiversity, it makes it easier for pandemics like COVID to arise. So it's like there really is no new normal. And even if we do, like, supposedly adapt and conquer COVID-19, get a vaccine that is not truly horrible and doesn't have a bunch of side effects and is absolutely tested. You know, we're gonna have another pandemic in like five or ten years. It's inevitable with the way that the planet's warming and the way that we're losing all of our biodiversity. But you know, it just means that you have to be more prepared. So hopefully, people buy more face masks or hazmat suits, or canned beans, or toilet paper or whatever the item. I don't think we're gonna have a good COVID vaccine in the sense that, you know, like, there's too many American people out there who don't believe in vaccines. So politically, I don't think that if there is a vaccine introduced, there's not going to be widespread usage, people are going to be too scared of the side effects. So you know, whatever. I mean, I don't know the future. I don't think anything good is gonna come of it. So then with job opportunities. Oh, and the medical school applications. Like it was getting way more competitive. It's ridiculous. Yeah, these nerds have nothing to do. So they study for the MCAT. And they get like, 528. I'm just kidding. Well, maybe. But the cycle becomes just very strange. Like, it becomes competitive in a way that you wouldn't imagine. Right? So you know, you have people who may have like a super high GPA, right? And they're like, âokay, great. Well, you know, I'm already set on that front.â And then, you know, with the huge wave of MCAT testing dates canceled from I think December through March, like, I think all of them were canceled, basically. And then you have all these medical schools following that lead and saying, âokay, well, we're gonna deemphasize the MCAT for this cycle.â Now you have people who maybe have low GPAs, but high MCAT scores, and well, now I'm screwed, right? So what am I gonna do? And then within general, lack of clinical experience; you can't shadow now, you can't volunteer in a medical setting, etc, because of COVID-19. But obviously, that's a pretty privileged thing to be able to complain about, I guess, job opportunities. I don't know. I'm excited to see what the future brings. But I'm very lucky in the fact that I was able to not have to go on immunosuppressants. But it does suck because I feel like a lot of companies have their little mission statement on diversity in the workplace, but then they don't make any concessions for like disabled people or chronically ill individuals to work safely. So that kind of sucks. So it's like you have to make the decision between like, do you take this immunosuppressant and like have the chance of living a happier healthy life? Or do you not take it and keep working and not disclose your disability status to anybody because you're worried that your employers would fire you because of your liability, right? I mean, I just wish people would be less weird about it sometimes. Right? It really sucks, especially when people like, have that kind of ingrained response to your symptoms, where it's like, âthat's gross. Like, what's wrong with you?â And like, that's obviously not productive.
Q: Kind of the same thread of question is how are you feeling right now? Physically, mentally, academically, whatever way you want to take it.Â
A: My issue with online learning is and you know, this is my personal opinion. You don't have to agree with it. But I think it's so disrespectful to show up to a class and like, just stay muted the entire time and have your video off. And like you're making your parents or yourself you know, if you're in my situation, pay like 34K a year just so you can show up to a zoom class and be too shy to contribute to the discussion. It pisses me off so much. And then just because I'm verbose, or whatever, I end up like answering a lot of questions in class. And like, professors like, âwell, thank you, Rachel, for saying something.â And I'm like, I'll keep talking forever. I can keep going. But it's just uncomfortable, because I hate that that energy isn't reciprocated.
Q: So this project is like, I just want to give students a platform for expressing their thoughts right now. So this is the time now, plug whatever you want that we maybe didnât discuss that you want to mention.Â
A: It's a pretty obvious thing to research on, but like scrub bias. Like, I used to go to Wawa some nights after my shifts before COVID was a pertinent issue in the United States. You know, I'd get whatever food I wanted. It was usually ice cream, and the cashier would be like, all right, whatever. We're in scrubs, you know, keeping moving like, you know, like, no reaction. And now I go and people look at me like, I have a horrible disease, which I might, but still like, I don't know. It's interesting, like the reaction. It's annoying too, because you have this whole healthcare and health heroes awareness thing, right? And it's like the battle dissipates the minute a nurse is like, âwell, I want to be paid more for risking my life and my body.â And then they're like, âactually, just kidding. You're not a hero. You're an ungrateful person, and we hate you.â Yeah. It's like, What's up with that? Huh?