Dr. Jo Qian gave about 100 students an opportunity to share what they have learned about human diseases and innovative biotechniques that impact the health field.

The inaugural University of North Georgia (UNG) Public Health Awareness Day was held Nov. 7 on UNG’s Gainesville Campus. Among the students participating in the event was Brandon Pace of Lawrenceville, GA.

Topics of poster presentations included a variety of skin, bone, muscle and nervous system disorders. Courtney Allen, district health educator from the District 2 Public Health Department in Gainesville, was also on hand to discuss her office’s services.

“Most students think to learn anatomy and physiology is to memorize a zillion medical terms. By doing the presentation, students are trained to develop some higher-order learning abilities,” said Qian, lecturer of biology at UNG. “For example, they are required to understand the cause of a disease, apply terms to describe the progress of a disease, and compare different treatments according to subtypes of a disease.”

Qian said the efforts of Dr. Jeanelle Morgan, associate professor and associate department head of biology; Dr. Cathy Whiting, professor of biology; Dr. Shannon Kispert, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Neal Lin, limited-term faculty in biology, and many other faculty members made the event possible.

The event offered students the opportunity for peer review.

Robert Griffeth, a pre-dental student from Jefferson, Georgia, looked forward to sharing his work with the public for the first time. His group made a presentation about epilepsy.

He said it was a chance for students to share what they’re passionate about. Having his peers review his work was also a motivator for Griffeth, who already has a business degree from the University of Georgia.

“We wanted to be competitive with other groups and start establishing our validity as health professionals,” Griffeth said.

Julia Kim, a sophomore biology major from Buford, Georgia, and her group presented about scoliosis. She welcomed the constructive criticism her group received, as well as knowing where it excelled.

“It is important for the university and my fellow peers to hear about what I am learning in order for them to also expand their knowledge, and to see how much passion we have for acquiring new information that matters greatly in the everyday lives of people with health problems,” Kim said.

Abigail Bourgeois, a sophomore nursing major from Cleveland, Georgia, said the peer review allowed students to gain another perspective on their work.

Bourgeois said biology classes offer information about muscle cells and skeletal systems, while these projects aid students in “actually seeing it in diseases and how it affects people in their everyday lives.”

“It’s very important that students are able to see the practical side of what we’re learning in the classroom,” Bourgeois said.

Cameron Ragland is a 2014 UNG graduate taking post-baccalaureate prerequisites in hopes of being accepted into UNG’s physical therapy graduate program. His group presented on syphilis. He feels that students presenting to each other makes for a low-pressure dynamic.

“You’re more or less teaching each other,” Ragland said. “It feels more relaxed and natural.”

Qian said those types of interactions are valuable for students.

“Peer evaluation is an effective way of assessment because you provide each student with much more feedback in a large cohort, and it also serves as a peer learning opportunity,” Qian said. “It allows students to strengthen their academic skills by giving and receiving feedback among peers, and it teaches them how to hold professional norms in judging peers, which I think is an essential skill for their future careers.”

Dr. Jo Qian gave about 100 students an opportunity to share what they have learned about human diseases and innovative biotechniques that impact the health field.

The inaugural University of North Georgia (UNG) Public Health Awareness Day was held Nov. 7 on UNG’s Gainesville Campus. Among the students participating in the event was Nhi Duong of Lawrenceville, GA.

Topics of poster presentations included a variety of skin, bone, muscle and nervous system disorders. Courtney Allen, district health educator from the District 2 Public Health Department in Gainesville, was also on hand to discuss her office’s services.

“Most students think to learn anatomy and physiology is to memorize a zillion medical terms. By doing the presentation, students are trained to develop some higher-order learning abilities,” said Qian, lecturer of biology at UNG. “For example, they are required to understand the cause of a disease, apply terms to describe the progress of a disease, and compare different treatments according to subtypes of a disease.”

Qian said the efforts of Dr. Jeanelle Morgan, associate professor and associate department head of biology; Dr. Cathy Whiting, professor of biology; Dr. Shannon Kispert, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Neal Lin, limited-term faculty in biology, and many other faculty members made the event possible.

The event offered students the opportunity for peer review.

Robert Griffeth, a pre-dental student from Jefferson, Georgia, looked forward to sharing his work with the public for the first time. His group made a presentation about epilepsy.

He said it was a chance for students to share what they’re passionate about. Having his peers review his work was also a motivator for Griffeth, who already has a business degree from the University of Georgia.

“We wanted to be competitive with other groups and start establishing our validity as health professionals,” Griffeth said.

Julia Kim, a sophomore biology major from Buford, Georgia, and her group presented about scoliosis. She welcomed the constructive criticism her group received, as well as knowing where it excelled.

“It is important for the university and my fellow peers to hear about what I am learning in order for them to also expand their knowledge, and to see how much passion we have for acquiring new information that matters greatly in the everyday lives of people with health problems,” Kim said.

Abigail Bourgeois, a sophomore nursing major from Cleveland, Georgia, said the peer review allowed students to gain another perspective on their work.

Bourgeois said biology classes offer information about muscle cells and skeletal systems, while these projects aid students in “actually seeing it in diseases and how it affects people in their everyday lives.”

“It’s very important that students are able to see the practical side of what we’re learning in the classroom,” Bourgeois said.

Cameron Ragland is a 2014 UNG graduate taking post-baccalaureate prerequisites in hopes of being accepted into UNG’s physical therapy graduate program. His group presented on syphilis. He feels that students presenting to each other makes for a low-pressure dynamic.

“You’re more or less teaching each other,” Ragland said. “It feels more relaxed and natural.”

Qian said those types of interactions are valuable for students.

“Peer evaluation is an effective way of assessment because you provide each student with much more feedback in a large cohort, and it also serves as a peer learning opportunity,” Qian said. “It allows students to strengthen their academic skills by giving and receiving feedback among peers, and it teaches them how to hold professional norms in judging peers, which I think is an essential skill for their future careers.”

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