Being the "Other"

It is always interesting to see just out of place you can be without moving very far. It always seems like my friends in other disciplines live in entirely different worlds, so I decided to attend a pre-med class, Pathophysiology, to see what it was really like for an hour.

Observations:

Environment:

• Large auditorium
• Powerpoint guided
• In the new Life Sciences Building. Everything was looked very clean, with straight lines and little extra decor.
• 

Professor:

• Hyper organized- everything in steps and sub-steps , with graphs, color codes.
• Lecture format- reliant on notes and power points.
• Contradicts other professors.
• Big division between the professor and the students.

Students:

• Reserved, business casual or t-shirts. Nobody looked or acted unusual.
• Made up of pre-med students, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, etc.
• Hard to quiet down the class at first, and then dead silence--no side conversations. Only one speaker at a time after raising hands.
• Quiet even during break time.
• General preference for laptops.
• Didn't notice an outsider in the large group.
• 

Class:

• Talk about direct applications, not very hypothetical.
• Assumption that there is a single truth.
• Everyone wants to be on the same mental page.
• Very focused
• Specified language- symbols and medical terminology
• Pre-determined work groups made of of different majors.
• Made movie references and inside jokes that baffled me.
• 

Where I was uncomfortable:

To be honest, the whole thing was a little uncomfortable because everything went way over my head. The class was focused on some very complex microbiology and PH in the blood, a far cry from what I am experienced with in the English program. Naturally, this made me nervous to ask questions, although I did talk to the small group that I joined. I was also a little queasy during part of the lecture.. Just the explanation of how one would test muscle tissue for changes in structure and lactic acid was enough to make me a little nauseous, but the class seemed to be very involved in the topic. 

I was also feeling bored pretty quickly, whereas everyone in the class was very focused and involved. I was distracted by the cute baby on the other side of the class, but the other students didn't even give him a glance. I was also surprised by the uniformity of the class. In an english class, at least a third of the students are wearing more eclectic apparel, and the conversation wanders wherever we chose to take it. There is no need for agreement, and coming up with something different is valued. The professor is also a part of this in an english class, where everyone talks on the same level, instead of the way the professor of the pathophysiology class is considered to have the last word. I was also surprised that nobody really seemed to recognize an outsider. In my own discipline, you quickly learn the names and personalities of the people in your class, and are usually comfortable working with different people every time. In contrast, the pathophysiology class was very quiet and reserved, with people only knowing those in their pre-set groups. 

Overall, attending the pathophysiology class was very interesting, but I was entirely lost. I had no idea what they were talking about most of the time. To understand, I would have to have the same level of education and experience, and I felt too uncomfortable and out of place to really get involved.

Just this little step out of my comfort zone, as a student who went to the same school with the same kids her whole life, was a huge step towards understanding students who feel like the "foreigners." It is frightening, and I think compassion plays a huge role in making a difference. Students are often too absorbed in their own problems to notice others, but as a teacher, I need to be aware of all my students. Just because it looks like someone fits in, doesn't mean they feel comfortable there. Being human, we are all very good at pretending we fit in, trying to fly under the radar. We pretend we understand in class, pretend we are happy, and pretend we have everything under control when in reality we feel very different. As a teacher, I need to be aware that my students may feel just as out of place and make an effort to make them all an equal part of my class.