Learner Profile
Junaid Mian
HMX Courses
As a pharmacist at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa, Texas, Junaid Mian encounters patients with diverse conditions on a daily basis. His desire to better understand the factors underlying those conditions, and to improve treatment plans, led him to further study through HMX courses. Junaid shared his experience after taking HMX Biochemistry and Physiology, and before beginning the Immunology and Genetics courses.
What appealed to you about HMX courses?
I watched the videos, and I liked the way that the material was presented, the method of learning. And the fact that it covered the fundamentals, that appealed to me the most. I felt like it would suit me well.
How much have you been exposed to these topics – and how challenging did you find the courses?
I’m exposed to those topics quite a lot – I see patients with gout, respiratory issues, diabetes all day long. So they were very applicable to my situation.
They were appropriately challenging. Some of the biochemistry I knew from school, but it was quite challenging. My mind was working.
What aspects of the courses did you find most helpful?
I think it was a combination of all of it. For example in Physiology, Dr. Schwartzstein talks to the different practitioners about what’s going on under the surface. That really helped to piece things together for me. And the cartoons, where the people were going underwater, with the father and daughter going scuba diving – that really helped a lot too, you can see the pressures happening in their bodies as time goes on. It’s almost like you can see under the hood what’s going on at a fundamental level, and that really helped things stick.
Did you use any other course resources?
I used the flashcards for Biochemistry. I also went to the discussion boards to see if the questions I had were being addressed, which they were, so that was helpful. A lot of the discussions brought up issues that helped me reinforce what I already knew. It filled in the gaps.
What motivated you to seek further education right now?
A couple of things – number one is to do a better job. I’m also studying for some board certifications and I’ll need that knowledge to really understand what I’m reading. It’s not just taking a test, it’s actually internalizing the material. Another reason is that eventually I want to do my own startup, and I need to know these fundamentals so I know what I’m talking about for whatever product or service I design. I want to know it inside and out on an intimate level. I feel like this material will help me get there.
The future is going to rely on asking great questions, because answers are everywhere. Technology the way it is today, you can get answers to anything you want, but it’s those questions that matter the most. So I guess the ultimate reason is so I will be able to ask those great questions to get those answers.