Physiology puts the P-H in PhUn Day

PUMPED UP | Throughout PhUn Day, Applied Med students educated kids about the heart and how it works. Susan Speirs said that the Applied Med students made PhUn Day possible. “The students in Applied Med have reached a level of expertise that they're able to teach some physiology of their choice and this year they chose the heart,” Susan Speirs said. “So their whole idea was to look at the heart and how it functions. They work to design the T shirts, songs, designs, the teaching lesson, and then all of the different breakout sessions of the day.”

Photo credit: Sasha Poradun

PUMPED UP | Throughout PhUn Day, Applied Med students educated kids about the heart and how it works. Susan Speirs said that the Applied Med students made PhUn Day possible. “The students in Applied Med have reached a level of expertise that they’re able to teach some physiology of their choice and this year they chose the heart,” Susan Speirs said. “So their whole idea was to look at the heart and how it functions. They work to design the T shirts, songs, designs, the teaching lesson, and then all of the different breakout sessions of the day.”

By Sasha Poradun, Staff Reporter
June 7, 2023

Ever since the American Physiological Society started PhUn Day in 2010, the main objective has been educating children about physiology by bringing in medical specialists and medical research to K–12 classrooms. Since 2010 Applied Med students have taught children about various medical topics such as skin, bones and respiration. This year, Applied Med students taught  elementary students at Beacon School in Southgate, Michigan, about the heart and what it does.

As explained by Applied Med senior Ethan Molitor, PhUn Day also assists in encouraging the children to understand more about the heart and their body.

“Helping out kids and ensuring that they get the right information about our topic this year, the heart, is a big part of PhUn Day,” Molitor said. “So it’s nice that they actually know how it works and what it does for their bodies.”

Beacon School teacher of the emotionally impaired, Ashley Speirs, believes that the event has enhanced the students’ connections and helped them maintain emotional stability.

“I teach students that have some emotional impairments,”  Speirs said. “PhUn Day is a day where they just don’t have a disability and I can just come here and we all can learn about science and build relationships.”

While having a deeper understanding of this year’s topic is of importance, according to Applied Med teacher, Susan Speirs, PhUn Day additionally provides connections with peers while learning about their bodies.

“The kids have a great connection with us and I think that’s amazing,” Susan Speirs said. “This changes us inside, who we are and it becomes less about science and more about the connections with other people.”

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Photo credit: Sasha Poradun
PUMPED UP | Throughout PhUn Day, Applied Med students educated kids about the heart and how it works. Susan Speirs said that the Applied Med students made PhUn Day possible. “The students in Applied Med have reached a level of expertise that they're able to teach some physiology of their choice and this year they chose the heart,” Susan Speirs said. “So their whole idea was to look at the heart and how it functions. They work to design the T shirts, songs, designs, the teaching lesson, and then all of the different breakout sessions of the day.”