RESIDENT FEATURE
BY JULIE LEAH PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHASTIN FLETCHER AND MELISSA SCHARFE W hile many of us cringe at the sight of blood or recoil from gory scenes on TV, Melissa Scharfe has a profound fascination with the inner workings of the human body. She remains undaunted by the complexities of human anatomy and the chaos of medical emergencies. Melissa belongs to an esteemed group of educators who are dedicated to shaping the future of medicine by teaching the next generation of doctors and nurses, with her specialization lying in human anatomy. Melissa’s journey into the world of medical education wasn’t without its challenges. When she first started her Meet Melissa Scharfe INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS
We would like to thank our sponsor, Signature Glass Tinting , for the opportunity to bring you this story.
studies in the sciences, her anatomy pro- fessor terrified her. She candidly admits, “If not for that teacher, I would never have discovered the beauty and joy in something so often considered taboo in society. Teaching people how to handle life and death is incredible, especially when they become as passionate about it as I am. It can be terrifying and heart- wrenching at times, but those nurses and doctors have to live with those mo- ments. My goal is to make them resilient enough to cope with these realities.” Melissa holds multiple degrees, including a B.S in Neuroscience, and currently serves as an educator at Concordia University, where she man- ages the Nursing Labs. Before this role, she dedicated her time to supporting
Cadaver labs in Southern California healthcare programs. For several years, she volunteered her weekends at a medi- cal clinic in El Hongo, Mexico, where she taught triage to undergraduate and medical students. Last winter, she at- tended an anatomy conference in Italy as part of a broader medical event that ex- plored the history of healthcare and the original works of medicine. In her own words, the experience “brought tears of excitement and joy” and rejuvenated her passion for revealing the beauty within the field of medicine. Melissa’s journey into the sciences began during her high school years at Newport Harbor High School in South- ern California. She remembers working closely with Ms. Bailey while participat-
6 EASTSIDE LIVING
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker