Mark - Today I moved from CRIN back to the burn center to spend the rest of the week there. The burn center is very lively with many children playing in the physical therapy area. There are also some very adorable kids that are inpatients in the burn center. As I walked around and saw the children, many of them would smile when I waved. It is hard to imagine them smiling because it is obvious how badly burned they are. I spent most of the day in surgery watching Dr. Romero and Dr. Robles perform about 4 surgeries. Most of the surgeries were pretty minor, however during the last one I got to see skin grafting take place.
Craig and Cory - We spent the day in the emergency pediatrics department. We once again had the privilege of accompanying Dr. Dieter during the day. The morning started off slowly without many patients. This gave us the opportunity to talk with him and another sixth-year student Vanessa. They were extremely helpful and this allowed us to practice our Spanish in exchange for English lessons. When patients did arrive, Dr. Dieter was extremely gracious in allowing us to assist in all aspects of patient care. One of the more severe and moving cases involved a 1-month old little girl who was born with a diaphragmatic hernia (a defect where portions of the intestine are located in the chest cavity). This negatively affects the lungs and their ability to expand. She had already undergone previous surgery to repair this, but she was still having trouble getting oxygen. The X-rays showed a collapsed upper portion of the left lung. He quickly led the mother and the little girl to the surgery consult area because the only way to help the little girl was to attempt to fix the deformity again. Another interesting case was a little boy who had fractured his wrist. After we viewed the X-rays with Dr. Dieter he let us try and present the case in our shoddy Spanish. The grade? 45/100 for Craig, 20/100 for Cory. It was another good day in which we learned a lot.
Pete-Marky and I worked together today in the burn center and it was another emotional and moving day. I visited with the children for a few minutes in the morning and joined Dr. Robles on rounds again. I heard more words that I recognized, and was able to communicate a little better today with the residents and nurses. Mark and I visited with the children and watched a few minor debridements, and as more volunteers came in I left to sit and read to the children. They probably think my Spanish is a work in progress and that's why they're smiling, but alas it's good to see smiles on their faces. The most intense portion of the day was scrubbing in for my first surgery with Dr. Romero. As I was scrubbed in I dried areas of blood and cut the stitches the residents were placing. I even learned how to properly suture and if you've seen my giant hands you'd chuckle. Overall, this day was wonderful and I'm hoping to use the skills I gain here as I grow as a medical student.
Craig and Cory - We spent the day in the emergency pediatrics department. We once again had the privilege of accompanying Dr. Dieter during the day. The morning started off slowly without many patients. This gave us the opportunity to talk with him and another sixth-year student Vanessa. They were extremely helpful and this allowed us to practice our Spanish in exchange for English lessons. When patients did arrive, Dr. Dieter was extremely gracious in allowing us to assist in all aspects of patient care. One of the more severe and moving cases involved a 1-month old little girl who was born with a diaphragmatic hernia (a defect where portions of the intestine are located in the chest cavity). This negatively affects the lungs and their ability to expand. She had already undergone previous surgery to repair this, but she was still having trouble getting oxygen. The X-rays showed a collapsed upper portion of the left lung. He quickly led the mother and the little girl to the surgery consult area because the only way to help the little girl was to attempt to fix the deformity again. Another interesting case was a little boy who had fractured his wrist. After we viewed the X-rays with Dr. Dieter he let us try and present the case in our shoddy Spanish. The grade? 45/100 for Craig, 20/100 for Cory. It was another good day in which we learned a lot.
Pete-Marky and I worked together today in the burn center and it was another emotional and moving day. I visited with the children for a few minutes in the morning and joined Dr. Robles on rounds again. I heard more words that I recognized, and was able to communicate a little better today with the residents and nurses. Mark and I visited with the children and watched a few minor debridements, and as more volunteers came in I left to sit and read to the children. They probably think my Spanish is a work in progress and that's why they're smiling, but alas it's good to see smiles on their faces. The most intense portion of the day was scrubbing in for my first surgery with Dr. Romero. As I was scrubbed in I dried areas of blood and cut the stitches the residents were placing. I even learned how to properly suture and if you've seen my giant hands you'd chuckle. Overall, this day was wonderful and I'm hoping to use the skills I gain here as I grow as a medical student.
Hey Mark, just gained access to the Blog. Great to be able to follow the work and share the experiences that you and your friends are involved in. Have to say I'm a proud uncle. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteUncle Gary