HII!!
This week was such an amazing experience and full of learning opportunities!
I started off by learning about breast cancer, colon cancer, and cervical cancer—how they’re different from each other, the types of screenings used to detect them, and the treatments available. One of the highlights of my week was getting to observe PA Robin remove a precancerous mole from a patient. I watched as she numbed the area with anesthesia, removed the mole, and stitched the skin back up. The patient was on blood thinners because of a higher risk for heart problems or stroke, which made the procedure more difficult due to the increased bleeding. I also learned that epinephrine is often added to anesthesia to reduce bleeding, but since the procedure was on the hand, they avoided it to prevent cutting off circulation to the fingers.
This image shows a minor surgical tray setup with tools and supplies. These are similar to the materials PA Robin used during the procedure
I also spent time at the dental center, which gave me a new perspective on how important dental care is to overall health. It was great to see a different side of the medical field.
While shadowing different medical assistants, I learned how to take blood pressure, and now I understand the difference between systolic (when the heart pumps blood out) and diastolic (when the heart fills with blood). I also got to practice drawing blood using a training dummy. It was definitely challenging, but a great hands-on experience that helped me learn the proper steps and techniques.
(this is fake blood)
Later in the week, we had an OB training (OB = obstetrics, the area of medicine focused on pregnancy and childbirth), where a nurse from St. Mary’s Hospital taught us what to do when a pregnant patient comes into the clinic. I found it super interesting and it opened my eyes to how important and detailed that kind of care is.
On the last day, I observed some X-rays and learned more about how they’re used to help diagnose patients, which was also really fascinating
Overall, this week was packed with learning and new experiences, and I’m so thankful for everything I got to be a part of!
Thank you!
Valentina
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