Today, I was jumping around the O.R. from one surgery to another one and another one to the other one. Therefore, I saw a lot of surgeries. The first one was about hernia repair. This one happened in one man's inguinal ring. Doctors didn't know why this one happened. Again, I realized today that doctors do not pay attention too much on the cause but the result! Doctors were asking me where I was from and I said that I am from Korea. Everyone was surprised and excited about the fact that I am korean, which was interesting. They said that my English was better than their korean, which was funny. One female doctor was talking about how much she loves korean food and so on. It was exciting and the moment to realize that doctors are humans too.
The most awesome thing happened today was the fact that I found a korean female surgeon in the O.R.! I saw her last name on the board which shows the schedule of the surgeries with doctors' names right next to. I immediately realized that her name was korean common last name. I asked the nurse who was sitting at the desk and she said that she is korean. I was so excited and eager to meet her!
I had a chance to talk to her for quite a long time before she started operating. Surprisingly, she said that she was about to come to my school from other state. It was such a coincidence! I was so proud that she was a surgeon as a "korean" female in U.S. (even though she was born here). She was operating with microscopes in ears. Therefore, I did not have any chance to see that surgery.
She told me that I can stop by her anytime!
The second surgery that I saw from the outside of the O.R. was about total h
ip replacement. It was really violent because there were four doctors standing around the patient whose hip was widely open and one doctor was using a hammer to push something in. It was orthopedics world, which was amazing to observe. One nursing student asked me to come in and see after that one ends. Due to the danger of infection, doctors do not let people come in in the middle of the surgery especially students and observers like me.
I hope that I can observe some replacement surgery next time if there is any chance!
Joy,
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed at what you are allowed to observe as a high school student! It's also very exciting to learn that you met a Korean female doctor--you should be sure to connect with her when you can. Also, can you explain a little more clearly what you meant by "operating with microscopes in ears?" And, finally, I agree that orthopedic surgery can be very "violent!" Using a hammer to get a hip in place is pretty awesome! You must be very strong to set bones in place. Just wondering was the orthopedist a man or a woman? Thanks for sharing your experiences! Ms. Maier
Hello, Ms. Maier.
DeleteSince most of ear surgeries are microscopic surgeries, I was not encouraged to observe this surgery, which means that I didn't get to see the ear surgery in the O.R. Sometimes, doctors project the view to the screen but not that often because the doctor is the one who can see what is going on through lenses.
Joy,
ReplyDeleteI love the ease with which you connect with people. You are such a mature high school student, not just socially but the comfort you feel in the OR. I was a little bit queasy just hearing about the steps it takes to get a hip in place! I too want to learn more about the equipment that the female Korean surgeon was using. As always, great post!
Thank you, Ms. A.
DeleteIf I have another chance to ask the surgeon more about the equipment, I will love to post about it!