Yifu Zhang, Midway Point

My Brandeis Shadowing Program is located at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). MGH is amazing, and everybody was professional and helpful. I got to review patient’s histories and help with a few clinical research in the general surgery department. I also got to observe and understand the daily lives of a surgeon.

Sasha Gershman, Midway Point

Through my research rotation with Dr. Sbayi, I am very thankful for the opportunity to not only learn about all of the research components, but for the chance to be able to practice these skills first hand. Dr. Sbayi provided me with the opportunity to join in on a quality initiative project that served all the service lines throughout the hospital. I was first involved in learning how to conduct the IRB process. It was so interesting to see how in-depth and thorough the IRB process is. I learned how to conduct literature reviews in a calculated and methodical manner that helped to ensure that the literature review was comprehensive. As the literature review became more and more comprehensive, it was fascinating to see how the literature review could serve as the initial guide or blueprint for the potential structure of the research paper. Each week, I meet with Dr. Sbayi and we discuss how the paper currently is, next steps (in terms of writing or data), as well as what contacts within the hospital I can reach out to for more information to incorporate into the paper. I am so thankful for the opportunities to meet and talk with so many different people that compose the hospital’s team, from CRNAs, to anesthesiologists, to hospital administration, and to data analysts. I also get to participate in a weekly research meeting and listen in to all of the different projects that are occurring in the hospital. 

I am involved in the data aggregation process for the quality initiative research project. It is so interesting to see how telling and reflective the numbers are in presenting how successful the overall outcomes are. Going through the data aggregation process from start to finish and then being able to use those numbers to generate various graphs and figures to represent the outcomes has been very insightful.

I am also learning about the different platforms Stony Brook University Hospital uses to collect and store their data, as it relates to patient’s surgery cases. It is so interesting to learn about Stony Brook’s very own data mining service and how they also use a third party vendor tool to validate the data collected on surgery cases from their own service. 

I could not be more thankful for this opportunity to learn about the vital integration between treating patients clinically, as well as from the administrative and hospitality side.

Jenna Ye, Midpoint

Over the past two weeks, the shadowing experience with Dr. Sher and his PA’s (Maggie and Jonathan) have been very enlightening in regards to the differences in patient interaction and procedure undertakings between the two fields. Physician assistants typically approach the patients first in the clinical office, taking down holistic patient histories (i.e. asking relevant questions in regards to the patient’s visitation, symptoms, previous medical visits, etc.), assisting in the associated medical paperwork (i.e prescriptions, past files), and aiding in medical procedures such as anastomosis and sphincterotomies. Doctors, on the other hand, have a much more intensive hands-on approach during the operations, pre-op, and post-op. On average, the doctor spends approximately double the time that a PA does with a patient. Certain procedures, such as colonoscopies, do not require a PA and are completed with the aid of a nurse and an anesthesiologist. 

Viewing a colonoscopy firsthand has been very educational from both a technical and anatomical perspective. During the procedure, I was able to view how the doctor operates a scope. The flexibility of the scope, along with the four directional motion control dials, CO2 pump (blows up the colon), water pump, and suction all aid the process of navigating through a patient’s colon to reach the cecum. It was noted that the doctor spends a minimum of six minutes navigating back out of the colon after reaching the cecum to check for polyps and other potential anomalies such as diverticulosis (common formation of pouches in older people) and hemorrhoids. 

Typical medical information and procedures outside his specialty as a colorectal surgeon have come up well in regards to genetic relationships to diseases (i.e Lynch syndrome) and cardiovascular conditions (i.e. valve replacement). I was able to witness an EKG, learn technical terms (A-Fib, V-Fib, heart echoes), and how the team of medical professionals act and react depending on the patient’s reaction and vitals. It was surprising to see how hyperaware everyone was of their surroundings and their quick

decision-making skills. This is a life lesson to hold onto since I am usually quite an indecisive person, which is something I may need to change as I continue down this path. I also found that I was more excited to dive into discussions regarding genetics and things relating to the heart, which may be quite helpful in narrowing down my specific interests in this diverse field.

Kate Wetzel, Midway Point

I am currently working for Surgery Group Los Angeles which is a private practice group of 7 surgeons. Their office is located at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I am in the office 9am -5pm shadowing the physicians as they have appointments with patients whether they be new patients, follow-ups, pre-ops, or post-ops. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have been spending 8 hours in Southern California Hospital at Culver City observing surgeries in the operating room. I have been shadowing four of the surgeons: Dr. Elizabeth Arena who is a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer surgery, Dr. Yosef Nasseri who is a colorectal surgeon, Dr. Moshe Barnajian who is also a colorectal surgeon, and Dr. Jason Cohen who is a general surgeon. 

 

My couple weeks were so invigorating. In the hospital, I was able to observe colonoscopies, hemmorhoidectomies, massectomies, breast reconstructions, fistulotomies, a flexible sigmoidoscopy, an excision and fulgorarono of an anal condyloma. I have never been in the OR before so this was fascinating to me to learn how surgeries are run and to actually see a body open on the table. I was also so glad that it did not scare me at all. Even being in the office was very exciting and I loved to see patients. 

Overall, I have learned so much about breast cancer, colorectal procedures and surgeries, and hernias. After seeing so many patients, I’ve really learned a lot about all of these different medical problems and conditions and how to treat them. Actual medical knowledge aside, I have also gained a lot of experience and advice from the doctors. Watching them, I get to learn how to interact with patients, how to deal with difficult ones or ones in pain, and how to interact with other medical staff. Additionally, I have sat down with all of them and we have had conversations about my goals and their path to where they are now. All of it is very inspiring but at the same time realistic because they do not sugar coat how hard the journey is. Working for a private practice, the physicians have also really explained to me the differences between private and academic settings and the pros and cons to both.

I am so grateful for this experience so far because it really renewed my passion for healthcare and becoming a physician. One thing that I learned about myself is that I am very dedicated to getting to where these doctors are and that I really enjoy the lifestyles that they live, which can be sleep deprived and hectic at times. Therefore, this experience has not changed my post Brandeis plans as I am still premed. In fact, I am even more determined to go to medical school.

All of the doctors I have spoken to have emphasized that it is important to work hard and that I have a long ways ahead of me. But they also all encouraged me to enjoy college and take a gap year after college. Before starting this program, I was on the fence about whether I should or not but at this point I have gained insight that it would be better for myself, my application, and my career path to take a year off. Specifically, one plastic surgeon, Dr. Dean who works close with Dr. Arena told me “you’re in it for the long run so there is no need to rush into anything. Take your time and live a balanced lifestyle while you can.” I will really take this lesson and advice to heart because I can tell it is coming from a genuine place from someone who has lived through it all before.

I still have a good amount of time left here and I am very excited to continue working here. My goal is to continue learning as well as forming connections with these doctors. Therefore, in the future this networking may be able to benefit me in terms of future jobs or letters of recommendation.

Chase, Midway-Final

It has been an amazing experience so far at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. So far, I have gotten to witness cool procedures in the operating room, colonoscopies, and office hours. Observing Dr. Isenberg has been such a cool opportunity as he makes difficult procedures look so seamless. My first day I observed Dr. Isenberg perform 10 colonoscopies back to back as he spotted hidden polyps in the colon with such ease. At first it was hard for me to follow, but as he explained certain landmarks, he looks for in the colon I started to be able to kind of keep track of where he was. For example, he explained to me that the transverse colon has more of a triangular shape compared to the ascending and descending colon. I also got to observe a couple of other doctors perform endoscopies, which was also very exciting as I got to see the inside of the esophagus and stomach all the way down to the pyloric sphincter. 

In the operating room I have gotten to witness routine quick procedures like hemorrhoidectomies and also a longer surgery called an abdominoperineal resection, more commonly called an APR. The APR is often a last resort for patients who have rectal cancer or Crohn’s disease. It involves the complete resection of the patient’s anus and rectum and ultimately results in a colostomy. It was especially cool watching the surgeons interact during the surgery and decide which planes to dissect on the patient. Also, watching different type of surgeons collaborate during a single surgeon has been really amazing. Within a single surgeon I got to witness Dr. Isenberg, a colorectal surgeon, a plastic surgeon, and a urologist all discuss the best course of treatment for a single patient. In my remaining few weeks I hope to be able to witness more surgeries and try to learn as much about the hospital environment as possible. 

I would to thank Dr. Isenberg, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and the Brandeis Pre-health department especially Erika Tai for arranging this opportunity. Overall it was an amazing and eye-opening experience. My favorite and the most interesting part of the experience was definitely the opportunity to experience clinic with Dr. Isenberg just because of the number of different patients and cases I got to witness. Even though some of the cases I saw were extremely sad, watching Dr. Isenberg listen to the symptoms of the patients and then examine the affected area followed by a seemingly instant diagnosis of the problem was truly astounding. I also had the opportunity to hear a lot of personal stories from the Medical students and residents about their experiences in medical school and residency that were very informative and helped me decide my future in pursuing medicine. Although clinic was the most interesting part of my experience, watching surgeries and being in the operating room was definitely the coolest part of the experience. It was amazing watching the scrub nurses, anesthesiologist, and surgeons work in unison to accomplish a common goal. 

Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Isenberg again and also wish good luck to the fourth-year medical students who I shadowed with as they apply to their residency programs. This site was truly amazing experience and I will be returning to Thomas Jefferson University hospital over winter break to shadow Dr. Isenberg again. 

Jigme, Midway Point

I am halfway through my shadowing program and so far I have enjoyed everything I have experienced. I am very comfortable around my supervisor and all the staff members because they treat me nicely and help me learn new things everyday. 

In the past few weeks I have seen many patients interacting with Dr. Sher. Every time Dr. Sher sees a patient he would explain to me the history and the anatomy of the disease. This way I learn different medical terms everyday. On some days I would also watch Dr. Sher perform colonoscopy with his team. He would point out the different parts of the colon to me and sometimes he would ask me questions to make sure that I am learning well. 

So far I have realized that the medical field is different from university life in that there are more hands on experience opportunity. For instance, as a pre-med student in university, most of the time we are taking science classes like Bio, Chem etc and other times we are in the lab conducting research and experiments. On the other hand, in the medical field we get to help perform more practical things like using the colonoscopy machine and other medical devices. Moreover, instead of just learning and reading about different diseases, in medical field, we actually get to see it with our own eyes. 

Lastly, I would say that my brain has absorbed a lot of knowledge in the past few weeks. Some skills I am building as a result of this shadowing program is interacting with different people, working as a team and learning new information everyday about medical terms. I believe I can make use of these skills in college and when going to medical school.

Caylee, Midway Point

This summer has flown by and I can’t believe I am already writing my mid-point post. I have had a truly incredible and eye-opening experience at Mass General and have immensely enjoyed the team of physicians I have been working with in the Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery program. Dr. Hudson has been our main liaison as we meet weekly to discuss and plan our schedule for clinic and the OR, and go over any questions that have come up during our shadowing or research. We have also been working closely with the other fellows and attendings of the department, and even sometimes the residents. 

During clinic every Tuesday we often shadow a resident or fellow as they do the initial patient meeting to obtain a history, after which they discuss the case with the attending, develop a plan and then perform an exam together. I have really enjoyed observing this teaching dynamic as it helps me to better understand everything and gives me an opportunity to ask questions during the discussions, but it also has given me a glimpse at my future in these various roles. One thing I have found very interesting by observing this process is how every doctor has their own way to get a patient’s history or perform an exam, but they all make it clear that they want to help the patient discover the best option for themselves. In many of my HSSP classes we have discussed informed consent and a patient’s right to information, but it has been really interesting to see these physicians put this into action as they lay out all the possible options for treatment, discussing the risks and benefits and ask the patient what they want rather than telling them what is best. This is a practice I hope to one day implement as a physician as a way to help each patient obtain their ideal outcome. 

Typically, one day a week we also observe in the operating room for a variety of procedures, vaginally, laparoscopically, and even with the Da Vinci robot. Every surgery is interesting and has its own hurdles and I have really enjoyed watching how the physicians discuss next steps and work together to make sure everything goes right. Additionally, many of the surgeries have been performed by fellows with attending instruction and supervision, which has allowed for great teaching moments for myself. One of my favorite things about the OR has been the combined cases I have been able to attend, one with GI and one with plastics. I have really found the entire idea of collaboration fascinating this summer throughout my experience and it has further driven my desire to pursue medicine. 

When not observing I have also been helping the department build their Obstetric and Anal Sphincter Injury database, by using patients’ medical records to input data about these particular episodes. I have really enjoyed this research because it has been interesting to find trends in the data, and see how this research could be used to potentially prevent or develop better and more standardized treatment for these lacerations. This research has also taught me the value of thorough charting as we often have to leave many fields of the entry blank simply because the information is not there. This lesson is something I plan to take with me into my future to ensure that my chart notes are top notch. 

Ultimately, so far this summer has been incredibly interesting and a very enjoyable experience. Going into this experience, I knew that medicine required collaboration but had no idea the extent to which it was necessary, but this element of collaboration is further driving my desire to pursue medicine. I really enjoy how the physicians bounce ideas off each other and how the attendings take to heart their role as a teacher. I have found that these aspects further enhance the medical field beyond just helping patients, and have peaked my interest in one day pursing academic medicine. I’m not sure exactly what my future holds but so far from my experience this summer I am fairly certain I’m on the right track and happy to be putting in the grueling effort to complete my medical school applications this summer.

Lydia, Midway

I have learned a lot from the past few weeks at Mass General. So far, my time there has been divided up between research and observing in the clinic and OR. The research consists of going through the medical records of several women who suffered third or fourth degree perineal tears during childbirth and adding their information to a database. This project has allowed me to become much more familiar with EPIC, as well as learn more about perineal tears through answering the questions in the database. Although I don’t understand many of the things that happen during surgery, observing in the OR has also been incredibly informative and interesting. It was most exciting to see a case that I had observed in clinic, as I knew more about the patient’s background and could better understand the reasoning behind the procedure.

This experience reinforced the importance of continuity of care, as I saw how things the patient said during the appointment affected various decisions made during surgery. Prior to shadowing in this department, I knew almost nothing about urogynecology, in part because it is a relatively niche field, but largely because people do not talk about women’s health issues, particularly when the affected population is middle-aged or older. It has been extremely inspiring to observe the doctors in this department using their vast knowledge to treat patients non-judgmentally. Because of the embarrassing nature of many of the problems that people come in with, the doctors have to make them feel safe and understood, a difficult task in a society with so many taboos surrounding women’s health. By providing good care, the urogynecologists are able to greatly improve their patients emotional, as well as physical well-being.

During the coming weeks, I would like to ask the doctors in the clinic why they chose to specialize in urogynecology. I am curious at what point in their medical education they decided to go this route and what influenced them to do so. In the coming weeks, I am excited to continue working on the database and learning more about patient care through observation.

Lev, Midway

So far, my experience in the summer shadowing program has already been incredible. It has been a great privilege to be able to work with Dr. Bordeianou, Nurse Practitioner Leiba Savitt, and the team of colorectal surgeons at MGH. As I mentioned in my pre-departure post, I have not yet worked in a hospital environment, so this internship serves a very important purpose as I begin to plan the future direction of my career. Thankfully, my experience has already been eye-opening and inspiring, and for that reason I can confidently say that my interest in medicine has increased enormously since starting the program.

Until now, when I am not shadowing in the operating room, I have been spending my time helping out with clinical research projects conducted by the department. Specifically, I have been working on studies to assess patients’ quality of life after surgery. For me, being able to contribute to these projects has been so interesting for a variety of reasons. First, I am really thrilled to be learning a great deal about the specific operations we are researching as well as the overall process of conducting clinical research. Additionally, it is incredible to contribute to work that has the potential to directly impact the lives of patients. Overall, this component of the internship has both been fascinating and meaningful.

In addition, I have been fortunate enough to shadow surgeons in the operating room and actually watch the procedures which we are helping to research. I have already observed multiple surgeries, and this has been truly eye-opening. These surgeons are incredibly skilled, and it is so inspiring to watch them work so hard to apply their seemingly endless knowledge and tremendous technique towards their passion for helping patients. It is the combination of my interest in medical science with the strong desire to directly help others that has led me to explore medicine, and watching doctors embody these qualities in their work has further peaked my excitement about such a career. Additionally, not only have I been lucky to observe the amazing work these physicians do, but I am also fortunate enough to interact with and learn directly from them. Of the surgeons which I have shadowed, nearly all of them have made an effort to teach me about what they are doing. I was originally surprised that these physicians are so willing to interact with and teach so much to an undergraduate such as myself, but I am so grateful for it. Their efforts have genuinely impacted my experience for the best. 

Overall, I would say that this combination of research and shadowing has really opened my eyes to the wonders of medicine, making me more and more excited about a prospect of such a career. For that reason, this internship is turning out to be such a valuable experience. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store!

Jared, Midway

Halfway through my session at Massachusetts General Hospital, I am excited to see the
research project shaping up nicely for the August deadline our group is working toward. At the beginning of the summer, I was not entirely sure of how my time would be utilized in order to meet the criteria of a peer-reviewed experimental study. I knew the basic timeline and scope of the study, but I did not know specific details and was a little nervous as a result. As mentioned before, not having much research experience in my undergraduate career made this start to the summer a highly-anticipated event. Now, a month into the experience, I feel much more comfortable in the role I have been assigned.

With the help of my research coordinator Dr. Kaitlyn Edelson, I have since been able to create a literature review on the relationship between ambient air pollution and adverse birth outcomes. From this, I have been working on creating a draft of the study’s introduction to provide a solid background on pollutants and how they are measured. In the past, courses like Intro Biology Lab helped me create my first ever introduction, but writing something that is soon to be published is quite surreal. Working at the hospital in Boston has also taught me less obvious lessons, like time awareness for commuting as well as working efficiently during the work day. Further, more recently I have been collaborating with another student to collect the relevant EPA data from a public database for future data analysis by statisticians at MGH.

As I enter the back nine of the summer research program, I expect to continue learning about data analysis while refining my written drafts for the literature before the August deadline. Dr. Edelson has been so understanding and accommodating throughout the process, answering questions about the biology and anatomy of everything associated with the study, as well as the logistical questions about the layout of MGH. Most of the other staff members in obstetrics and gynecology were quite welcoming when I entered the office. One individual was a little bit abrasive to me during my first week of the internship, but I understand that this is not indicative of the personnel at the hospital in general. Of course, this experience will introduce me to all different personalities. Moreover, not having a source of income right out of college has been something that has proven stressful for me, but I am thankful for this opportunity and know that it will lead to success in the future. At the end of the day, I am excited to see what the future truly holds.