Chapter 3: Week 4

It has been a busy week, as my mentor’s schedule has picked up in both the OR and research world. This week I attended several surgeries, the most interesting of which was an operation to remove a tumor from a pediatric patient’s brain. In the OR a large microscope was used to broadcast the interior of the brain onto a digital screen, which made it easier for both myself and other observing students to visualize and understand the procedure. During clinical hours this week, I learned how a shunt can be used to treat children with hydrocephalus caused by cysts, and some of the surgical mechanisms by which Chiari malformations can be corrected. In research this week, I obtained more data from the medical students I am currently working with. I spent a large portion of the week writing an algorithm that will quantify drug distribution parameters from PET images.

I was able to attend a conference this week for the Cancer Moonshot initiative. Speakers included surgeons and clinicians specialized in neurological surgery and leukemia from Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. One of the main topics of the meeting was to discuss potential reasons, from a clinician’s perspective, as to why patients do not participate in clinical trials. One of the speakers expressed a great point: that the paperwork and jargon associated with clinical trials, compared to the limited documentation associated with traditional yet inadequate radiation and/or chemotherapies, can scare patients away. Specifically, the speaker noted that up to 50 pages of complex documentation can be given to a patient to read before clinical treatment. The speaker implied that if we explain clinical treatments and the associated risks and benefits better to patients, they may be more inclined to partake. I was personally very glad to hear so many clinicians suggest that multidisciplinary collaborations between healthcare workers, clinicians, researchers, and engineers are 100% necessary for the development of adequate cancer therapies. Vice President Joe Biden attended the meeting on a conference call and further reinforced the idea that cancer treatment will not be possible without multidisciplinary collaborations across multiple funding agencies.

Per usual, I had some great food this week in New York City. I would recommend the Buttermilk Buffalo chicken sandwich from Bareburger. Last weekend we also explored the Met.