Week 3: The Golden Rule and Robots

Summary - I continued my experiences in the clinic and finally had the chance to observe surgery in the OR.

This week, I had the opportunity to shadow another doctor in the clinic. Specifically, I shadowed Dr. Faltas along with Dr. Tagawa and Dr. Nanus. I became familiar with some of the side effects of the chemotherapeutic drugs used. I learned that Docetaxel often results in nail problems, with patients developing discolored and sore nails. I also learned that its use results in extreme fatigue which requires it to be supplemented with prednisone to offset the fatigue side effects. I also learned about the golden rule of cancer for oncologists which is that you always assume it's cancer unless proven otherwise. Finally, I spent the rest of this week in the OR where I observed a massive 14cm tumor get resected and as well as a robotic surgery involving bladder and prostate resection. I loved being in the OR with over 10 other people observing the surgery even though I couldn't tell what was going on. I was genuinely surprised by how well people can tell what veins or parts of the body they are digging through when everything looks the same in the gut. I was even more impressed by how well the doctors and the fellow residents were able to control four robotic hands to cut through and resect body parts without cutting open the patients abdomen to do so.

Overall, I had a wonderful time this week observing surgeries as well as patients in the clinic. Hopefully starting next week, I can work on my research project for immersion.

Random side note - I've noticed that the doctors in the clinic all type with one finger. It was very amusing to me and now I can't stop paying attention to how they type.