Immersion Week 1 - 6.10.16

The first week working at New York Presbyterian with neurosurgeon Dr. Roger Hartl has been an amazing learning experience and opportunity to grow as a biomedical engineer.  I have been exposed to many aspects of healthcare that I have never thought about, which have given me greater motivation and inspiration to innovate in the field as a PhD student.

After finishing administrative paperwork and getting an ID, I was able to meet Dr. Hartl’s team comprised of residents, fellows and summer staff.  They were quick to get me involved with ongoing projects and give me tips to navigate my immersion term, as well as offer themselves up for answering any questions I have.  Tuesday was the first day shadowing Dr. Hartl in his clinic, where I observed follow-up, first time, and pre-surgery visits from patients with a variety of spine related pathologies.  I was shown how to read MR images for clinical diagnoses, which I was already somewhat familiar with due to the Bonassar lab’s ongoing collaboration with the Hartl group.  Back in Ithaca I wrote a code to analyze the size of intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus from MR images, so observing the use of the MR modality in different light help connect my research to seeing patients in the clinic.

The past few days I have been observing both Dr. Hartl and another surgeon (Greg Fu) perform various surgeries in the operating room.  I initially thought the surgeries would be difficult to observe due to the minimal access nature of spinal operations, however I was relieved to discover many of the surgeries are performed with a microscope that is broadcast to a television screen.  Dr. Hartl made efforts to discuss and explain each of his surgical steps to me as he made them, and where novel interventions being developed in conjunction with the Bonassar lab could be implemented.  Just being the operating room is a thrilling experience, but it is made more enjoyable by all of the great nurses, technicians and residents that are helpful and willing to answer any questions I have. 

I am much more tired than I have ever been back in Ithaca due to standing on my feet for a majority of the day, however I am still finding time after surgery or clinic to work on research projects in the Hartl group.  I have not been assigned a full project as of yet, however I am assisting the fellows with clinical research projects.