Pediatric Neurosurgery

As I look back upon this year, I cannot help but be incredibly grateful for all that unique and amazing opportunities I have had under the mentorship of Dr. Bradley Weprin. My favorite memory with him is actually my first interview with him. I remember walking in and we began talking about various neurological disorders. We were talking about hydrocephalus and I knew a little about the topic and the main treatment is something called a shunt. But what stood out to me about this interview was the fact that Dr. Weprin stopped during his interview to go and get an actual shunt. He put it into my hands and this was a really neat experience for me. Although to others it may seem like something insignificant, the fact that he made a point to teach me something new in a tangible way and help me understand in a different perspective really impacted me. Out of all my other experiences with him, I particularly treasure the conversations that I have had with him in his office -- that's not to say that seeing craniofacial surgeries or tumor resections or going on rounds or shadowing in clinic was not exciting or fascination. But the conversations that I had with my mentor took our relationship to the next level. Whether we were talking about why certain neurological disorders occurred more frequently in some geographical areas than others or the latest fetal surgery techniques or my college plans, every conversation that I had with him taught me something new. He invested so much of his time and energy into teaching me not only about the field of pediatric neurosurgery but valuable life lessons. I am truly appreciative of the his desire and willingness to teach and mentor me. I honestly could not have asked for a better mentor.

Final Presentation Night is in 3 days. From the very first day of school in August, all ISM students have been working towards this day and the fact that it is so close, is unreal. Stress levels are high as I race to finish and perfect everything: from my board to my portfolio to my product to my speech. There is so much to get done in an extremely small amount of time. I decided to amend my Final Product a little bit and change it from just a Children's Book, to more of an awareness campaign. In addition to the book, I am in the process of creating a website, a poster, and a brochure. My hope is that I will be able to finish all of this in a professional manner before Friday.
One other thing I have come to realize is that this Friday will potentially be the last of my mentor visits for this school year. I have learned so much, but I also feel like I have just hit the tip of the iceberg. Currently, I am not sure as to what topic I will study for the upcoming school year, but continuing down this path does seem like a good option. Just yesterday, I was able to see some intense and incredible procedures and this Thursday, I will be shadowing on patient visits. If there was ever a time in which I wish life had a pause button, now would be that time.