Pediatric Neurosurgery

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." From rides to the doctor's office to work to school, the car that I drive has provided a way for me to reach the places that I need to get to. Last week, the car that I primarily drive hit 100,000 miles. 100,000 miles. That's going around the world over 4 times. When we first bought the car, it had almost no miles on it but within just a few years, it had taken us so far. In many ways, my ISM journey has been very much like that. When I began, I knew almost nothing about pediatric neurosurgery other than the fact that it appeared to deal with kids and with the brain. But through research and my last year of mentorship, I have learned so much. Ask me about hydrocephalus or AVMs or brain tumors, and I'll be able to tell you so much. But, my journey is not over yet. I still have much to learn. With Research Showcase about 3 weeks ago, I am going to spend a lot of time focusing on areas of this speciality that I am not as familiar with such as epilepsy and craniosynostosis. In addition, I will be making a few alterations to my display board. I am going to keep the same basic design but intend on changing the middle portion of my board to better represent what I have learned these past few months. These next 3 weeks will definitely be a test of my endurance as it is a very stressful time in regards to school and extracurricular responsibilities. In journeys, there are often bends and curves in the road, but so long as you keep driving, you'll eventually reach your destination. I know that as long as keep pushing through and giving my all, I will eventually be where I want to be.

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to help put together stockings filled with all sorts of goodies to be distributed to patients at Children's Medical Center on Christmas Day. Now, some people may question why on earth I gave up a few hours of my weekend to volunteer when I had so many other things to do. I suppose it is all about perspective. We were discussing a very similar topic in ISM today -- making an impact on the lives of those around you. Often times, we get so busy and caught up in our own lives that we fail to remember those that are around us. My ISM journey has been a study on pediatric neurosurgery, but I have learned so many more life lessons along the way and I truly believe that this has been one that has truly influenced my perspective. It is extremely easy for me to go about my day, focused only on the long lists of tasks that I must accomplish. Mayor's Youth Council. Empower. Junior Leadership Board. College Apps. Tests. Projects. Mentor Visits. Church. Family. Needless to say, trying to juggle all my responsibilities is quite an act. However, more important than any of that, is prioritizing being of service to others. As Mr. Wysong pointed out today, when people pass away, those gathered at their funeral don't remember the projects or test grades that person may have done or attained - rather they remember how that particular person made them feel. Our challenge for this week is to make every effort to make an impact on those around us - whether it be through something as small as a smile or opening the door. I want to be someone that people remember as an individual who always went above and beyond to help meet the needs of those around her.

Sweaty palms. Clammy hands. Dry throat. Just a few of the numerous things I was feeling right before I was about to give this speech. Personally speaking, I was not entirely happy with how this speech turned out. There are definitely a few things that I can improve upon in regards to my body language and also my articulation. One thing that I did notice though was that I did not rely too much on the presentation to guide me. I was familiar enough with the content that I did not have to turn often to the presentation as a reminder of what I was saying. However, as with anything we do in ISM, I am always looking to get better. I am open to any constructive criticism you might have to offer.

My last few research assessments focused heavily on brain tumors and the reason for that is because my Original Work is more than likely going to focus on the growth and spread of brain tumors. Though I did some basic research on this topic last year, I felt I needed to refresh my memory and perhaps even dig a little bit deeper in regards to what causes/prevents tumor growth. I am currently in the process of drafting my proposal for this project.  Later on this week, I will be giving my Research Speech in ISM. It will be about 10 minutes long and cover a lot of what I have learned thus far, specifically in relation to my interviews and research. I do not want my speech to be a boring presentation but rather intriguing. I realize that using huge medical terms or going in-depth into my research will more than likely lose a huge percentage of my audience so I must figure out a way in which I can convey what I have learned in a simplistic but informative manner.  As I begin my mentorship again this year, a question I have been asking
myself is: how is this year going to be better? I had an incredible experience last year and learned so much, but I do not want merely a repeat of last year -- I want to learn even more, push myself even further, and, overall, have an even more incredible journey.

Brain tumors are a significant portion of cases that pediatric neurosurgeons treat and as such it is crucial to have a thorough understanding as to what exactly tumors are, the various types of tumors, and how they are classified. To read my analysis of brain tumors, click here.

Over the past 50 years, the field of pediatric cardiology has evolved quite dramatically, particularly in regards to procedures such as cardiac cauterization. To read my analysis on these procedures, click here.