Pediatric Neurosurgery

Things have been quite eventful these last few weeks to say the least. About a week ago, I was involved in a serious car accident and by the grace of God, other than a small hairline fracture, I am doing okay. But, in regards to my journey in ISM, one thing I really wanted to share was my experience being on the other side. All throughout my mentorship, I have been able to see surgeries and watch patients in clinic, but I have always been viewing it from the perspective of the doctor or of an observer. However, after my accident, I went to the emergency room and I found myself not on the doctor's side, but rather on the patients. It was a completely different experience. I walked in and the nurses who gave me a general check up were extremely (and perhaps even overly) calm and collected. One might presume that the first thing one would ask is if the patient was okay, but instead, the first thing that the nurse did was introduce himself. In that moment, I thought it a little odd but I realized later that it provided a sense of comfort and trust between the nurse and that patient. Every word that came out of the nurses' mouth was gentle and soft. I knew the accident had been bad but when I told the nurses there was not even a single change in expression or sign of worry or panic evident upon their faces - not to say that they didn't care, but moreover to emphasize that they were very conscious of how they composed themselves. The same traits were evident in the doctor that came to visit me. It was quite an experience but I think the main takeaway I have is that I feel more confident having been on the patient's side of things that a career in the medical field lies in my future. Why? Because many of the traits I saw within the nurses and doctors working the ER department, I found within myself. I do not tend to panic even when complications arise and I have a strong sense of empathy, always wanting to make the patient as comfortable as possible.