Pediatric Neurosurgery

With AP Exams, FPN, and graduation just around the corner, it seems like I can finally see the finish line. But getting from where I stand right now to that end point is certainly no easy task. I have had some difficulties in my Final Product and am currently a little stressed about how it will all turn out. As this is my second year in ISM, I want to create something that surpasses what I did last year - but to be quite frank, it seems a little impossible. It is challenging to come up with something new in a field that you've already completed several projects in. However, I am determined to think outside of the box and come up with a product that truly does encompass everything I have learned thus far.

Coming into March, I knew it would be extremely busy. The first weekend I had a college interview. The second weekend, I was helping run an event for international students at UTD. The third weekend, I was in Oklahoma being a small group leader for a church camp. The fourth weekend, I was attending a missions seminar and we had family coming in from out of town. Add school and volunteering and various other responsibilities to the mix, and it seemed like I was bound to fall apart at any moment. Idleness has never been a word in my dictionary and I have always lived a relatively fast paced lifestyle. However, this past month, I wondered if perhaps I was being stretched too thin. It seemed like the list of tasks I needed to accomplish would never end - for every one thing I managed to finish, another two were added. This past week especially has been a struggle for me. Not only physically exhausted, but also mentally. My steam has begun to run out and it is difficult for me to remember that there is any purpose to any of this.
I think my lack of motivation was evident. Last week, Mr. Wysong pulled me aside and for lack of better word, gave me a "pep talk." He reminded me that there were people watching me and looking up to me. If I gave up now, not only would I disappoint those around me, but I would be failing myself. He challenged me to find the strength within me to give everything I had and finish strong. With less than 70 days left till graduation, it blows my mind that the end is actually within sight. However, between today and June 4th lie AP exams, and Final Presentation Night, and Final Product.  Though these last few months will be incredibly testing, I know that if I do not give it my all, I will later regret it.

Pardon by tardiness in uploading this video, but about a month ago, I had to give a presentation about my Original Work. For those of you who may have kept up with my blog and my journey, you may remember that for my OW, I decided to stray away from Pediatric Neurosurgery and focus on something that truly resonated with me: Global Medical Missions. Up until this project, I had known there was a huge medical need all across the globe, but I was not aware of exactly how immense this need was. Through this project, I began to see more clearly that the need for basic medical procedures had for too long been ignored. If you have some time to spare, I would greatly appreciate it if you would watch my speech and give critiques/feedback. It can be about anything from content to delivery to logistics. I am currently preparing for my Final Presentation which will be in May and so, any and all comments are welcome! If you would like to see my actual report, click here.

In the midst of Chiara malformation resection, one might imagine pin-drop silence and complete and absolute concentration. But instead, I find myself surrounded by light-hearted, but meaningful conversations. Dr. Price, who is the only female pediatric neurosurgeon in Dallas, is someone I would arguably consider "Super Woman." In addition to being a pediatric neurosurgeon, she's a single mom and has adopted a daughter from China. It amazes me how, in the middle of her incredibly hectic life, she found to not only have a family, but raise them. Every time I stand in her operating room, I always hear stories about her children and the latest going on in her life - whether it be about her favorite cabinet in her kitchen, or how her daughter is learning how to cook or the flowers she is planning on planting in her garden. But beyond that, I truly appreciate how Dr. Price always takes time to truly teach me and explain to me what exactly is going on. In this last visit, I had the privilege of being able to see a Chiara malformation. I have said this over and over but the difference between researching about a particular disease and seeing it in person is truly mind-blowing. To read more about my experience, click here.

After a lengthy break, I was able to go and visit Dr. Weprin around 2 weeks ago. The morning started off with rounds and one of the most interesting things about this visit was the variety of personalities that were present. Each individual had a distinct manner of carrying themselves but they were all incredibly brilliant. Going to the clinic is always exciting because I learn something new with each experience - although it may not always be about pediatric neurosurgery. I was also able to meet with Ms. Stefanie Beavers who will be helping me a lot and giving me guidance on my Final Product. I was also able to sit in on a lunch conference in which some of the latest research was being discussed. It was particularly interesting to me how all the doctors bounced ideas off of each other and offered their own opinions to ultimately come to one conclusion or action plan. To read more about my visit, click here.

15 hours. To some, that is just a number. But for me, that is the total amount of sleep I got last week between Monday and Friday. Even if you are not brilliant at math, that averages out to three hours of sleep a night. In perspective, I got more sleep during my junior year of high school, which is supposedly the hardest year. Everyone said senior year would be very relaxed and stress-free. Needless to say, this past week proved otherwise.
However, to be completely fair, I think majority of my friends in ISM also faced an unprecedented amount of sleep last week. Original Work, which some might consider a mini Final Product, was due on Friday. Though this project had been assigned months in advance, many of us mistakenly made the choice of waiting until the last week to even begin working on it. Originally, I had planned on doing a statistical analysis of the growth of tumors. But because of some unforeseen difficulties, I decided to shift my topic to a more missional topic: global surgery.
I have mentioned this in previous posts, but in regards to my career, I am more interested in pursuing something along the lines of medical missions. However, what exactly is the need? Is it providing treatment for diseases such as HIV and Malaria? Or, is it developing proper healthcare systems? Is it surgery? These are just a few of the questions I researched more thoroughly in my Original Work.
Though it took an incredible amount of effort and numerous sleepless nights in a row, I am proud of the work that I completed.
To see my final report, click here.

Over the past two years or so, I have come to learn quite a bit about the field of pediatric neurosurgery. From intensively researching hydrocephalus to seeing tumor resections, I think it is safe to say that I have been exposed to a considerable amount within this field. However, I have always felt that something was missing. On a personal level, I have always had more of a missionary mind-set. A few weeks, I reached out to medical missionaries all across the United States and was able to interview two of them. To my memory, I cannot remember an interview that left me feeling more happier than that one. Throughout the entire conversation, I could not help but identify and sympathize with everything that was being said. The passion for helping others was so evident in their responses and it excited me. As a person of faith, I have always been curious to see if it was possible to tie together my passion for my faith with my passion for medicine and helping people. It was not until recently that I even considered medical missionary as a potential career but as I have explored it more, it seems as if there would be no other job that suits me so perfectly. This being said, for my Original Work, I have decided to take a different approach that what I had initially planned. Through my interview, I became more aware of the fact that there is an immense need for safe and affordable surgical procedures in developing countries. With this as my basis, I want to explore more comprehensively what is lacking within low and middle income countries in regards to health care systems. This will help me better understand what kind of services I would be providing if I do indeed decide to venture down the path of medical missions.

This past week, I had the opportunity to go visit Fowler Middle School along with a group of other ISM students and talk to them about the ISM Program. It is interesting feeling because it seems like just a short while back when I was in their position listening to the previous ISM students give that same presentation. It was through that presentation that I was first exposed to and blown away by the ISM Program and here I was, 5 years later, giving that presentation to current middle schoolers. I vividly remember Morgan Fritz coming to my GT English Class and presenting her final product, which was a game designed for children with special needs.I remember wondering in awe how a high schooler had managed to do something so neat. Though I was a little nervous going in, the presentation overall went smoothly. I was worried that my topic, pediatric neurosurgery, might intimidate and turn some students off automatically but as I began talking, I found myself being driven completely by my inner passion. Even if the students had absolutely no idea what pediatric neurosurgery was, the fact that I was able to pursue my passion in situation in which the sky literally was the limit captivated them. And even till this day, that is what drives me every single day in ISM. Having the freedom to learn what I want to learn and explore what I want to explore - that is truly what ISM is all about. And I have no doubt that it will be this same factor that continues to inspire kids to pursue great and mighty things in the years to come.

1 semester. 18 weeks. 126 days. 3,024 hours. 181,440 minutes. Though it may seem like a lot, there is no doubt in my mind that it will pass by within a blink of an eye. It blows me away to think that I am halfway through my senior year of high school. With only one more semester left, I am caught between the struggle of simply cruising by and slacking off or giving my all and ending on a strong note. Though it may take some occasionally reminders, I feel that if I do not keep pushing through till the end, I will not have that sense of satisfaction and content that I long for. In regards to ISM particularly, I want to have a final product that truly captures everything that I have learned in my two year journey through pediatric neurosurgery. But, I also want it to be something that will leave a legacy within the ISM program. After quite a bit of contemplation, I realized that my passion lies for medical missions and I wish to incorporate this into my final product in some way. I have begun my reaching out to various medical mission organizations all across the US, asking for research interviews. In some ways, it feels as if I am starting the process all over again but in another way, it feels as if I am pursuing what I am truly passionate about and so in that sense, I am really excited. I have just a short time left before the school ends but I am determined to give my all in everything and make the best of what is yet to come.

Arteries and veins are the two most common types of blood vessels in our body and have extremely important duties. However, sometimes, they are intertwined with each other, creating a risk for huge and potentially fatal problems. To read my analysis on AVMs, click here.

As science is rapidly progressing, new treatments are being developed in regards to treating brain tumors. However, in order to treat the safety and effectiveness of such treatments, patients may participate in clinical trials. To read my analysis of clinical trials, click here.