So, what exactly were you doing this summer? Give us an overview of the work you did, and who you were working for.
This past summer I interned with an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Joshua Landau at Murphy-Wainer Orthopedic Specialists in Greensboro, NC for about 150 hours. I had the opportunity to shadow everything he did: running operations, making rounds in the hospital, interacting with patients in the clinic, and even coming in late at night for on-call emergency trauma.
What was your favorite part of the experience?
One of the most exciting parts of the experience was seeing how a past case or ailment can be applied to a patient who has just walked in. After a few weeks of shadowing Dr. Landau, I became more familiar with diagnoses, and, eventually, I was able to recognize some orthopedic problems by looking at x-rays and MRIs. Sometimes Dr. Landau would turn to me and discuss what he had found on the x-ray. When I correctly deduced what I thought was going on, it was the best feeling in the world!
What is one takeaway from the summer that you will never forget?
I will never forget the first operation I witnessed. It was a total hip replacement, and I thought it was absolutely the coolest thing I had ever seen. I couldn’t stop talking about it to all of my friends. I couldn’t understand why they were grossed out! That was when I knew surgery was the field for me.
How do you plan on using what you've learned in the future?
Shadowing Dr. Landau, I learned a lot about interacting with all kinds of people and I greatly admire his ability to support the needs of every patient that walks through his door. This summer definitely strengthened my anatomy and biology skills, but I also learned that being a physician means being a support system for your patients, whether emotionally or otherwise.
Do you plan on continuing to study what you've learned in the future?
Definitely! I look forward to continuing to study medicine and biomedical sciences. This experience has given me motivation and excitement for the future of my medical career. I cannot wait to scrub in on my first case, but for now, I really appreciated learning from Dr. Landau and all of the other great doctors around me.