Like a Hernia

"No disease of the human body, belonging to the province of the surgeon, requires in its treatment a better
combination of accurate anatomical knowledge with surgical skill than hernia in all its varieties." -Sir Astley Paston Cooper (1804)

My last full week of my Surgery rotation allowed me to observe as well as participate in several hernia repairs. Its possible that my observation of these repairs made me realize that as a medical student in the clinical arena, it is easy to get a little cocky (especially when you've been on a roll during rounds thanks to your preparation for what you could possibly be asked). When that sense of arrogance starts to swell up to the point where you no longer realize that you're simply a medical student at the bottom of the totem pole, your ego now protrudes through a defect in your thinking resulting in an urgent need of repair.

As your clinical exposure expands and you find yourself finally understanding the basics and finding a balance of your life, do your best to remain humble, stay in your lane and always keep at the forefront of your mind you are a student first-whose sole purpose is to ensure you are exposed to as many clinical scenarios that would stimulate an interest and eagerness to understand all aspects of a patient's presenting complaints in order to diagnose, treat and manage them. Before you know it you'll be an intern with responsibilities that you can't easily escape from.

Savor every part of the journey, because its so easy to get caught and to want to leap to the next step.

Planner and Craft Discount

Planning has been a way for me to stay creative and to meet other creative people in the planner community who share the love for stationary items and decorating as I do.

As a student, I've been able to keep my spending to a minimum and my purchases more on the smart side thanks to all of the affordable shops. One such affordable online shop for all of your crafting needs is Blitsy.com.

For signing up I received a referral code that those of you who are interested in finding reasonably priced items all in one place, can use and I'll also receive $10 off my next purchase if you so choose to use the referral link.

Once you create your own account and make your first purchase, you receive a referral link of your own allowing you to receive $10 off your next purchase as well as the opportunity to receive reward points as well.

Feel free to check out the site here. Thanks again for stopping by my blog and happy planning and crafting!

My Brief Encounter with Dandy-Walker Syndrome

On my call a week ago, I found myself doing my best to read up as quickly as possible on Dandy-Walker Syndrome/Malformation as we were preparing to insert a central venous catheter into a patient with this condition.

The purpose of a central venous catheter can be categorized based on the reason. There are therapeutic needs such as the administration of fluids or blood and its products, multiple blood draws and the administration of drugs such as antibiotics. One of the more common diagnostic reasons for a central venous catheter is to monitor the central venous pressure amongst others.

To be honest, I underestimated the conditions that exist within the population here in The Bahamas and what I would be exposed to upon my return home for my clinical years. I've seen the clinical presentations of Scleroderma, SLE and numerous patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and now my first encounter with Dandy-Walker. I NEVER would have imagined seeing any of these here because I ignorantly thought that I would only be exposed to self-induced ailments such as Hypertension and its complications, Diabetes and heart failure.

So briefly, Dandy-Walker Syndrome/Malformation affects the development of the cerebellum-the part of the brain that is responsible for coordination of movement and is also involved with cognition and behavior. The development of the 4th ventricle in the brain is also affected; this is the fluid-filled cavity between the brainstem and the cerebellum and the posterior fossa.

Persons with this condition tend to have problems with movement, coordination, intellect and mood as well as other neurological problems.

The cause of this condition is unknown and it is a rare occurrence. Feel free to read up about it either at the site listed in the picture or perform a Google search.

I've been amazed at the conditions I've been exposed to so far. Such exposure has lead to a greater curiosity of what exists in the population of The Bahamas and what I will see as my future in medicine evolves granted the newfound diversity.




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