As an aspiring OB/GYN or Neurosurgeon, I was placed at both Baptist Lyerly Neurosurgery and Full Circle Women’s Care.
During my summer internship, I spent the first two weeks at Baptist Lyerly Neurosurgery, immersed in professionals who were passionate about the brain and spine. I was allowed to spend time interacting with Medical Assistants, research students, and surgeons, who helped me understand the journey into becoming a neurosurgeon. I was able to participate in patient check-ups and learned how to suture as well. This hands-on experience allowed me to see how some areas of medicine can be very interactive, and the extensive education neurosurgery requires. I was also able to go into the OR multiple times to watch not one but two neurosurgeons, perform angiograms to detect blockages in the human body. From this experience, I learned how to look at X-rays and understand the difference between strokes and aneurysms. For the next two weeks of my internship, I was able to shadow Dr. Adams, an OB/GYN physician and owner of the Full Circle Women’s Care practice. I was able to watch her perform circumcisions, colposcopies, and sweeps to induce labor. Watching Dr. Adams perform complex surgical procedures allowed me to understand the female reproductive system and various conditions that arise with pregnancy and aging. Shadowing her enabled me to see how passion plays a huge role in work and how to balance life. I also learned about ultrasounds, which usually occur during 20 weeks of pregnancy, and how to identify various baby parts.
The AnnieRuth Foundation provided an opportunity to obtain unique perspectives in challenging fields of medicine. Although the field of medicine requires extensive fellowships and education, learning about the process while having hands-on experience has made my passion for medicine more prominent. These experiences have left me with important lessons that I will carry into the future and a diverse skill set to understand the rapidly advancing world around us.