Which Attendings did you spend most time with?
Drs. Babatunde, Dubey, Simela, Baghian, Lee, Wong, Ayoub, and the chair, Dr. K.
Describe the positive things you took out of experiences with specific Attendings?
There are so many positive things I would like to say about each of the Attendings. Dr. Babatunde - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer. There are so many valuable things I learned from you about a career in medicine. I really enjoyed watching you engage with people and I witnessed model encounters between provider and patient. Thank you for your tips on an appropriate writing style in a MR, those short anatomy lessons in between patients with Jake, the opportunity to observe a couple of your arthroscopies, and for so many other wonderful experiences. Thank you for helping me improve my patient assessment skills. Dr. Dubey - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer. I really appreciated the fact that you took the time after each patient to create a learning opportunity. I learned so much about X-Ray reading, bracing/casting, surgical candidacy/risks, treatment plans, and medical ethics. I loved engaging with patients in Spanish with you as well. The carpal tunnel extraction was really awesome as well! Dr. Simela - Thank you for being so welcoming and kind to me this summer. I absorbed so much information each time we engaged with a patient. You taught me so much about MRI reading, XRays, basic spinal anatomy, chronic pain management, mobility, surgical candidacy/risks, ethics, nomenclature, diagnoses, and so much more. Thank you for allowing me to observe a lumbar spinal fusion, it was truly an incredible experience for me. I appreciate the time you took to go over new concepts with me, because I know how busy you are with so many patients. Thank you for your tips for a future in medicine. I also loved getting to know you and hearing about your mini schnauzer and family. I observed your interactions with so many different types of patients. With your unique pedagogy, I got to see the ins and outs of spinal therapy and surgery. I learned about the professionalism of the medical career. I took away a lot from my experiences with you at Bronx-Lebanon. Drs. Lee and Wong - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you both this summer. I learned so much about the world of podiatry, and how incredibly diverse it is! I am so grateful to have spent so many clinical and OR time with you both. I was exposed to so much OR culture: how to move in the OR, how to put on sterile dressing, scrubbing in/out, using a knife, holding a bone saw, I&D, and so much more. You both have awesome personalities and I remember having a really educational and fun time in clinic, OR, or during rounds. Thank you so much. Dr. Baghian - Even though we weren't lucky enough to have you for the whole summer due to your surgery, we are so grateful for the short time we spent with you. I hope you are feeling better! I gained so much as a student with you. I learned so much about the upper extremity science, surgery, and assessment. You also taught me so much about X-Rays, treatment plans, nerve tests, surgical candidacy, upper extremity anatomy, patient assessment, and so much more. I appreciate that you took time to answer any questions, as I know you are very busy. Your suturing lab and mini lecture in the department office (thank you for sharing the beautiful pictures of Sasha, by the way!) was an irreplaceable experience and one of my summer highlights...I still practice every now and then! You had a profound impact on me and what I conceive to be my future in medicine and possibly orthopaedics. I loved watching you interact with patients, and see you use your expertise to help others. I hope to attain more experiences in the upper extremity field. Thank you for sharing so much with me. It was great to speak in Spanish with patients with you as well. Dr. Ayoub - Thank you for allowing me to shadow you this summer, and to be a part of the Bronx Leb podiatry clinic. I truly enjoyed spending hours in clinic with with you, and watching you so tenderly care for your patients. You were so patient with me and answered so many questions. I learned so much by just speaking with you, but also by just observing you in clinic and in the OR. That being said, I'm so grateful to have participated in some of your surgical cases - thank you for teaching me while 'in the zone', letting me hold a cauterizer, capturing a close look at tissue and nerves, and informing me about the ebb and flow of the OR. These are so many invaluable pieces of information I will hold with me always. Thank you for sharing those beautiful photos and videos of your daughter. Dr. K - Thank you so much for an incredible opportunity this summer to personally work with you, the Attendings, the staff/administration, and all the patients and families in the Bronx-Lebanon community. I really had a terrific time here and I learned A LOT. Everyday was a valuable and unique experience. I did something different everyday, I wanted to surround myself in the different fields of orthopaedics. Thank you for allowing me to shadow you. You took the time to answer my questions, thank you so much. You had so much advice and wisdom to share. The time I spent with you in the OR was incredibly informative, fun, and astounding. You left an indelible mark on my premedical career. I am also humbled by your generosity by providing housing for me and the other girls. Thank you for giving me the most didactic, hands-on, immersive, and intellectual premedical internship. I left Bronx-Lebanon with a greater understanding of the realities of medicine, and a future in orthopaedic surgery.
What were some of the best things you got out of this fellowship?
This fellowship was unique because of its open format. The fellows had flexibility in their schedules to interact with different doctors on different days, spend time the ORs, and participate in clinic. The individuality of the fellowship is great. I was able to hone in on my interests and learn more about these areas. The hours in clinic really was one of the most special parts of the fellowship. The amount of time I spent with patients - asking them questions, listening to their problems, looking at their XRays and MRIs with the doctors - was remarkable. I really got to see what a day in the life is of an orthopaedic surgeon. Moreover, I got to work with an extremely intelligent, competent, multicultural, and tactful group of Attendings. I learned so much everyday, and in every hour. My OR experience was incredible...I cannot believe I was able to scrub in on a few occasions and intimately observe surgery in action. I loved working with the other fellows and supporting each other as we embark on the medical school admission process over the next year. The medical assistants, registration, and administration at the orthopaedic clinic are outstanding (Shout out to Emmanuel, Rosemary, Anna, Namig, Chrissy, Maria, Mike), and it was an utmost pleasure working and seeing them everyday. Thank you for being so patient with us that first week when we were still trying to figure everything out.I loved learning about physical tests on patients, and learning to ascertain the right information to help someone. I loved seeing cortisone injections and other methods of pain management.
Did the fellowship change the way you looked a a. It is perhaps some tone in between, but its more than just a consideration of a person's present health situation. Its about a myriad of things. Medical interventions, like surgery, are complex processes that use amazing technology and I am so excited and interested in the future of medical technology. There is a whole system to health care that is large and sometimes overwhelming. There are the loops and hurdles with insurance, MCOs, providers, and regional availabilities. I became closer to health care after this internship and learned so much about its many different layers and facets.
How would you improve the fellowship?
The Fellowship has an excellent 'open' structure, which I believe really benefits the Fellows to follow their own interests. However, I would love if there were a few more lectures from the Attendings and if possible, one or more suturing labs (those were so cool!). I know the fellows and me would have loved to soak up some more information and knowledge from the Attendings through the traditional lecture-style format. They have so much to share.
What are your plans for your future in medicine?
After graduation, I would really love to work for an ambulance company/EMT for some time. I would like to pursue some more research opportunities. In addition to making me a more competitive applicant for medical school, I really want to immerse myself in those medical and biomedical sciences to learn and individualize my interests. I want to go into medical school and residency/fellowship with a strong foundation in what my real interests are in medicine and in biomedical science. I want to see medicine in a variety of settings and platforms. I am really interested in orthopaedics and internal medicine.