A few summers ago I moved far away from my home to live with my grandparents, and complete an internship at McLaren Northern Michigan hospital. Living with grandparents and working all summer may not sound very fun, but I can say with certainty that it was a total learning experience.
I worked two jobs and three days a week I would go to the hospital and complete four hour shifts in the emergency department. I would restock rooms, organize supply carts, and transport patients to different departments within the hospital. To start out my shift, I would go room to room restocking materials and cleaning any rooms that patients were discharged from. If a room needed hospital gowns, towels, gauze, cotton swabs, alcohol wipes, or any other items, I would be the one to replenish them. I learned about many different medical materials that I never knew existed. Walking into a medical supply room is quite shocking, it is amazing to see the many different items hospitals must supply in order to treat patients.
After completing rounds in restocking rooms, I had to stay near the nurse’s station and wait for any orders to transport patients. A place I frequently took patients to was the CT scan room. The medical staff in the radiology unit were quite busy, typically they would have many patients in a row to run scans for. I was able to see the scans take place and shadow the doctors who assessed these scans. It is quite interesting seeing the inside of a person’s body shown on a computer screen, while you can see the outside of their body through a window.
Because I spent quite a bit of time in the emergency department, I was able to shadow doctors during certain procedures. One procedure I will never forget witnessing is a cardio version. A cardioversion takes place when someone’s heart rate is very fast, the procedure uses an electric current to convert the heart rate back to a normal rhythm. I was standing in the corner of the room while the cardiologists on duty assisted multiple nurses in administering a cardioversion to the patient, saving the patients life. During this procedure I had a sort of epiphany, the realization hit me that I wanted to be in that doctors shoes one day, saving a life and leading nurses in administering a life saving treatment.
Like I said, that summer was a total learning experience. I was able to acquire more knowledge about the medical field and also gain the knowledge of knowing what I desired to be when I grow up. I am so glad I had the chance to get a hands-on experience in the medical field, and I recommend to anyone interested in pursing a career in the medical field to do the same. Shadowing, volunteering, and talking to medical professionals are all great ways to get exposure into the medical field.
Picture 1: "Northern Anesthesia Providers PC." Northern
Anesthesia Providers PC. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Picture 2: "Cheboygan Life." Cheboygan Michigan McLaren
Northern Michigan Cheboygan Campus Comments. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
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