Things you can do in a hospital?

[HCW212]

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I volunteer at my local hospital, and the coordinator is REALLY cool about everything. So I asked if I could observe in the OR, and she said sure, just give her a date (and let her know atleast 24 hours in advance), and she'll make it happen. She also said if there's anything else I wish to do, to just let her know and she'll probably grant me the opportunity.

So, what other types of things could you do in a hospital that might be interesting? All I could think of is observe in the OR. Please note, though, that this isn't a teaching hospital, and shadowing might not be easy to grasp (I already can/will have shadowing experiences anyway). If you got any suggestions, please let me know!

 

[greets fr. nyc]

clicked submit button one too many a time!

 

[greets fr. nyc]

a couple of things to check out:

1) go into a cardiac surgery case on the ANESTHESIA side... you'll see a thing or two that you probably haven't seen: right heart catheterization / transesophageal echo / arterial line placement / blood transfusion / heparin reversal / multiple drips running / restarting the heart after hypothermic arrest / and a pretty great view of the surgery (valve replacement / CABG / AAA repair) etc etc

2) go check out the ER and talk to patients: you may not understand what's going on totally from a medical standpoint but you will appreciate the trials and tribulations of a patient in that mode of care.

3) go check out how radiology studies such as CTs / MRI scan /x-ray / barium studies / nuclear studies are done

4) on that note: go to interventional radiology and check out filter placements / coiling / embolization / PICC line and other tunneled catheter placements / ERCPs.

5) go to an endoscopy suite run by the GI division of internal medicine: check out upper endoscopies / lower endoscopies a first hand view of everything

6) go shadow some doctors in the clinic: whether it is pediatrics / internal medicine / ob-gyn / or specialty clinics such as cardiology / ENT / derm / etc. etc.

7) if the hospital you are at is next to a med school, see what sort of talks they have on issues like international health / end of life care / ethics / psychiatry / art in medicine / etc

there are lots of things to do!

 

[Depakote]

Those are some great ideas. Just to add to them:

Shadow Ped's ER (at night this get's crazy)

Try to obseve a Transplant Surgery (I saw a kidney transplant, it was unbelievable)

Shadow an Orthopedic Surgeon, you'll get to see consults and surgery. They do both open and scopes. Best of all three worlds.

See if you can get into the OB suite. You'll never forget the first time you see a baby delivered.