Here are my descriptions for the community service and shadowing:
Shadowing - I spent a day at local Medical Center observing the typical day of [name removed], an anesthesiologist. Saw multiple things that are typical in the average day of an anesthesiologist. This included the administration of anesthesia to patients before undergoing procedures and the use of nerve blocks. This allowed me to observe a physician in the specialty that I have always been most interested in. It further solidified the fact for me that a career in medicine was what I wanted to pursue.
Youth Outreach Program - A weekly program where we would go to a local elementary school in a low-income area of Rochester. We would then work with the children in a variety of different classes to either assist with problems they may be facing or to participate in different activities. This was a very rewarding experience as every week the children would be beyond excited to see me and fellow university students arrive at the school. For me, this was one of the first times I had experienced how underprivileged children experienced school. It brought about new understanding for me as to discrepancies that exist in the world.
Volunteer in the cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology lab at Hospital. I was responsible for preparing meals and drinks for patients in the lab. I would also be responsible for taking patients to patient discharge where I would wait for the patients ride to arrive and assist them with getting in the vehicle if necessary. This experience allowed me to gain a better understanding of the clinical setting. It also allowed me to provide patients with a positive experience after their surgery by providing them with a meal after not eating for extended periods of time or conversing with them while bringing them to patient discharge.
