This last week of MedEx was by far my favorite. Packed full with hands-on activities, guest speakers, and bonding experiences, I really feel like we went out with a bang! Since I couldn’t possibly tell you EVERYTHING we did, here are a few of the highlights…
One of the cool things that we got to do this week was learn about Nurse Anesthesia… which was awesome in and of itself, but when we got to practice intubating patients as well as inserting spinal taps and epidurals (on simulation dummies, of course), it quickly became one of our all-time favorite experiences at MedEx! Apparently, we all really like needles.
Another highlight was when I had my biggest “A-HA!” moment: I am extremely interested in pursuing a healthcare career in orthopedic surgery. It has always peaked my interest- especially after having participated in a cadaver lab of the knee with the Healthcare Today Engaged Living Program at Furman as well as having shadowed at an orthotics and prosthetics clinic at Greenville Health System- but it wasn’t until our session with Dr. Thomas Pace, an orthopedic surgeon in the Upstate, that I realized orthopedics is a specialty that I could possibly go into. Something that surprised me after hearing him speak was all of the travel and study-abroad opportunities that accompany orthopedic surgery, as well as the fact that you don’t necessarily have to be a super-strong weightlifting champion to be an orthopedic surgeon. This will definitely be a healthcare field that I will research further. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to shadow an orthopedic surgeon in the near future!
Last, but not least, MedEx Academy of 2015 would not be complete without an epic bonding experience… such as being featured at a Greenville Drive baseball game! Not only were we able to hang out with each other in a fun, relaxed environment, but we also got to share our amazing MedEx experience with the entire stadium! I am so glad that I got to know all of my peers in MedEx this summer, and I cannot wait to be reunited with them next year for Tier 3. Until then, I’m back to the books… Time to ace Biology and Chemistry!