This week, I finally finished the project my mentor had me working on. I extracted all 636 diagnosis from 636 case files! I finished what was supposed to be a three week project in four days, much to my mentors surprise. That being said, I received another project to work on. Now that I know how to read an analyzes case studies, Dr. Miloh assigned me the task of filling out a 56-collum spreadsheet for a research project that he is working on. Fifty patients were selected to participate in a Text-Messaging study. In the study, patients half the patients were sent weekly texts to remind them to take their meds (which according to the case studies I have read, compliance is often poor even in life-threatening situations). The problem is that all of the data has not been properly recorded. Instead, I am to rely on the case studies of patients to see if there has been any effect. Here's what happens: every time a patient visits the hospital, the MD that sees him/her writes a two to three page report on what happened, why the patient came, the impression the MD had of the patient, a suggested course of actions, etc. Because this is written every time a patient steps into PCH, I can see the progression of each disease by reading every single report on the patient in all areas of the hospital (GI, neurology, genetics, dermal, Hem/Onc., etc.) In most cases there are well over forty documents per patient, and for each patient enrolled in the study, I have to read every word so I can properly record their progression. I am learning so much from reading these studies. By reading about each patient, I feel I really understand a lot of diseases and their treatments and causes. Working directly with cases has taught me probably as much as a whole textbook on the subject would. I also get to learn about how each patient reacts in each situation, and see exactly what doctors do to facilitate compliance. It is a very interesting look into the psychology of a patient. Additionally, I am learning as I am going, and the more patients I read up on, the greater my knowledge of GI diseases increases. Interning is really a very cool way to learn a new subject.
The good news is that I am now really good at reading case studies, and can easily understand them. Experience really is the best teacher.
On a side note, my mentor was in charge of coordinating a liver transplant at PCH the other day! I was SO impressed that (a) my mentor is such a boss and that (b) PCH offers transplant services! Apparently its a relatively new thing that they do, but its been working really well so far and lots of kids get the procedure done right in the hospital.
However, here is the best part of my internship: because I work hard and well, my mentor is pretty flexible on when I come in. Which means that I can get to the hospital as early as I want, work for a good seven hours on the research project, and then by 2pm get out of the office (which is exactly what I did on Friday). And do you know what I do after 2pm? I get to volunteer with kids!!!!!!!! I am started on Friday!! I volunteer in the playroom with the kids from 2pm to 5pm every Friday from now on, and I absolutely love working with the kids. They are so adorable and you can tell they really appreciate having someone to play and talk with. Also, because I am 18, I can even go bedside with kids and play with them if they are unable to leave their rooms. It is really sad to see kids so sick, however at the same time it feels amazing to be able to put a smile on their faces. My first day working with them went really well, and I am definitely going to try to work more hours with the kids into my schedule.
I have an official purple volunteer apron, and I have the best Senior Project Ever! I am learning so much, my mentor is amazing, I get to work with kids in the one of the best facilities in the state, and I am able to make a positive difference in kids' lives. I could not have asked for a better internship :)
Hoping you all stay healthy and happy,
Lior
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