Hows everyone doing? It’s been awhile since I made a post so I thought I’d drop in and update everyone on my first quarter back and talk about my shadowing experience this week.
Looking back at my first undergrad experience, winter quarters were always my worst. I’m not sure if it was the lack of exercise, sunlight/vitamin D deficiency, cold weather, absence of football, etc. I never performed well in school during this time of the year.
This winter was a little bit different. Taking my first of three general chemistry classes along with some prerequisite courses for my major, I managed to earn a 3.75. Not too shabby for being out of school for 5 years but I suppose we all perform better when there is a clear and defined goal in site. Sadly, I got an A in every class except for chem which ended up being a B+. The 821 points I earned out of 1000 were not good enough for an A grade despite the class average being only 590 points. I won’t try to minimize my accomplishment, but an A would have been nice. A caution to anyone who is banking on a curve. Some professors just won’t apply one in the same manner that you would like them to.
Besides working part time about 12 hours a week, I am also close to completing my docent training and can begin volunteering at our zoo here in Columbus. In addition to that, volunteering opportunities will be open again for OSUMC and I hope to land a few hours researching for internal med or emergency med. I’ll keep my fingers crossed in hopes that they have open slots that work with my class schedule.
Yesterday I spent a day shadowing Dr. Dean Mikami who is an established laparoscopic surgeon at Ohio State. His team had 3 cases that day and I was very fortunate to have a chance to stand in the OR and observe RNY Gastric Bypass, Esophageal Hernia Repair, and Post Gastric Bypass Exploratory Diagnostic procedures. Minimally invasive surgery is awesome. The entire process is incredible when you consider what these surgeons are able to do with a laparoscopic camera and small rods that allow them to cut, cotorize, and suture without the need to open a patient up. In addition to getting to watch Dr. Mikami work, I also got to socialize with med students who were assisting. They got to pilot the camera and then suture the port openings post op. They all were very encouraging when I told them why I was there.
Dr. Mikami wasn’t shocked when I told him my story. His team said that non traditional is becoming the new traditional and that in many cases the non trads end up being better prepared for working in the world of medicine. Dr. Mikami did give me some straight forward talk. Essentially he said that what he does is very specialized and sometimes lucky timing and situation determines what kinds of jobs a surgeon can fall into so I shouldn’t go into the journey thinking that laparoscopic is going to be my specialty. He also said that I should buy him dinner 13 years from now when I get my first paycheck as a surgeon. 
The path so far has been pretty amazing. I’ve already proven to myself that I’m capable of being a dean’s list student when I really put forth the time and effort. A year ago if you would have told me that I was going to be back in school to try and become a doctor, observing laparoscopic surgery from inside the OR, and volunteering at a zoo and hospital; I would have told you that you’re speaking to the wrong person.
Boomkin FTW!!!
Such great news on your front… so glad that your first quarter went so well for you AND that you got awesome volunteering/shadowing experience.
Keep up the great work!
That was quite the awesome experience Hugz! Thanks so much for sharing. You seem to be much more productive than I was over my spring break. 
Thanks for the encouragement. I wanted to add in my post that the non trad premed PARENTS are truly super human. I hope the AdComs take this into consideration because anyone who is doing this while raising children can pretty much hang the moon in my opinion.
Ha! I am starting to think I’ve been HUNG by the moon! The noose feels pretty tight right now. LOL
I completey and unequivically agree that any nontrad premed who also is a parent should get extra consideration, if their apps are competitive!
I give major props to all our community who are also parents to little and/or big kids! This is an amazing feat!
awwww! you guys are great. thanks for encouraging us parents. Yay next quarter. 1 down and only 11 to go!!!
I second Kim! And awesome job Hugz…your spring break was definitely far more productive in the “becoming a doctor” sense than mine was. I thought I had accomplished huge feats because I managed to halfway finish painting a bedroom and get alot of studying done!!
My accomplishment on spring break was getting out of my car loan. 
Well that’s a really good accomplishment though! Both of our vehicles are paid off but I would be foolish to believe that both of them will make it until I finish med. school!