What has been your greatest experience shadowing and/or doing clinicals?

Ok.So a friend of mine had just finished what should be their first of many more shadowing experiences. This had made me start thinking over my own personal experiences as well.


A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks living with friends of ours so that I could go with her to the hospital and see all the different specialities and units.


I would say my most valuable experience has to be observing an open heart surgery. Though this was beyond my personal scope of practice, I was able to scrub in and help with prep. The greatest thing about the human body, in my opinion, is that it requires the heart (brain too) to control and operate the rest of our body.


When I had seen the heart be lifted from the chest cavity and begin to beat outside of its normal environment, it was somthing truly and absolutely breathtaking. I have actually delivered 3 live births, when I was a paramedic, and that was amazing in and of itself, but I would personally say seeing a persons heart in the cupped hands of a surgeon and then begin to beat outside of the body would have to be the most impressive and amazing clinical experience I have had…



I haven’t gotten any cool cases yet w/ EMS, but apparently I was a Russian with our psych transport.


I have been asked to attend a few births in years past as support for mom. I always needed to leave before the grand entrance due to time constraints, but there’s something primal about being with a woman at that most vulnerable hour, and knowing she is looking to you for support as one who’s experienced it before and knows what she is feeling.



Susan,


Totally agree. Childbirth is an amazing experience for all those involved. It’s one of those experiences that never grow old…I’m sure OB’s never grow tired of labor/delivery.


So do you speak Russian?

Da…o.k. that’s all I know.

LOL…Very good.