Okay...so I joined AMSA...American Medical Student's Association. I am also joining a hospice and palliative care group too. But, back to AMSA. When you pay your dues, you get access to all of the events that the group hosts. For example, last Friday, AMSA held a suture clinic. My friend Meaghan signed me up for it. **Let me preface this by saying that I hope that I don't have to practice the kind of medicine that requires me to suture open wounds. It's just not my thing. I mean, I would do it if I had to, I don't think its gross, but it's just not where I see myself going or the kind of medicine that I want to practice.** So, we get to the gross lab, I have my scrubs on and look very professional, hair pulled back, gray hairs sticking out, black tee shirt underneath the light blue scrubs that my friend Nickie gave to me...we walk in and as usual, all of the bodies are covered in their light blue body bags and the smell of formaldehyde pierces my nose and my eyes instantaneously begin tearing up. But something is different. What the heck? Oh, there's huge chunks of skin (various pieces/parts) laying on top of every body bag in the lab. AMSA people are walking around and making incisions on these 6" X 6" flaps of fatty, hairy pieces of skin. I turn to Meaghan and say, I don't know if I really want to be doing this. She laughs and can't wait to get her sutures into the flap. Needless to say, I stayed. I learned how to do the most basic suture and I did it pretty darn good according to the facilitators. I have to admit that going back to a suture clinic is not on the top of my list. But, it was a good experience and I learned something new.
Afterwards, Meaghan and I opened up my little old lady and quized each other for two and half hours. I am becoming more and more comfortable with working on the cadaver. It's quite interesting. I wish that some of the groups that dissect her when my group isn't there would be a little more careful of structures and of hacking everything away. But, what are you gonna do?
This week we start to dissect the brachial plexus. This should be fun. So many nerves, veins, arteries and muscles to learn. And to top it all off...our first practical exam is a week from Friday. Whew! Better get studying.
2 comments:
I have to admit that sutures are not my idea of a good time either...but think of the knowledge you've gleaned! Now when your friends get drunk and walk into things requiring stitches, you can help them out without getting a DUI on the way to the hospital! (But seriously, I keep butterfly sutures in my first aid kit for these minor mishaps...you never know when that door jamb will jump out and crack you in the face on your sprint to the porcelain goddess).
Some people just don't respect other peoples cadavers. We had a clown in our anatomy lab who used to remove parts and/or place our cadavers in compromising positions (luckily our school was too poor for human cadavers, so we just got animals)...
i just had my first practical today!! it was on airway management and endotracheal intubation of a nontrauma patient. lots of fun!! i aced it no sweat. Good luck to you.
~Adam
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