MedEx Day Seven

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this day, but overall it was an amazing one that I learned a lot from! When I first met Dr. Joe Blas, a vascular surgeon, I was a bit intimidated as he was an accomplished doctor, and part of me felt as though I wasn't "smart" enough to be there. But, he quickly made me feel so comfortbale, which was incredible! He was very charismatic, but he was also very intelligent! His vocabulary is very sophisticated. When I mentioned that I was interested in becoming a pathologist, he mentioned that he was fascinated with the specialty and said it was a great field! The only reason he never went into it, however, was due to the lack of clincal experience/face to face interactions with patients. He did mention that pathologists have so much knowledge of medicine, and are incredible at deducting the reasoning behind certain medical issues, which definitley interests me! Besides getting to see the tedious side of chartign patient information, which I now realize takes up so much time in the life of a doctor, I did enjoy getting to see the interactions of patients with their doctor in an outpatient setting! The way he interacted with every single one of his patients inspired me as he put each of them at ease with his demeanor! He would even comfort them at the right moments when they expressed worry about how their lifestyle may be effecting their vessel health by giving them a light pat on the back, and looking them in the eyes with incredible eye contact! He explained every procedure and medical situation in a way that made sense to the patient, as well as utilized hand motions to further his points. Not one patient seemed to exhibit "white coat syndrome" as he seemed to genuinely care about their lives, which included their likes and dislikes and their families. If I interact with patients in a clincal setting in the future, I hope I can be as good of a communicater as he is. He even has a strong connection with patients who have had surgeries with him in the past, and he remembers certain information about them, even if its been a year since they last saw each other! I hope I can make my patients in the future feel this strong of a connection with me and feel as comfortable as possible as their undergoing possibly dangerous procedures! I even got to see and hear about many fascinating procedures, such as the implemntation of an "umbrella" device into a woman's aorta to inhibit blood clotting! I had never thought about studying blood vessels before, but I have an even greater appreciation for them now than I did before! There were some sobering moments, but Dr. Blas handeled them so well! One of his patients had an infected amputation incision, and he had to tell him the bad news: that he likely will have to another amputation surgery above his knee. Although this wasn't the news he wanted to hear, Dr. Blas presented in a way that made the patient feel empowered. Even if he had to undergo another surgery, he had the strength to do it no matter how weak and old he was. It truly was very imspiring! I also learned a lot about protecting my own health as many of the patients suffering from collapsed arteries and vessel issues had drug and smoking problems in the past, or even continue to struggle with it. The importance of taking care of ones own body is imperative, and I realize how needed it is to advocate for less smoking, especially within my own age group! Overall, this day was very eye opening, and I believe I have truly seen what a great doctor looks like!