The final week of March was incredibly productive regarding my Final Product. Though I was unable to go on any mentor visits during the week, Dr. Heffernan and I texted briefly regarding some of the updates and progress I had made.
While I was unable to go on a mentor visit this past week, I spent a lot of time working on my Final Product instead. I would like to dedicate this weekly blog to an update on my work thus far.
This blog is two weeks long, as it encompasses both a school week and spring break. I was in Puerto Rico for 8 of these 14 days, but the other 6 were spent working on my Final Product and going on mentor visits!
On February 25th, I went on a mentor visit to the Medical City Plano OR. The surgery I observed was a robotic hysterectomy with removal of both tubes and ovaries, with additional sentinel node mapping and biopsies.
This week, I was unable to go on a mentor visit due to a college visit, but this just allowed me to dedicate even more time to the development of my Final Product.
On February 13th, I had a fairly standard mentor visit in that it mostly consisted of observing surgery in the OR.
This week I had a great mentor visit in which I was able to observe a new and fascinating surgery. Mentor visits are always the highlight of my school weeks, and my conversations with Dr. Heffernan and his OR staff are always very fulfilling.
This week, I went on an exciting mentor visit in the Medical City Plano operating room, in which I witnessed a surgery I had never before observed.
I went on two mentor visits this week; both cases I observed involved women with BRCA/BRIP gene mutations, receiving very similar hysterectomies.
Wednesday, January 16th was the annual ISM Research Showcase: a convening of every student in the ISM program district-wide to display all of their primary research, mentorships, and projects from the first semester in ISM.
In two days I will participate in the Frisco ISD ISM Research Showcase, the most important event in ISM at this point in my senior year. Thus, the primary focus of my previous week has been preparation for the showcase.
This blog covers a whopping three weeks, as it falls over the FISD winter break. The first semester of my senior year is finally complete, and the weeks are truly flying by. Only a few more months until I will no longer call Frisco High School my home and I move on to bigger and better things.
This week my Original Work was due, was one of the most dreaded weeks in ISM, a close third to that of the Final Product due date and Final Presentation Night. Though I had been working on my project for several months and was more than capable of getting it done on time, Friday (the official Original Work due date) was still stressful nonetheless.
On Wednesday, December 5th, I observed a robot-assisted hysterectomy with ovarian preservation and rounded on patients with my mentor.
Even though this blog spans two weeks, the first was Thanksgiving break and I spent more time eating turkey and pie than I did working on ISM. But the second week was chock-full of surgery observation, and I was exposed to a wide breadth of new and fascinating medical conditions!
This past week I went on two mentor visits, both Monday and Wednesday (Dr. Heffernan’s surgical days). The two procedures I observed were were not much different from the ones I have viewed in the past, a hysterectomy/BSO and a simple BSO.
On November 7th, I had a fairly standard mentor visit in that it mostly consisted of observing surgery in the OR. However, I took the most away from our discussion about the research paper we are working on: “Safety and Feasibility of Concomitant Robotic Hysterectomy and Sleeve Gastrectomy in the Obese Patient,” my Original Work.
My mentor visit on Wednesday was incredibly thought provoking and informative. While the surgery itself was relatively typical, a robotic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo oophorectomy and sentinel lymph node dissection, we further dove into the details of the surgery. We also made progress on my Original Work, discussing the changes to it that Dr. Heffernan planned to make.
This week in ISM, I set a new record: three mentor visits in five days. Monday and Wednesday’s visits were typical, consisting of observing surgery at Medical City Plano. But Friday’s visit was entirely unique from any of our prior meetings: we spent in his Plano clinic talking over research information.
I had yet another incredible mentor visit on Wednesday, October 17th this week in which I observed two fascinating surgeries. Both were an impeccable blend of new learning and a confirmation of my knowledge regarding gynecologic oncology surgery.
On Wednesday, October 10th, I had the opportunity to see two incredible surgeries of entirely unique content. Frisco High School seniors had a half day on Wednesday, meaning I was able to spend the entire day in the OR with my mentor.
My week was very fulfilling regarding my mentorship and ISM experience as a whole; read about my Monday surgical observation visit and the Business Symposium.
My two surgical observation mentor visits over the past week consisted of a robot-assisted hysterectomy BSO on a 94 year old woman as well as an oophorectomy on a 5-month pregnant patient.
On Monday, September 17th, I observed a robot-assisted hysterectomy with ovarian preservation and rounded on patients with my mentor.
Over the past three weeks, I have been on six different mentor visits, each equally challenging and mentally stimulating.
It’s a brand new school year, which means a new schedule, new challenges, and new courses. However, in my case, ISM is the same: same mentor, and same passion for robotic surgery.