It's pretty difficult to believe that summer immersion is already over. In some ways, I feel as though we just got started. This week happened to be very busy with different activities. I spent some time in the neurology group (as in the previous weeks) seeing patients with Dr. Gauthier. I also had to attend a couple of lab meetings and present my work over the last few weeks. This experience was nice as it solidified the background and purpose for the project in a general discussion with the post-docs and PI of the lab. Based on some primary data I was able to gather, the group will be optimizing the vaccine design going forward. I still have a few experiments to complete, and will stay back until the end of next week (8/2) to see them through to the end.
The highlight of my week came on Friday when I was able to view a cardiothoracic bypass surgery. This case in particular required an artificial bypass during the surgery in which Dr. Girardi was able to remove a section of the aortic arch and replace it with synthetic tubing. The best part about this experience was that I was able to stand very close to the patient and get an aerial view of the surgery being done from time to time. An open human heart on an operating table is something I will never forget. Furthermore, this surgery was interesting by watching the attending extensively suture the synthetic tube to the existing anatomy so that there would be no ruptures or tears. It was quite unlike any other the other surgical procedures I have previously seen, especially when observing the interplay between the artificial bypass and anesthesiological monitoring.
To sum up, it's been a really valuable experience and one of the best and most unique parts about being able to do a PhD at Cornell. I am sure some people have come away with knowledge about clinical practice, and others have caught a glimpse of the physical impact/contribution of their research in Ithaca in medicine today. In my case, I can say that there is an added level of meaning in that I have also discovered a new research interest that I will pursue in the course of completing my thesis. When I began Cornell, my primary interest was on developing therapeutic systems. However, after this summer, I realize I am more interested in better understanding the mechanisms of disease. Being able to see the practice of medicine (from the clinic to diagnosis to treatment to preventative measures) reinforced that enhancing current standard of therapies relies on a better understanding of the intricacies that trigger progressive disease. Furthermore, I have been able to see the diversity of patient's physiological response to the "same" disease. It is clear that some patients are asymptomatic, others have a severe and sudden onset, and others still fall under having a "spectrum" disease where their symptoms overlap with other pathologies. The question then arises, how do we go about treating the ever increasing complexity of disease that we see today and predict to have in the future? I would not have been able to see this research interest so clearly without having this clinical exposure firsthand. I am extremely grateful to have been able to participate in the immersion term.
The highlight of my week came on Friday when I was able to view a cardiothoracic bypass surgery. This case in particular required an artificial bypass during the surgery in which Dr. Girardi was able to remove a section of the aortic arch and replace it with synthetic tubing. The best part about this experience was that I was able to stand very close to the patient and get an aerial view of the surgery being done from time to time. An open human heart on an operating table is something I will never forget. Furthermore, this surgery was interesting by watching the attending extensively suture the synthetic tube to the existing anatomy so that there would be no ruptures or tears. It was quite unlike any other the other surgical procedures I have previously seen, especially when observing the interplay between the artificial bypass and anesthesiological monitoring.
To sum up, it's been a really valuable experience and one of the best and most unique parts about being able to do a PhD at Cornell. I am sure some people have come away with knowledge about clinical practice, and others have caught a glimpse of the physical impact/contribution of their research in Ithaca in medicine today. In my case, I can say that there is an added level of meaning in that I have also discovered a new research interest that I will pursue in the course of completing my thesis. When I began Cornell, my primary interest was on developing therapeutic systems. However, after this summer, I realize I am more interested in better understanding the mechanisms of disease. Being able to see the practice of medicine (from the clinic to diagnosis to treatment to preventative measures) reinforced that enhancing current standard of therapies relies on a better understanding of the intricacies that trigger progressive disease. Furthermore, I have been able to see the diversity of patient's physiological response to the "same" disease. It is clear that some patients are asymptomatic, others have a severe and sudden onset, and others still fall under having a "spectrum" disease where their symptoms overlap with other pathologies. The question then arises, how do we go about treating the ever increasing complexity of disease that we see today and predict to have in the future? I would not have been able to see this research interest so clearly without having this clinical exposure firsthand. I am extremely grateful to have been able to participate in the immersion term.
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