On March 1,
2004, I was fortunate enough to witness live surgery
in the operating room. Dr. Negrin allowed another
student and myself the opportunity to view him perform
a knee surgery. We dressed up in scrubs and I felt
like I was a real doctor! While in surgery, we stood
along side Dr. Negrin as he explained step-by-step the
procedures of the surgery. Watching this surgery gave
me the opportunity to see the challenges and rewards
of the medical profession. Dr. Negrin made the surgery
look very easy, but I knew the skill came with many
years of practice. After witnessing the surgery, I
walked out with a greater appreciation for doctors and
the beneficial services they provide for society. It
makes me want to enter into the medical profession
even more. In the coming years, I hope to have many
more influential opportunities such as this one.
- Joseph
B.
On March 1st
Joseph B and I went to Emory-Adventist Hospital to
spend an average morning with Dr. Negrin. It was
definitely one of the most awesome things I have done
during my senior year. When we arrived that morning
we changed into scrubs, and talked to some of the
nurses about what to expect in the operating room.
They told us that the knee surgery being performed
that day was very common and would use a tiny video
camera to manuver around the knee and prevent large
incisions (which would cause more recovery time).
Everyone was a blast to be around and made the
experience really comfortable. The actual surgery was
very cool, but totally different from what I
expected. The whole time Dr. Negrin would explain
exactly what he was doing in full detail and every
once in a while (during equipment changes and such)
they would talk about events in their life or tell a
joke! However, the surgery was not my favorite part
of the day. After we had a chance to relax and unwind
in the doctor’s lounge, we followed Dr. Negrin to
watch two epidurals and a patient check-up. Watching
the epidurals made me happy because I knew the
terminology and felt I was taking an active role in
the conversation with Brian, his PA. It was also fun
because I was able to see the doctor interacting with
his patients. It’s hard to explain why that was so
meaningful, but to know that he took time to learn the
names of different members in their family, favorite
activities, and personal stories was very nice to
watch. After his rounds and appointments, we were
able to see the MRI machine. I also enjoyed this very
much because many of the pictures the technician
showed us I could identify (meaning I knew where in
the body it would be found and what different parts it
had). When we went near the machine she showed us the
great magnetic force by holding the metal part of her
nametag up and we saw it stand completely erect! That
concluded our visit and we came back with the great
exeperience!!!
-
Caitlin K.
"I'm so glad
there is finally a club here at Walton that caters to
the interest in medicine that we all share;
thank you, Mrs. Cheshire, Jeff, and Viji for
facilitating this opportunity for us."
- Shawna
M.
"An officer of a
club has many responsibilities. Now consider
that statement with a new club. The
responsibilities double. As an officer and
founding member of a club, one is required to set a
precedent for new and future members. This duty,
as well as club duties must be accomplished in order
to get a club on its feet.
This work ethic
is applied to the Future Physicians Club. I,
Avid L., am a Public Relations Officer for this new
club. A main component of the club's activities
is guest speakers. If we want to have these
guests and doctors come and speak to us again, I have
make sure they feel appreciated. This job
includes making gift baskets for our speakers and
sending 'Thank You' cards. Our gift baskets
often include Blockbuster or Caribou Coffee gift
certificates, and apple ('an apple a day...'), post-it
notes, gum, candy or mints, and of course Walton High
School paraphernalia. Our 'Thank You' cards are
signed by all attending members for that speaker.
Being in a new
club as an officer is often time consuming, but I
wouldn't trade this experience for the world!"
- Avid L.
"As a volunteer
at Scottish Rite of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta,
I met many kindred spirits. Not merely children,
but intelligent beings who, at a young age, had
experienced just how evanescent life is. Of the
many children with whom I had contact, two remain most
prominent in my memory.
Mickey, the
5-year-old girl known by the entire hospital as "a
sweetheart," remained in the ICU unit for several
weeks. Suffering from concussions and partial
paralysis, Mickey was attempting to rebuild her
strength. I tirelessly played video games with
her for hours, hoping all the time to allow that
innocent, joyous laughter to erupt from her mouth.
Rolando, in the rehabilitation ward, was also a
5-year-old who was working to regain the use of his
legs. But he had one minor obstacle to
overcome...being blind. Rolando and I sat and
listened to cartoons on television and talked about
trivial things like Santa Clause and siblings.
Holding their
frail hands in my own, I realized that though these
children had unfortunate setbacks in thier life, they
also possessed the will power to resist the strong
forces opposing them. By defying fear, these
children have taught me a lesson more beneficial than
one any textbook ever could: the importance of courage
and childhood innocence. Because of them, I have
learned to remain forever youthful.
Upon the
development of the Future Physicians Club, I was given
the opportunity to shadow Dr. Sachs, a family medicine
practitioner near Kennestone Hospital. For about
three hours, I followed him into consultations with
patients and listened to his quick diagnoses. At
times I was astonished at how he could determine a
medicine abuser from a normal prescription patient.
The hours progressed, and Dr. Sachs eventually began
to introduce me as "a med student." Though I had
jumped about seven years ahead in my life with this
one statement, it made me realize that I would one day
hold that name. One day I would even surpass the
nominal "med student" to become a true, full-fledged
doctor. Besides indulging me in stimulating
conversations on the Hippocratic Oath and its
connection with abortions, Dr. Sachs allowed me to
receive a complete glimpse of independent practice in
comparison with the hospital crew of doctors to whom I
had become accustomed.
This club has
opened me to a multitude of new ideas. From the
speakers I've heard to the experiences I've had, I
know a little bit more about what a doctor truly
does. Anything and everything they do results in
some benefit or consequence. When the benefits
outweigh the consequences, they have won their
battle. There is no distinct victory over the
forces of death, but a simple
postponement. Doctors toy with the thin
line distancing life and death, and I want to be the
holder of such consuming power."
- Viji
S.
"My name is
Daniel S. and I'm a junior at Walton. The reason
that the Future Physicians Club is so important to me
is because I am a survivor of three cancers. I
may become a physician in the future and in this club
we are exposed to many speakers who tell their stories
and show us how rewarding being a physician can
be. The highlight of our club was a recent trip
to the Emory Nursing Department where we were shown
lots of interesting aspects of medicine. In the
March 4th issue of Family Circle national magazine
there was an article about my battles with cancer and
in it I spoke about the Future Physicians Club."
- Daniel
S.
"As a high
school student, the Walton Future Physicians Club is
the only place that has provided extensive knowledge
of the medical field, my intended career path."
- Joseph
B.
