Now I can check hysterectomy off my list of surgeries to see.
During the hysterectomy, I had the pleasure of meeting the general surgeon, Dr. Serrano, and two medical students from Midwestern Medical School, Ashley and Jessika. While Ashley scrubbed in, Jessika talked me through the surgery, gave me more insight on applying for medical school and told me about her clinical rotations.
I have to admit, I haven't taken much from giving out the questionnaires yet. My experience with Dr. Brotsky continues to go beyond observing or shadowing. Every week I learn more about her job and all that it entails, the surgeries that she performs and the adversity she has faced being a female doctor.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Week Seven
If I could describe last week in one word, it would be intense!
Monday I observed the first C-Section of the day. Then I got to scrub in for the second one! It was like being in an episode of Grey's Anatomy! Scrubbing in for a surgery, what an experience! I was shocked when Dr. Brotsky asked if I wanted to scrub in but excited at the same time. I was nervous to say the least and very paranoid of touching anything that wasn't sterile. I obviously didn't do anything to the patient or with the instruments while I was at the table. I kept my hands in one spot and made sure not to bump into Dr. Brotsky while she was performing the surgery.
DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVE A VERY WEAK STOMACH
Following the adrenaline rush from scrubbing in for the first time, I stuck with Dr. Brotsky for an emergency laparoscopy for a patient who was having acute pelvic pain. We discovered that the patient had an ovarian cyst that ruptured and resulted in her pelvis being filled with blood and blood clots that needed to be suctioned out.
I continue to learn that there is more to being an OB-GYN than ensuring a good pregnancy and a healthy baby as a result. Women's health is a huge umbrella and that is something I didn't give much thought to prior to my project.
Some problems have arisen this week with my surveys. I decided to include another Dr. Austin's patients in my study however, she didn't pick up the surveys so I'm behind on meeting my goal for my study.
Hopefully I am closer to my goal this week!
Monday I observed the first C-Section of the day. Then I got to scrub in for the second one! It was like being in an episode of Grey's Anatomy! Scrubbing in for a surgery, what an experience! I was shocked when Dr. Brotsky asked if I wanted to scrub in but excited at the same time. I was nervous to say the least and very paranoid of touching anything that wasn't sterile. I obviously didn't do anything to the patient or with the instruments while I was at the table. I kept my hands in one spot and made sure not to bump into Dr. Brotsky while she was performing the surgery.
DO NOT READ ON IF YOU HAVE A VERY WEAK STOMACH
Following the adrenaline rush from scrubbing in for the first time, I stuck with Dr. Brotsky for an emergency laparoscopy for a patient who was having acute pelvic pain. We discovered that the patient had an ovarian cyst that ruptured and resulted in her pelvis being filled with blood and blood clots that needed to be suctioned out.
I continue to learn that there is more to being an OB-GYN than ensuring a good pregnancy and a healthy baby as a result. Women's health is a huge umbrella and that is something I didn't give much thought to prior to my project.
Some problems have arisen this week with my surveys. I decided to include another Dr. Austin's patients in my study however, she didn't pick up the surveys so I'm behind on meeting my goal for my study.
Hopefully I am closer to my goal this week!
Monday, April 4, 2016
Week Six
March 30 was National Doctor's Day so shout out to all the physicians out there!
I didn't meet with the social worker this week due to our busy schedule in the office. (How is a doctor supposed to meet with eight patients in an hour?)
Instead of solely observing appointments in the office like the first couple weeks, I alternate between the office appointments and working on my SRP (my paper, analyzing the data, researching). However, when Dr. Brotsky has a planned surgery or needs to visit a patient in the hospital I am ready to go.
I'm excited to see how Apple can change the face of postpartum depression with this study. If you'd like to read this article here's the link.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/22/health/postpartum-depression-app-study/
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Week Five
Last week I spent more time in the hospital than in the office.
I reformatted my breastfeeding questionnaire to make it easier for the patients to answer. So last week my official questionnaire and scale were given to the receptionists at the front desk to be handed out to women coming in for postpartum appointments. Hopefully I'll have a good amount of scales to score and data to collect for my research.
Last Tuesday I observed three hysteroscopies in a row. Dr. Brotsky used the TRUCLEAR Operative Hysteroscopy System, a device that has visualization capabilities of a hysteroscope with minimally invasive tissue removal capabilities, for two of the surgeries.
Later that day, I met with Melissa, a lactation consultant, at Thunderbird. Melissa told me her personal story with postpartum depression after her first child and her perspective on mothers who could develop PPD with breastfeeding difficulties, especially first time mothers. I also joined her while visiting a patient who was having a hard time getting her baby to latch to breastfeed and witnessed the frustration with breastfeeding first-hand. I couldn't make a direct connection with PPD and breastfeeding based on my meeting with Melissa because she only meets with the patients while they're in the hospital whereas Dr. Brotsky requires prenatal and postnatal visits.
Hopefully this week I can meet with the social worker at the hospital and gain more insight on the connection between breastfeeding and PPD.
Stay tuned!
I reformatted my breastfeeding questionnaire to make it easier for the patients to answer. So last week my official questionnaire and scale were given to the receptionists at the front desk to be handed out to women coming in for postpartum appointments. Hopefully I'll have a good amount of scales to score and data to collect for my research.
Last Tuesday I observed three hysteroscopies in a row. Dr. Brotsky used the TRUCLEAR Operative Hysteroscopy System, a device that has visualization capabilities of a hysteroscope with minimally invasive tissue removal capabilities, for two of the surgeries.
Later that day, I met with Melissa, a lactation consultant, at Thunderbird. Melissa told me her personal story with postpartum depression after her first child and her perspective on mothers who could develop PPD with breastfeeding difficulties, especially first time mothers. I also joined her while visiting a patient who was having a hard time getting her baby to latch to breastfeed and witnessed the frustration with breastfeeding first-hand. I couldn't make a direct connection with PPD and breastfeeding based on my meeting with Melissa because she only meets with the patients while they're in the hospital whereas Dr. Brotsky requires prenatal and postnatal visits.
Hopefully this week I can meet with the social worker at the hospital and gain more insight on the connection between breastfeeding and PPD.
Stay tuned!
Monday, March 21, 2016
Week Four
This week I got to observe a laparoscopy which is a surgical procedure done to look inside the belly or pelvis. A laparoscope, a lighted tube with a camera at the end, is inserted through a small cut through the navel. The surgery did freak me out a little because I didn't know doctors could go through our belly buttons. And that thought made me feel uneasy.
Like the previous weeks, I continued observing appointments with Doctor Brotsky on Monday but, I spent Tuesday reaching out to support groups for Postpartum Depression, finishing my questionnaire and researching terms and recent news. On that note, there has been a uterus transplant! It failed but, the surgery serves as a step to a future option for women. Also, Dr. Brotsky set me up with a social worker and a lactation consultant for next week so I can get more insight on how hospitals screen for PPD and the types of problems women have while breastfeeding and solutions the lactation consultants provide.
With the surveys and meetings for next week, I'll have so much more to talk about. Stay tuned!
Like the previous weeks, I continued observing appointments with Doctor Brotsky on Monday but, I spent Tuesday reaching out to support groups for Postpartum Depression, finishing my questionnaire and researching terms and recent news. On that note, there has been a uterus transplant! It failed but, the surgery serves as a step to a future option for women. Also, Dr. Brotsky set me up with a social worker and a lactation consultant for next week so I can get more insight on how hospitals screen for PPD and the types of problems women have while breastfeeding and solutions the lactation consultants provide.
With the surveys and meetings for next week, I'll have so much more to talk about. Stay tuned!
Monday, March 14, 2016
Week Three
It was a solemn week in the office due to the numerous cases of miscarriage, reports of babies with Downs Syndrome and elective terminations.
On the other hand, Dr. Brotsky saved a life while she was on call Monday night. Although I wasn't present, the story doesn't cease to amaze.
The patient, who's personal information I will not disclose, came into the hospital for a normal vaginal birth. While in labor, the baby's heart rate was quickly falling and Dr. Brotsky called for am emergency C-Section. The surgery was successful. Minutes later, the nurse calls Dr. Brotsky and reports abnormal and heavy bleeding from her vagina that wasn't stopping, called a postpartum hemorrhage. The patient's blood pressure was dropping and she was going into DIC, disseminate intravascular coagulation, a condition affecting the blood's ability to clot and stop bleeding. The patient's blood kept flowing and became almost "watery". The patient's deadly condition lead her to the operating room where Dr. Brotsky removed her uterus completely which stopped the bleeding and saved the patient's life.
Although Dr. Brotsky was exhausted from being up all night with this patient, she was fueled the next day by her patient's appreciation.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, patients come in weekly and then twice a week as they get closer to their due date. As a result, patients are recognizing me and we're building small relationships which is more comforting in the delivery room for the patients instead of having a random student show up while they are giving birth.
Next week I will start giving out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to Dr. Brotsky's patients. I will be adding my own questions regarding breastfeeding as a factor of Postpartum Depression. The surveys will be given to patients while they are in the waiting room to be filled out before their appointment. Dr. Brotsky will continue to hand out the surveys when I am not present and I will analyze the data when I come back to the office.
On the other hand, Dr. Brotsky saved a life while she was on call Monday night. Although I wasn't present, the story doesn't cease to amaze.
The patient, who's personal information I will not disclose, came into the hospital for a normal vaginal birth. While in labor, the baby's heart rate was quickly falling and Dr. Brotsky called for am emergency C-Section. The surgery was successful. Minutes later, the nurse calls Dr. Brotsky and reports abnormal and heavy bleeding from her vagina that wasn't stopping, called a postpartum hemorrhage. The patient's blood pressure was dropping and she was going into DIC, disseminate intravascular coagulation, a condition affecting the blood's ability to clot and stop bleeding. The patient's blood kept flowing and became almost "watery". The patient's deadly condition lead her to the operating room where Dr. Brotsky removed her uterus completely which stopped the bleeding and saved the patient's life.
Although Dr. Brotsky was exhausted from being up all night with this patient, she was fueled the next day by her patient's appreciation.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, patients come in weekly and then twice a week as they get closer to their due date. As a result, patients are recognizing me and we're building small relationships which is more comforting in the delivery room for the patients instead of having a random student show up while they are giving birth.
Next week I will start giving out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to Dr. Brotsky's patients. I will be adding my own questions regarding breastfeeding as a factor of Postpartum Depression. The surveys will be given to patients while they are in the waiting room to be filled out before their appointment. Dr. Brotsky will continue to hand out the surveys when I am not present and I will analyze the data when I come back to the office.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Week Two
It was another exciting week in Dr. Brotsky's office.
Dr. Brotsky and I saw almost 50 patients and I'm starting to meet more patients who had general depression and anxiety during their pregnancy and are great now that their baby has arrived. I've also seen cases where women have a smooth pregnancy and develop postpartum depression due to complications following birth, hormonal changes and even breastfeeding has been a factor in a couple cases.
I witnessed another vaginal delivery at Thunderbird on Monday and I observed a hysteroscopy Tuesday morning at Arrowhead in which I was exposed to a different kind of surgery and care that Dr. Brotsky provides.
This week's appointments led me to research antidepressant drugs that are safe to take during pregnancy, the stress of pumping especially with working mothers and the benefits of successful nursing, all of which will add to my research project.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Week One
My first week shadowing Dr. Brotsky was a whirlwind.
Monday was an 11 hour work day filled with nearly 30 appointments in Dr. Brotsky's office and a surgery at Arrowhead Hospital.
Prior to my first week shadowing, I expected to observe about a dozen appointments a day and maybe a surgery in a couple weeks. However, I was thrown right into the busy life of an OB-GYN. I was introduced to the patients in every appointment and given consent to be present in every encounter in the office and the operating room.
While observing the appointments, I took notes on terms that I was unfamiliar with, the relationship that must exist between the doctor and the patient and any signs of postpartum depression without disclosing any personal information. I also took note of questions I wanted to ask Dr. Brotsky and saved them for the end of the day.
The most exciting part of my first day was going into the operating room to observe Dr. Brotsky perform a cesarean section at. I wasn't sure on what to expect in the OR but, there were numerous sights, sounds, and smells that caught me off guard. Despite the importance of Dr. Brotsky in the OR, I couldn't help but notice the role of the registered nurse.
Tuesday was a shorter day at nine hours and I sat in about 25 appointments and observed my first vaginal birth at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center. It was breathtaking and eye watering for me to be present while Dr. Brotsky delivered.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Proposal
Statement of Purpose
My Senior Research Project has two objectives.
I am shadowing Dr. Desiree Brotsky in her office in Peoria to gain insight to the work life of an obstetrician and gynecologist, a career I am currently working towards. In addition to shadowing her, I will conduct my own research on the factors of postpartum depression in women. More specifically on the effect of breastfeeding, which is not a well studied but significant factor in postpartum depression. The emphasis hospitals put on mothers to breastfeed is often overwhelming for patients and can cause great amounts of stress for a new mother.
At the end of my research, I hope to have been exposed to Dr. Brotsky's busy career enough to determine if I could see myself in her position. I aim to answer the following questions in my research on postpartum depression. What makes a woman more likely to get postpartum depression? Does her mode of delivery (cesarean or vaginal delivery), marital status, age, socioeconomic status, race, tobacco use, or history of mental health issues have an influence?
Background
I’ve always wanted to be a doctor but, I have never given thought to a specialty until I met Dr. Brotsky. She is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Peoria, Arizona. After talking with her about her job one afternoon, I got the idea of doing my Senior Research Project with her as my mentor. The problem was that I did not want too simply shadow her for my whole project so I sought to find a topic that combined my interest in her field and a research question.
I took AP Psychology my junior year and I was immediately absorbed by the all the riveting information. From studying the formation of personality to causes of depression, psychology became the other aspect of my project.
Therefore, I combined my interest in psychology and a future career in obstetrics.
Significance
Hormonal changes following childbirth, lack of sleep, and initial signs of depression usually pass within a week or two. When these feelings are prolonged and fail to cease over time, a mother may be a case of postpartum depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about 10 to 15 percent of women develop postpartum depression. At first sight, the small percentage may not be alarming but if these women are left untreated, the mother as well as the baby could be in danger.
Research Methodology
In addition to observing Dr. Brotsky’s job to get an understanding of what I could be doing for a career, I will be pursuing an answer to my research on postpartum depression by means of the Edinburgh depression scale which I will give to every patient. I will also using library and internet research including any scientific journals I can find with the help of my mentor and advisor. I also hope to get the chance to interview a few patients with my mentor by my side to ensure the comfort of her patients.
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