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.

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.