Thank You

I would like to thank my institutions for the opportunity of working with them this past year. I can proudly say I had the best senior internship experience out of all the students in my program. I made great connections and learned a lot. At Hackensack's Pediatric Research Department, I was part of a project with renewing Investigator's National Cancer Institute (NCI) memberships. In Hackensack's Pathology Department, I worked along side a Pathologist to observe the diagnosis procedure of cancer. I am very thankful for all my mentors and their dedication to providing me such a remarkable experience in Hackensack. From Valley, I want to thank the staff from Cardiology and Transport. I received lessons in business etiquette and life skills from all of my mentors. This internship experience confirmed my decision to study Biology in college and pursue a medical career.

Research Team Offer!

I had made a great connection with the pathologist I intern with every Friday. Last week he invited me to sit in a on research project presentation. Little did I know I was going to be offered a position on the team. His colleges in the pathology department are researching phagocytes bacterial interaction in molecular melanoma in hopes to sequence a bacteria genome to alter and infect cancer cells. I will be learning about Flow Cytometry and its purpose in cell observation.

Monitor Visits at Hackensack

There are many components to a research study case. All the proceedings and paper work is closely observed by the institution, government, and sponsor. Once in a while the sponsor sends a monitor to inspect the regulatory aspect of the study being handled at the hospital. It is very important for all the correct documents to be in the right binder. If an event was not properly recorded, it never happened in the eyes of the monitor. There are serious consequences for messing up the protocol of a case study. When a monitor comes, I am responsible for running through the case study binder with a check list to make sure everything is in place.

Double the Experience!

I am fortunate enough to have my internship experience at two hospitals. On Mondays and Tuesdays I go to Valley Hospital and on Wednesdays and Fridays I go to Hackensack University Medical Center. Being in two different intuitions allows me to compare the two healthcare facilities. Overall, I prefer Hackensack because of the connections I have made. In my departments, I feel like a team member rather than an intern. Building these personal relations is always beneficial to get your foot in the door later in life. I could see myself coming full circle to Hackensack after my education.

Tumor Board at Hackensack

Every Friday morning the Pediatric Oncology group hosts a meeting called Tumor Board. It is a weekly summary of everything going on cancer wise in the department. Physicians, advanced practice nurses, and all sorts of department members share their input. New clinical trail studies are announced and patients' well-beings are assessed. I really miss attending these meeting from the summer. They only happen Friday mornings when I am in school. Listening to the medical professionals discuss the hospital's affairs broadened my medical vocabulary. I learned many new ontological terms.

Benefits of Transport at Valley

 

I started my rotation in Valley with the Transport Department. At first I did not know why I was placed there because it seemed to be irrelevant to the healthcare aspect. Wheeling around patients did not look interesting, however my opinion changed after my second week. Getting to know the individuals that have received treatment on a personal level showed me the humane aspect of healthcare. Now I find it interesting to talk to the patients about their experience at the hospital. I also learned where every department is in the hospital because I would be dispatched from all over the building.

Tour of Pathology at Hackensack

This week I was fortunate enough to tour the entire pathology department with my mentor. He showed me the process from which tissue samples are harvested and stored to being preserved on wax slides. There are many different stations and technicians that are involved in making a slide for a pathologist to look at. I saw a human's liver being cut into sections for a biopsy. Experiences like this would not be possible without the internship program.

Necessary Paperwork at Valley

This week I got to experience the not so glamorous aspect of a cardiologist's office. There is a lot of archiving paper work that has to be done in order for the studies to be managed. The office I intern with has an aneurysm watch program. They follow up on patients for many years after they have been treated in order to record data. I had to fax over echo charts to a database. It was not the most fun day but it showed me the importance of paper work in an office.

Cardiology at Valley

This week in Cardiology I was preparing medical examiner cards for shipping. Each card was going to get shipped out to the patient. I made photo copies or the card for the hospital to have on file. Each envelope was addressed by me with the patient's and hospital's address. It is important for cards to get sent out so the patients have it as reference.

Exploring a New Department at Hackensack

Last week I made a new friend at Hackensack's Pathology Department. I was originally sent over to assist a pathologist in completing his NCI License renewal. We started to talk and he noticed my interests in the medical field so he offered me an opportunity to return in the future. I came back my following day at Hackensack. He talked about diagnosing the cancer slides he was working on while I sorted the electronically-captured images on his computer. It is important to make new connections and be outgoing in situations that can be beneficial to you.

Pathology

Pathology is a complex and broad field that involves the study of the mechanisms behind cell and tissue injury as well as understanding how the body responds to and repairs injury. Thorough understanding in these areas is applied in the diagnosis of disease. Pathology is the study of pathogens and a major field in medicine and diagnosis. The study of paths diseases use and travel through are also important.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! 

I will be posting my weekly experiences from both Valley and Hackensack Hospital.