This week documented the official start of my clinical year. I have begun my clinical journey in General Surgery. So far, I’ve participated in a gallbladder removal, multiple hernia repairs, and fistula formations for patients needing dialysis. This last week I also was able to observe an open-heart bypass surgery!
This surgery consisted of obtaining artery and vein grafts from the arm and leg to create a bypass channel to avoid atherosclerotic vessels from causing potential problems for the heart. This patient’s heart vessels were built up with plaque that would potentially lead to the infamous heart attack that would have caused severe chest pain and an immediate surgical procedure to regain perfusion through these blocked vessels. This bypass surgery used unclogged vessels to create a new path for blood to flow around the heart hopefully preventing the patient from having an MI. One of my favorite parts was watching the heart beating inside the chest cavity and then be drained of all blood and completely stop moving so the surgeon could begin the coronary bypass. When the surgeon was done, the heart then slowly filled back up with blood and began pumping again! This was a 7-hour procedure, but how cool is that? This is one reason why the medical field has my heart.
I never pictured myself as someone who would be intrigued or excited by surgery. I always thought it was something that grossed me out and would never be like what is shown on TV. Thank you, Grey’s Anatomy, for the unrealistic expectation that you will always see something gross and crazy on each work shift. In reality, the days have been planned out well and everything was scheduled based on the surgeon’s area of expertise. The surgical teams, especially in cardiothoracic surgery, are completely in tune with each other and everyone knows what is supposed to happen next and what the doctor is going to need at each stage. Repetition is a surgeon’s best friend.
This week I was able to scrub in (similar to what you see in tv shows and movies) and assist in holding vessels and skin tissue, maneuvering the camera for a laparoscopic gallbladder removal, and suturing and closing patients after the surgery has been performed. With each day, my confidence grew, and I began to picture life as a surgical PA. My role would be consumed by what most people consider a PA to be; however, outside of surgery this is far from the truth. The term Physician Assistant used to be (as in 30+ years ago) that you were the physician’s assistant. Over the years, PAs have been given enormous autonomy and are able to see their own patients, prescribe medications, order labs and imaging, and perform office procedures without the presence of a physician.
Recently, the Physician Assistant occupation rose to #1 on U.S. News’s best jobs for 2021. What a great time to pursue this profession! I am excited to see where this career takes me and for the opportunities that it will give me and my family.
I plan to keep you all updated on my journey to become a Physician Assistant and am always here to answer any questions you have about this occupation!
Wish me luck,