Job Shadow #3

On Wednesday, April 10th, I participated in my third job shadow that began at 5:30 PM and lasted until 11:00 PM. During the first part of the evening, from 5:30 to 8:00, I spent most of my time in the residents’ room working on my capstone presentation while waiting for a trauma case to come through. Around 7:30 PM, Dr. Butts brought in Moe’s BBQ for dinner, and I joined the residents as they ate and discussed cases. The atmosphere was relaxed but focused, allowing me to observe the team dynamic and how they balanced intense work with brief moments of downtime.

After dinner, I accompanied two residents on their post-op and trauma rounds. We checked on a patient who had recently undergone colorectal surgery and was experiencing low blood pressure, possibly due to blood loss or dehydration. Another patient, an elderly man who had fallen and sustained a head injury, was being monitored overnight with a CT scan scheduled for the morning; he also had a history of heart failure and appeared more confused than usual. We also saw a woman who had suffered massive chest trauma, including bruising and multiple severe rib fractures. Later, I learned about an exploratory laparotomy surgery, which involves a long abdominal incision, unwrapping the colon, removing a damaged portion, and reconnecting the healthy sections, a procedure that lasts about two to three hours. However, the night ended with zero traumas and several homework assignments completed.