Rotation # 3 – Site Visit Reflection

My site visits were conducted with Mike Rachwalski, one of my professors from didactic year. We had a very productive talk about making sure I knew the plans for the surgical patients following their surgeries and their admission to the SICU. We also talked about some of the challenges I faced during the rotation, like having difficulties getting to see certain surgical cases or time management skills while working 60 hours a week. We also compared our experiences of almost having a vasovagal syncopal episode and passing out during an orthopedic surgery due to the sounds of bones being hammered and cracked open. My drug cards focused on prophylactic antibiotics like cephalexin, which is used to prevent infections caused by skin flora since the skin is being penetrated. The patient I presented was a patient that required an internal hernia repair and ended up being a 6 hour long surgery, and we talked about the differential diagnoses that can cause abdominal pain and distension. Overall I enjoyed our conversation and would consider pursuing a career with orthopedics.