THE ONE WITH THE CLINICAL ROTATIONS AND SURGERY

During the past several weeks in the Independent Study and Mentorship Program, there have been multiple mentor visits with Dr. Brinkman at Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano as well as advancements in my original work, which is learning twelve different suture techniques that are used in clinic and surgery often. Also, along with learning sutures, I will be creating a compilation or basic surgical preparation procedures that are implemented pre-op and post-op for a patient, as well as a detailed analysis of which sutures are used in what scenarios.

The main accomplishments of the past few weeks have been going on two mentor visits with Dr. Brinkman. During my visits, I was able to observe a Ross Procedure, Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair, go on rounds, and attend to patients in the clinic. Although I have been in the operating room many times before, it was a new experience to be able to observe in a cardiothoracic clinic and look at chest x-rays of different patient's hearts.

Another accomplishment in recent weeks includes the selection of my publication in the American Society of Thermal and Fluid Engineering Conference. This is a national level conference where PhD students and professors from all around the nation submit research, and a panel of members choose the publications to be presented at a conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is an honor to be selected by this committee.

In the upcoming weeks, I would like to continue working diligently on my original work, distribute invitations to the FISD Research Showcase, and create a board that represents my learning o cardiothoracic surgery.