WEEK FOUR

My last week was in a different hospital in Pavia so that we could shadow a surgery unit. I was in general surgery and it was such an eye opening experiencing. My first day we watched a tumor removal surgery of the kidney. It was the size of a pineapple and they wanted us so badly to see what was going on that they got me a stool so I could stand at the head of the patient and look over the cover to see everything perfectly. It was a complete transverse cut so we could see everything in the abdominal cavity, and after it was removed, the doctor took a few minutes to show go through and show us all the organs. It was much more exciting seeing them an a living person instead of a cadaver.

During the course of the week, we saw a gastric sleeve implementation, part of a colon removed, a kidney transplant and and spinal cord alignment. Through it all, the doctors were so kind and encouraging. We also had the opportunity to practice patience since it usually took an hour and a half of waiting around before the operation began. They don’t show you that lovely stage of preparation in the TV shows. At one point though, while we were waiting, the doctor spent an hour with us explaining the logistics of kidney disease, transplants, and donors. He took time answering our questions, addressing concerns, and making sure that we were all on the same page. There was also a medical student from Brazil with us so he was able to impact students from around the world. That experience helped me to see how important it is to spend time and put effort into individuals. Making others feel important and included has more of an impact than and donor of such attention can imagine. I am grateful for the chance I had to learn at the hand of one of the best surgeons in the Lombardy region, and the head surgeon of the Hospital.

It was also interesting to learn more about surgeons lifestyles and how much they sacrifice to heal others. In Italy, their high school is an extra year, so they begin college at 19. There are 6 years of medical school and 4 years of specialty training, but surgeons have an extra 2 to 3 on top of that. They are scarce and crucial, so they often have long hours and tedious work. One neurosurgeon was in the hospital 30 hours straight that week. It is inspiring to see the sacrifice people make for the sake of others, because their pay and benefits are not proportional to their efforts. I hope to be as selfless in my practice someday as these surgeons are in theirs.