My second rotation took place at the Instituto de Servicio y Seguro Social para los Trabajadores del Estado, or simply put, ISSSTE. Compared to CS Col America, ISSSTE was very different. Unlike Col America, ISSSTE is a hospital. Thus, it was a lot bigger and there were a lot more people—patients, doctors, medical students, residents, etc. The environment was also a lot more fast-paced.
We began the day with an hour long discussion about a case study about a boy who displayed symptoms of appendicitis as a result of amoebas. Then I joined the residents and medical students in the gynecology department while they made their rounds. Taylor and Wyatt went to surgery and Maya went to observe a C-section. Somehow, towards the end of the day, we all ended up meeting and observing a pediatrician clean and swaddle a newborn.
The fast-paced nature of the hospital is definitely evident during the rounds. All of the students, residents, and doctors would encircle the patient’s bed and then, a 10 minute session of rapid-fire questions and answers, conversations, and movement would commence. A multitude of things would take place during that timeframe. One medical student would check the patient’s vitals while a resident would brief the head preceptor with the patient’s information. The others would intently scribble down information, converse with each other, or fetch certain medical instruments for the doctors.
Overall, I noticed that we had a lot more freedom at ISSSTE. Consequently, it also made it very easy for us to take a passive role. Many times, I found myself waiting for someone to direct me to a certain area or invite me to observe an interesting procedure. However, I realized that I can’t wait around for someone to guide me—especially in a hospital setting. I realized how important it was to be proactive, ask questions, and show interest in the work that the doctors and residents do. Given my generally passive personality, I felt pretty uncomfortable reaching out to others. Nevertheless, doing so opened up a plethora of knowledge and opportunity. I was able to learn how to perform a checkup on a baby, and observe 4 births (1 natural, 3 Cesarean).
Taylor, me, Wyatt, and Maya as we prepare to observe a natural birth.
A courtyard in ISSSTE
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On another note: The miracle of life is beautiful. No amount of words can come close to describing the moment a mother sees her baby for the first time. Nor can it describe the expression on the father’s face as he holds his child in his arms.
Adventures in Oaxaca 