Another One Down

Where has the time gone? Summer is over, September is here, and the end of my 6th rotation is almost complete.  Tomorrow is the last day of my Butler Memorial Hospital Surgical Pathology Rotation and it's hard to believe it is coming to an end. It's amazing how quickly these rotations come and go, because just as you are getting used to your environment, the people, and how things operate, it is already time to start over again.

My past few weeks at Butler have been filled with a diverse array of specimens ranging from colons to kidneys to breasts and everything in between. It has been an exciting rotation, especially being the only "PA" in the lab, so everything that came through, I had the opportunity to do. I liked that aspect in that I wasn't having to compete for specimens, but it could get stressful at times when a lot came in at one time.  However, I feel that being in a situation such as this one has only made me a better PA. Aside from grossing, I did have the opportunity to do frozen sections the entire time I was there. It was a little different in that, a majority of the time, I was only responsible for the actual cutting in the cryostat and putting sections on the slides.  The pathologists enjoyed having an active role in the process, so they would cut the specimen, select the section they wanted to see, and then would stain the slide after I had completed my part in the cryostat. It was a different process, but I liked that they wanted to interact directly and would even allow me to sit with them to see the slides after it was complete.  The pathologists were all willing to teach and interact with me as a student and I really enjoyed that aspect during my time at Butler Memorial Hospital.

Another aspect I enjoyed at Butler was the weekly tumor board conferences.  At Butler, they would have the pathologists, radiation, oncology, and the specific surgeon for a patient come together in one room to discuss a case in order to determine the best plan of action for treatment.  It was pretty incredible to see that aspect of the medical process and I wish I had the opportunity to sit in on more.  It was a great learning experience and it really demonstrated how our part in the process plays such a large impact in all the other areas as well.

So it is almost time to say my goodbyes to this rotation, but there is much more in store for me on my next rotation at Thomas Memorial Hospital in Charleston, WV.  I will have another new experience here and that is working with dictaphone and transcriptionists, which I haven't had the opportunity to do before (so it will be VERY interesting for both parties :P).

On a much lighter note, since we all like to have a fun here and there, you should catch the biggest game of all time (attendance wise anyway) this weekend between Virginia Tech and Tennessee on Saturday, September 10th!! I will have the pleasure of experiencing this "historic event" in person in good ole Bristol, TN and I'm pretty excited! However, if you're not a fan football or just not ready for it, no worries! To be honest, I still can't grasp that it's even football season yet, because in my mind, it doesn't begin until baseball ends! I still have to watch my Cubbies win the World Series ;).