To end a crazy week on a more informational note, Oyinlola and I spent a lot of time doing different modules today. We learned about bacterial skin infections, benign skin lesions, blisters, and infestations and bites, all of which Dr. Mangelsdorf allowed us to choose from a long list of different modules! Oyinlola and I had a great time connecting the dots between the information learned in each of the modules and had fun looking at all the different symptoms of each case (the modules are not shy with detailed pictures!). Did you know that body louse are nicknamed “cooties” and that’s how the saying “he/she has cooties!” started? That statement referred to the person having body lice! I found that so intriguing because in today’s society, the saying has been warped to have an entirely different meaning.
Today was not purely module based, however, as I got to observe Dr. Mangelsdorf put a skin sample into a microscope to look for fungi spores. When we did indeed find some, she allowed me to peer through the microscope and see them for myself! One fungus looked like a circle- as if someone took a pen and just drew a circle on a white sheet of paper. The other fungus, however, was more complex in that it had lots of different winding spindles within it. Both were fascinating to look at under the microscope!
Last, but certainly not least, was my favorite part of the day: removing a basal cell carcinoma! When left too long on the skin, the basal cell can infiltrate several layers deep into the skin. This forces Dr. Mangelsdorf to have to make a very deep, large cut to ensure that all the cancerous basal cell has been removed from the patient. Although the extraction is super cool, the most jaw dropping part is the stitching up of the wound. Dr. Mangelsdorf worked quickly yet skillfully to close one of the largest extraction sites I had ever seen and the end product was a smooth, clean, and tight line of stitches. My eyes were glued onto the procedure the entire time- my body couldn’t tell if i wanted to throw up or get even closer to Dr. Mangelsdorf throughout the procedure. It was an amazing way to end the first week of work experience!
