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Pig’s Feet Surgery?

Day 4: Otolaryngology, Gynecology, Nursing, Emergency Medicine, Nephrology

Another event-filled day! Our day started with a 2-hour clinic with Dr. Matt Alvarez and Dr. Eleanor Rhee with amazing demonstrations and activities. We got to observe a birth simulation and saw how to deliver a baby using various tools, as well as practicing suturing on a pig’s foot!

Afterward, we met with Coty Brayboy, a Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Alex Limkakeng, an Emergency Medicine specialist, and Dr. Billy Fan, a Nephrologist over zoom. We learned all about their specializations and what they do on a daily basis as well as the harrowing journey they had to take in college on their way to becoming a doctor.

Finally, at the end of the day, we revisited Dr. McElveen, the ear specialist, and he showed us amazing videos of various surgeries including a stapedectomy, or the replacement of the stapes bone in the ear, and a tumor removal from the brain!

Primary Care & Otolaryngology!

Day 1: Primary Care and Otolaryngology

Our day in the Medical Rotations Work Experience started with a zoom meeting with Dr. Dani Zipkins, a primary care physician who specializes in general medicine at Duke. Dr. Zipkins told us all about the primary care medical field. Primary care is one of the most diverse fields in medical specializations. It’s provided in a wide range of settings, and usually involves the first meeting with patients who have undiagnosed illnesses and symptoms. Primary care physicians have the responsibility of providing communication with the specialists that can assist the patients, and truly are one of the most capable types of doctors out there!

After the informative zoom meeting, we visited the office of Dr. McElveen, an Otolaryngologist, or a specialist in the ear, nose, and throat. We examined patient files, scans and even got to present findings to Dr. McElveen himself! Afterward, we shadowed a few patients that Dr. McElveen was treating, and watched as he performed a few operations as well, including a post-op tympanoplasty!

Thank you to all the doctors for teaching us so much!

Day 1: Hannah

Today we had a super informative and interesting zoom with Dr. Zipkin and we discussed our goals and future professions for a while. Then she answered questions about schooling, degrees, psychology, pros and cons to the job etc….. Hearing about how psychology and general medicine pair together was very helpful and it was intresting to hear about her specific career path and how it was unlike a lot of peoples. We also talked about specialties within the medical field. Then we went to Dr. McLleven’s office and read/practiced presenting patients files/charts and gained a deeper understanding about why people visit him. He explained surgeries and introduced us to new vocabulary in the ENT field. He also showed us around his practice and showed us tools and machinery. Overall I learned a lot today!