Career Shadowing

I was assigned to go with a pulmonary doctor at the VA Hospital, Dr. Vasquez. On Monday he showed me around the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). I was astounded to see under what condition the patients were. He showed me a man's case that was very critical. His life depended on the machines. He has also suffered from cardio arest which caused the man to now have brain damage. It was so sad when Dr.Vasquez asked him how he was feeeling and there was no responds due to the brain damage. At the end of the day Dr.Vasquez asked me to come in on Thursday to him perform a bronchoscopy which is procedure using a viewing tube to evaluate a patient's lung and airways including the voice box and vocal cord, trachea, and many branches of bronchi. This procedure allows the pulmonologist to get a view on what's happening inside and to get a sample of the tissue and liquid inside. On Thursday I had to go to the Nebraska Medical Center. When I arrive the patient was being pret. The pulmonologist gave the patient two miligrams of anesthesia to minimize discomfort and coughing. Once the anesthesia was active the team of doctors went to work. As the procedure had begun I amazed to see the inside of a human's mouth beside what one can see in the mirrior. I was surpiresed to find myself knowing some of the things I saw, but when I didn't know I asked Dr. Vasquez and he galdly help me understand what they were. All of the sudden the patient started to cough and move neverously so the one of the doctor injected two more miligrams anesthesia. This happened four more times to the point where she had recieved ten miligrams of anesthesia. After having ten miligrams of anesthesia the doctors decided that it would be best of they put her completely asleep. The patient had reached the limit of how much a patient should receive of anesthesia. This was the end of my career shadowing. But surprisingly enough Dr.Vasquez told me that if i ever wanted to come back that I was more than welcome to. Not only was I surprised to hear this but I had made a new friend. My whole experience with the career shadowing was great I could not have asked for more. Now than ever I'm sure that medicine is my dream job.