Journal Entry #1

Amita Raj

Abney

6^th Period

Journal Entry #1: Tuesday, September 14 2010

                As soon as I entered my mentor’s office, she handed me a pile of pamphlets related to the field of Nephrology. These informational pamphlets were the ones usually given to patients who had kidney problems and were going to undergo treatment in the near future. When the doctor finished entering the last of a patient’s information in to the computer, she took me to St. David’s across the street. Here, we went to the Cardio Vascular Recovery Unit (CVRU) to visit a patient who was experiencing kidney failure. The CVRU is the area of the hospital that people go to after they have a heart attack or open-heart surgery. This patient had recently undergone imaging for her heart. The imaging involved using a certain dye that made it possible for doctors to see if her internal organs were performing efficiently. One of the side effects of this dye was the creation of kidney problems. The way they found out was through the patient’s ‘creatinine’ level. The normal creatinine level for healthy people is between 0.5 and 1.3. The patient’s level was well above 3.0. As soon as we arrived to the hospital bed, my mentor took a great deal of time explaining the patient’s file to me, including details of lab reports and physician notes.

                I was initially skeptical that my mentor would not introduce me to other doctors; I assumed that physicians would be very preoccupied with their work and would not want to be bothered. This was definitely not the case. She introduced me to other doctors and nurses working in the same area. All of them were very friendly and excited to meet me. They also welcomed any questions I had about their respective specializations (for example, questions about the pulmonary system).

                This first observation period with my mentor was very interesting and I learned a great deal about her specialization. I look forward to seeing the kidney dialysis clinic that she works at next week. Medicine is a very intriguing study. Every little thing that happens in our bodies is connected to other systems—like a highly complicated woven web.