Post-Shadowing Reflection
After a long semester, filled with new experiences, opportunities and knowledge, my time shadowing Dr. José A. Cancio has come to an end. I cannot express the gratitude I have for been able to conduct this experience in the Orthopaedic Field. At the beginning of the semester, the few concepts I knew regarding orthopaedics were about fractures, casts and splints; nevertheless, I have left this Doctor Shadowing experience with so much more knowledge and respect for this field of science. Throughout my time in the office, I was able to regularly interact with patients and handle tasks like processing records and patient information. Not only was I able to see Dr. Cancio’s daily interactions with his patients, but I also saw the whole-hearted love and dedication he has for this field. Dr. Cancio was an exemplar figure, not only as a doctor and a surgeon, but also as a person. He thoroughly listened to his patients aches and was always able to find a solution and help any patient. After seeing these interactions on a daily basis, I saw the type of doctor I wanted to be.
From a clinical perspective, I was able to help patients voice their concerns, and empathize with their struggles. From young to old patients, I was able to respectfully interact with these patients under the guidance of Dr. Cancio. During my office days, I also assisted Dr. Cancio with some in-office medical procedures like cortisone injections, casts installations and removals, fracture settings and X-rays observations. I believe the most important skill I gained throughout this unforgettable experience was the ability to read X-rays and MRIs. While I am nowhere near an expert’s level, Dr. Cancio was very thorough with teaching me this technique because it was the core of understanding a patient’s fracture. Thus, I learned to distinguish fracture lines in different bones like the ankles, wrists, elbow, femurs and knees. I was also able to distinguish if a bone was afflicted with arthritis, and how severe the condition had progressed. Not only did I learn these techniques, but I also learned the steps of how to make a torniquet, or a splint, for small fractures like those of the toes and fingers. In addition, I also learned about a wide variety of illnesses and conditions that afflicted or developed in the bones, ligaments and/or tendons of the body. The most common illness I saw at the office was Arthritis, which is a condition where the inflammation and swelling of the joints occur, with the possibility of bone density loss. Specifically, I was also able to see other arthritis conditions like post-traumatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Additionally, other conditions I saw at the office include tendonitis, herniated discs, varied bone fractures, lateral epicondylitis or “tennis elbow, medial epicondylitis or “baseball elbow”, osteoporosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and a condition called trigger finger. Lastly, but certainly not least, I would say another important task I learned to develop was the doctor-patient, or in my case, the intern-patient interactions. Every day, a variety of people came into the office, some hopeful for treatments and others that feared what their results might be, and with Dr. Cancio’s help, I was able to interact with these patients and at least help them through these tough times. One of my fondest memories of this shadowing experience was when I held a little boy’s hand because he was afraid of getting a cast. He was scared and asked if he could hold my hand during the procedure. Through this experience, I learned the value of doctor-patient interactions, and the importance of making a patient feel at ease.
Furthermore, from a surgical experience, I was able to shadow Dr. Cancio while he conducted a diverse array of surgeries at the Hospital La Concepción. The most memorable procedures I witnessed during my time in the operation rooms where a Reverse Shoulder Replacement and a Hip Replacement. While I did not witness the surgery to fix this type of fracture, I also had the opportunity to see a fracture of the Calcaneus, which is a rare type of fracture of the heel bone. Moreover, during my time at the hospital, I also learned several techniques. Firstly, I learned to effectively communicate with the nurses and anesthesiologists that were present both during the surgeries and in the halls. Secondly, I managed to learn and differentiate between some of the surgical instruments used throughout different surgeries. Some of the instruments I learned about were the Bone cutting forceps, Bone holding forceps, Bone chisels, Bone and Skin hooks, Grasping forceps, Extractors, Wire passers, Surgical screwdrivers, Socket wrenches, Spiked discs, Poole suction tubes, Measuring Instruments, and my favorite, the Phenolic handle mallet. Moreover, I also learned to differentiate the different types of boneheads that were taken out during procedures in order to place a prothesis or replacement. Two boneheads I had the opportunity to see, and hold, were the head of the femur and the head of the humerus. Additionally, I also learned, both clinically and surgically, the difference between healthy bones and arthritis-ridden bones. Specifically, the head of the femur was completely afflicted by arthritis, and that was the main reason for the hip replacement surgery of the patient. In conclusion, all of these experiences, both in the clinical side and the surgical side of the shadowing, presented me with the opportunity to learn more about a field of medicine I am interested in. Throughout my doctor shadowing experience, I had a glimpse of the orthopaedic world, and how wonderful surgeons like Dr. Cancio, have the opportunity to help people and save lives. Now at the end of this COOP, I can whole-heartedly say my eyes have been opened and nurtured on the value of orthopaedics and the care we must employ on our bodies, especially, our bones.
~ Verónica G. Bado García
