Dissection in the Clinics?!

I am slowly beginning to realize that I have actually learned a lot during this trip. While I usually still try to keep my mouth shut during ward rounds, I have started knowing the correct answers to many of the doctor’s questions, and been able to recognize different problems and symptoms present in the patients.

Since I have not shadowed in the United States yet, I cannot compare the procedures, but I find it odd that dissections take place in the clinical office. Some patients come in complaining of stomach pain and are referred to have a gastroscopy, while others come in complaining a bullet that was left in his back after being shot and operated on. So, of course, Dr. Taylor removed the bullet right there in the clinic. It was pretty intense. The following patient had swollen lymph nodes that, with a biopsy would show either TB or lymph, so a lymph node was dissected from his chest just below the armpit.

I walked back to my room after the first class to eat lunch and when I left to return to the second class I found Reynecke tossing a rugby ball outside while several other people stood around. They were about to shoot a video promoting on-campus living and made jokes about “hey, look! I found another white person to be in our video!” So hopefully I’ll find that video on Youtube someday.