Reflection On My First Day Of Shadowing

“HELP! HELP!” I could hear a patient, next to my sister, screaming. Nurses ran to him, but with lack of medication they could not give much help. As I looked around the room, I could see blood puddles on the floor and was overwhelmed by the smell. The hospital was overcrowded and noise filled the room. As I stood observing, my sister’s coughs caught my attention again. As I turned to her I could see her sweating, from the heat, on to the sheets that had not been changed in days. It felt as if my heart hurt while I watched my sister suffer in agony for ten more hours, until the only doctor became available. After the doctor arrived, a wave of relief washed over me.
Those were the conditions in Albania, where I grew up, when my sister was hospitalized …show more content…
On the first day of shadowing Dr. Andrew Borin, an osteopathic cardiologist in Livonia, I was faced with the most discouraging aspect of medicine and developed an even greater faith in medicine as a result. As Dr. Borin and I checked in on the first patient, a man in his 50s who had experienced heart failure, Dr. Borin told the patient there was not much they could do for him. It occurred to me, for the first time that not every patient can be saved and I felt an overwhelming sadness. Those words were so heavy, but Dr. Borin’s tone was so genuine and compassionate, his manner so comforting, that it calmed the patient and it greatly inspired me. I acquired an understanding that although medicine does not always prevail, it is always rewarding to serve others and treat patients as fellow human beings rather than as an illness. I developed a greater passion for medicine when Dr. Borin introduced me to the holistic view. I observed Dr. Borin treat each patient by reviewing their history, promoting their wellbeing, and weighing how the disease affected their mental …show more content…
Barbara Zejdel of Farmington Hills, an osteopathic family physician who specializes in Neuromusculoskeletal and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. I had the opportunity to see Dr. Zajdel use her knowledge of how nerves, muscles, and bones are interconnected in her osteopathic manipulation techniques. I found it fascinating that Dr. Zajdel could diagnose and deduce where the patient’s pain is coming from just by using her hands. Dr. Zajdel’s philosophy allowed many patients to avoid unnecessary medications and even surgeries, which was fulfilling for both the doctor and the patients. I will never forget the gratitude a patient showed when she was told she no longer needed to have a risky colon surgery, her face beamed of joy. I hope to someday possess that knowledge, and develop the skill to use the manipulation treatment to alleviate