We are now entering our 3rd rotations! Hard to believe that a year has gone by since we started at MWU. Now a new class is starting didatic, though I'm sure classes and instructors have been changed around yet again. Hopefully this year with the mentoring that Ed has set up, and maybe even with this blog, we will be able to answer questions for the first students and help them along a little more than we were. I think sometimes we were left in the dark a bit, especially on rotations.
I really am enjoying my rotation at Washington HC. The staff has been very patient, and I most days I feel like I have some idea what I'm doing now : ) Still not a fan of DC itself, I've never met so many rude people in my life! I'm very grateful that I got sent out here despite my initial reservations in being so far from home. Greg and I come in every day at 6am, and on an average day we leave by 3. Some days (rare) are shorter, and some are longer, but it all balances out. We don't take call or weekends here like some of the other rotations, which is okay since there's always several cases regularly scheduled per day. With 6 surgeons, they stay pretty busy.
We've been able to see not only CABGs and valves, but ECMO, transcutaneous AVRs (the Partner study), Centrimags, Heartmate IIs and Heartwares. We've been inserviced on a new device called the Angiovac (though we haven't done a case yet). This Thursday we are even getting flight training since WHC has started doing flight ECMO (only a trial run so far).
Any of the first years interested in getting a lot of experience and exposure to different devices should really consider WHC.
I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their rotations, and good luck to the students just starting!
Kelly Crews
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