Hi there!
I’m currently first year Medical student in my first semester and it such a unique opportunity to participate in a Minor Surgical Medical Mission yesterday September 18, 2016. It was held in the school clinic. The patients paid for nothing as long as they were screened beforehand.
The patients who were in the master list were just 70 (minor general surgery and ophthalmology surgery). I was part of the registration committee. And because of that I think I can volunteer in any ministries in the church (though I can’t commit, so sad).
Then our batch 2020 and the batch 2019 had surgical team rotations where in we assisted to the surgeons (just how nurses do). For me it was a fun experience because I get to see alive people dissected before my eyes and even before I get to the cadaver dissections (yes, we have NOT YET DISSECTED CADAVERS!!!!).
By the way, I did not have rice for breakfast!. The registration booth was ‘toxic’. And assisting in the operating room is also tiring. I had 3 classmates who passed out because of fatigue and hypoglycemia! And I super thank Lord Jesus Christ for always strengthening me. It has been my habit of praying for strength not just for me but for all believers of Lord Jesus Christ every night around 8pm. (My broken iPhone is always set to 8:01pm but for some days I don’t follow it and I pray quite late.)
I assisted 3 minor surgeries. Two ophthalmology surgery and one minor general surgery. The ophthalmologist surgeons were from St. Lukes Medical Center (my dream school before but I did not pursue it) and the general surgeon is an affiliate of the school. The ophthalmologists are so kind enough to explain pterygium which is a mass under the conjuctiva of the eye.And people get pterygium because of the sun’s UV rays. So people reading my blog, please wear UV 400 sunglasses to protect your eyes! Sad thing about pterygium, it always grows back even if people have surgeries on pterygium. Another thing I learned is the anasthesia used. He used Locadaine Epinephrine. He said that it is a more potent anasthesia than Locadaine alone because it helps stop the bleeding of the conjuctiva.
Note I am not afraid of blood, and the surgeries I assisted weren’t that bloody. The first two operations I just observed because we were many medical student assistants there and a lot of circulating nurses. But on my third operation, I was the only one assisting the ophthalmologist and I get the chance to touch the patient’s eye (mainly swabbing out the blood). The first operation I was unsterile because my gloves weren’t surgical gloves and the last two operations I wore surgical gloves.
I thought they will be so strict with the handwashing. It was horrible, there weren’t enough soap to the point we use bareta na lang! But ofcourse they were particular with the gloving and not letting the gloved hands get unsterile!
After the medical mission, I went to Victory Nuvali Sta. Rosa. I attended the 5pm service there and I invited my 3 other classmates! One Catholic male, one Adventist male and one female Baptist were with me. Sad thing is the hall wasn’t full. So the pastor encouraged us to fill up the seats by inviting more people there.
On the side track Nuvali is such a beautiful place. I hope someday I’ll bring my future spouse there (I was so awe struck of Nuvali).
And even if I had medical missions and attended church service (with a little gala), I needed to study for today’s quiz. And if I did not get a high score on today’s quiz, I don’t see it as a loss for the wonderful experience and memory I had yesterday!!!!! :DDDDD
Rina ♥ 