I just finished my 5th week at Butler Memorial
Hospital! I am way more comfortable now with the people at the hospital, the
drive, and grossing in general. I really
feel like a PA here even though I am only a student in my first rotation. I am the only person available to gross large
specimens and cut frozens so I get the opportunity to gross everything that
comes through the door. I have grossed
no shortage of colons and uteri so I am getting pretty quick at those. I was worried I wasn’t going to get any
larger resection specimens during my rotation but this week I got to gross a
cystoprostatectomy! This is a radical
resection they perform when they are concerned about a larger bladder tumor
invading into the prostate of a male. (The female equivalent to this specimen
would be a bladder and uterus.) The day
before I grossed it they sent the ureter margins for frozen so I cut those and
grossed the entire specimen the next day.
I was intimidated at first, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was
going to be! I feel pretty lucky because
they said they only get about 2 cystoprostatectomy specimens a year. I also had my first mastectomy this week as
well. I really feel like this is an
awesome rotation for experience and building confidence.
Last Friday, we had our first Path Review exam. Throughout the semester, we have reading
assignments for each exam and they are a review of what we learned last
year. We have an exam the last Friday of
every month. They are certification
style exams so 100 multiple choice questions.
I think the exam was alright and fair and I am pleased with how I did
for it being the first. I wasn’t
really sure what to expect but it wasn't too bad. I only have
3 more weeks left at Butler and I can tell I am going to miss it but I am
excited for the next one!
