This was my first week at Mayo Clinic, where I started my internship in sleep medicine and neurophysiology under Dr. St. Louis. So far, it has been a wonderful experience that is rich with learning.
The first day I moved into my apartment was amazing. I visited Rochester before on day trips, but it's a whole different beast living in the city. The streets are filled with friendly people from all over the US and the world. After moving in, I spent the day exploring the beautiful city and scoping out my route to Mayo Clinic.
Even the benches are beautiful here at the Mayo Memorial Park, which was created to honor the memories of the Mayo brothers who founded Mayo Clinic:
My apartment is within walking distance of everything I could need. I was surprised to see bike racks everywhere throughout the city, sidewalks on every street, and a calm flow of traffic. I have the option to bike, walk, or take the Mayo employee shuttle to my internship location every day.
On the first Monday, I got situated with the other interns and employees. I’m working with Moodi, who is also from Cornell, as well as students from other colleges. We orientated in the department with a tour of the building. As we are on the 17th floor, there are beautiful views on all sides of the city. We were shown around the labs, patient rooms, exam rooms, and more. Everyone I met immediately showed the professionalism and excellence expected of Mayo Clinic, from interns to nurses to supervisors and physicians.
At the end of my first day, I was very impressed! I am so grateful to have this opportunity!
Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to shadow Dr. St. Louis in action. We got to see firsthand what physical and psychological exams look like for patients at the sleep lab. Dr. St. Louis emphasized the importance of patient history, and explained all about the different types of sleep disorders he often encounters. His lab focuses on patients with something called REM sleep without atonia, or RSWA, which is a type of sleep disorder where the patient acts out their dreams. This can cause injury to the patient and their bed partner, and our lab explores its links to neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.
To diagnose RSWA, we analyze sleep files. Here, the patient is hooked up to different machines that measure voltages in the body. These machines are able to record muscle activity in the arms and legs, movement in the eyes, and brain activity. Then, these voltages are transcribed, and we can read them on a computer screen. We scour through these files, which contain information from an entire night’s sleep, for unusual muscle movements in the limbs during REM sleep, which can indicate RSWA.
Here is a physical copy of a sleep study. In the early days of sleep medicine, instead of electronically transcribing sleep study information, it was physically transcribed by machines with ink pens attached.
This is the electronic version of a sleep study, which I will spend my days analyzing for markers of RSWA:
As interns, we will have the opportunity to shadow at Mayo Clinic, which I am very excited for. I am interested in a career in healthcare, so I am excited to shadow doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and more to learn their stories and experiences. Beyond just medical experience, we have been learning a lot about neurology as a field. Mayo Clinic is at the forefront of research in all departments, and I have had the opportunity to read articles and attend speakers from Mayo Clinic and other medical institutions. I am so grateful for this internship and all the opportunities it has already afforded me to learn and grow.