Week 6:
The More You Know

July 24, 2018

This week was a crazy one!

Monday consisted of me cleaning up my database and collecting all of my references in EndNote. EndNote is one of the coolest programs I have used this summer. It makes it so easy to keep references cited and organized. I definitely can’t wait to bring that back to Cornell to use this year.

Tuesday the fun really began! First, I met with Dr. De, and we confirmed all of our measurements. Thankfully this time around we were spot on (2 degrees of error) which means it’s time for Patrick’s part in the project. The process of being ready for statistical analysis is really helpful and one of the most beneficial parts of my project. To start, you pull up the database you created to make sure the stats can actually run on it. Then I had to go through step by step why I added what I added and why I made the measurements I made. Finally, I had to explain what I wanted to find and how I thought we could find it in the data I collected. This experience really makes sure we know our project and know how to explain it to someone who has no clue what we are doing. It was reassuring to me with presentations coming up to see how comfortable I am with this project.

After going through my project and getting the all clear to run stats, I was done for the day. My family and I had a little staycation today and went to Water World! We spent 5 hours at the park riding all the rides we could and spending way too much time in the wave pool and lazy river. At the end of it, my family and I were burnt to a crisp, but it was so worth it! I made sure to get some rest so I could get back to work rejuvenated, spoiler alert having to wear long sleeves with a bad shoulder sunburn is an uncomfortable working environment.

This week ended just as exciting as it started! Thursday there was an employee appreciation barbeque on the lawn of the hospital. My fellow gait lab interns and I went, and I was even able to force them into a few photos for my blog! The food and environment were amazing, but the best part had to be that we got free t-shirts! I love collecting t-shirts, and free ones are just that much better, especially when they are cute.

I ended my work week shadowing my PI in surgery. Our case was putting in some hip hardware and doing a tibial osteotomy (cut a wedge of bone out to rotate the bone in a non-deformed position). Children’s Hospital is a teaching hospital, and on our case, there were 5 residents/students scrubbed in. It was a packed house, but Dr. De made sure I could see what was happening and understood what was going on the whole time. It was an 8-hour surgery, and I loved every minute of it! The coolest thing was knowing who the patient was from the side project I had been helping Dr. De with. I was helping fill out an online amputee database and this patient had been included for double ankle amputations, it was really interesting to see how the research and patient care come together.

Next week should be a good one as I start a brand new project and go to the University hospital for some shadowing! 4 more weeks to go and I can’t wait to see what I learn.