My main goal this week was to set up all the equipment for the experiments I'm running in collaboration with the Goldring lab. This required a significant amount of troubleshooting because the equipment hasn't been used in two years, but I was able to get everything up and working. Next week, I plan to begin my experiments and learn new skills with some cartilage experts in the Goldring lab. I also completed all of my microCT scans for analysis back up in Ithaca this week.
Besides my lab work, I experienced two new things in the hospital: cardiothoracic surgery and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). I observed an aortic valve replacement and the beginning of a mitral valve replacement. The fellow working the echocardiogram was very helpful and I learned a lot from him on how to diagnose heart problems. Seeing an open heart surgery for the first time was pretty intense, but overall, I enjoyed it a lot. In the PICU, I saw a bunch of different cases with patients varying from a few months old to their teens. A lot of the terminology the team used was very difficult for me to understand, but hearing them discuss what their plans were based on the patients' conditions and X-rays was awesome, as I learned how some doctors have to think like engineers on a regular basis.
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