Tomorrow I am beginning my summer shadowing internship with the surgeons of the Surgery Group LA. While this program is specifically coordinated with Dr. Yosef Nasseri who specializes in Colorectal Surgery, there are five other surgeons who I will also be working with in the office who specialize in general surgery, breast cancer, thyroid surgery, and skin cancer surgery. Through this opportunity I will be working in the office 9am-5pm every weekday for this following month in addition to having the ability to observe certain surgeries occurring in the Cedars Sinai Medical Center Hospital. While I have worked in a hospital before, nothing I have experienced has even come close to this. In the past I have not had the opportunity to work in such close proximity for such long durations with renowned surgeons, so I am not without nerves as I embark on this internship. While I am slightly intimidated by this seemingly daunting experience, I am also very excited. I am always open to learning new things, being in new environments, and meeting new people.
Before beginning work tomorrow, I have set my intentions and objectives for the next month. My first goal for this internship is to come out of my shell and not be intimidated by those who are more accomplished than myself. Sometimes I tend to hold back a little more when I am around others who are further along in the career path that I am hoping to follow because I feel as though anything I say will pale in comparison to all of the knowledge that they already have. However, I have learned in the past that those who are further along tend to want to help those that are working their way up and will want to share their wisdom. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, directions, or information and that is one thing that I want to keep in mind throughout this internship. Another experience I would like to get out of this internship is to soak up as much knowledge as I can about the career of a surgeon, working in healthcare, and the medical field in general. Although I have had many chances in the past to work in a clinical setting, it has been a few years and things change. Additionally, I have never worked so closely with surgeons before and I think this will be a unique opportunity for me where I can truly learn a lot about the human body and modern medicine. My final goal for this upcoming month is to make connections with those that I am working with and network. I am well aware that for my future in this industry or in any industry that one is trying to pursue, networking and having good relationships with others in the field can be very useful. Talking to and making connections with those working in this medical office could help me get even more opportunities in the future. But more importantly it would be extremely rewarding to form a strong relationship with such accomplished professionals.
While I am not entirely sure what to expect on a day to day basis in the surgery group’s office, I am hoping to be exposed to many different medical phenomena, patients, medical professionals, and even possibly surgeries. I am hoping that there will not be too much downtime as I thrive off of being busy and learning.