Friday, March 09, 2007

Plastic Surgery -Not Just for VOGUE Cover


What field of surgery is given most attention by the entertainment industry; plastics of course. This being the entertainment industry with its quest for constant appeal, a one sided view is given. Can you imagine what impression is given after watching Doctor 90210 or Dr. McSteamy? The issue is that people see very little of what plastic surgery is truly about. This week I observed a plastics case that is worth mentioning to show that work of plastic surgeons is not just for Vogue cover.
The case involved a patient who had a large portion of skull bone removed due to tumor. The open area was replaced by a graft. The procedure was complicated by the fact that some skull tissue was gone, complicating proper alignment during closure. Now this was much more satisfying to see than McSteamy yelling at his residents and sleeping around.

The mini doppler was a device I found quite interesting. As shown in the photo above, it consists of a probe connected to a small box with a speaker. The probe allows to determine the location of important vessels without the need for opening the skin. The blood running through the vessels produces a rhythmic "whoosh" sound.

photo: Koven Technology, Inc. (http://www.koven.com/products/ES100X.htm)

Monday, March 05, 2007

List of Schools

I am on spring break and used the free time to put together a list 25 schools. This list used to be much larger, but had been narrowed down primarily by a location requirement. To me it is very important to live in a major metropolitan area so that I can have a descent social life and not rely on a car. I know there are great places in California, but I am not willing to be so far away from my parents and friends that all go to East Coast schools...
The schools represent major Eastern/Midwest cities (Chicago, Philly, NYC, Atlanta, and others) and are ranked by average MCAT score. The list will be narrowed down to around 18, and I welcome suggestions...

About Me

Currently a medical student, sharing articles and noteworthy information in the field of medical technology and medicine.