What a Scan!

My week started off with observing a fluoroscopy procedure at 8:30 am which was absolutely fascinating! A female patient had come in to get a hysterosalpingography procedure to look at the internal lining of her uterus as well as determine if her fallopian tubes were blocked or not. Looking at the scans, it was quite remarkable to see the movement of the contrast agent through the fallopian tube and into the uterus which meant that everything was normal. From interacting with the patient to inserting the catheter and contrast agent into the patient to analyzing each of the images in detail, Dr. Fonseca made everything seem effortless and the simplicity and clarity with which she explained every process further piqued my interest in nuclear medicine. Alongside this procedure, I also saw another doctor, Dr. Carlos, conduct an X-ray scan of a patient that had 4 sets of screws in their throat to help with cervical alignment. I had never seen anything like this and was really surprised at the sight of screws in that area of the body. As Dr. Carlos described the image in detail, I was in awe at how carefully the tiny screws were positioned and how strategically it helped the patient correct their alignment.

Another interesting case that I observed in radiology was a CT scan of a patient with severe pain in the side of their face. The doctors explained that the pain may have something to do with the trigeminal nerve, however a CT scan would be necessary to rule out any other causes for the pain such as tumor. Upon further research, I found that Trigeminal neuralgia currently does not have a specific diagnostic test. In this way, I was able to discover a clinical need that requires a need for  a device that could help physicians detect symptoms for Trigeminal neuralgia before it worsens. 

Clinical Pharmacy is More than just Handling Prescriptions

After radiology, we moved to the pharmacy department where Laurel and I shadowed student interns in clinical pharmacy. We watched them conduct patient evaluations to make sure that the right medication was being given to the patient and that everything was documented properly. They even let us do some evaluations (of course under their supervision) 

In between the evaluation, if there was a need to review a document like an EKG file, the interns would then go to that department to check it out. At the time of patient discharge, the interns would also go to the patient to explain to them the proper method of taking their medication. Typically, nurses do this specific role, however the interns explained to us that the hospital is beginning to change this mechanism and allow clinical pharmacists to directly interact with the patient to guide on the correct way to follow their treatment plan. One of my favorite parts of this rotation was on Thursday when we got to see the Intensive Care Unit. During the evaluation of one of the reports, there was a need to see a patient’s EKG file located in the ICU. Inside this department, there were transparent glass doors that separated each individual patient room. Some patients were on ventilators to help supply their oxygen and some were awake and fully conscious. Just being in this environment and looking around at the different medical equipments was so interesting that I hope we can shadow this speciality, if possible, before the end of our internship!

On Friday, after shadowing our interns in clinical pharmacy, Laurel and I headed to ULACIT to view the undergraduates present their final presentations for the course. After their presentations, we obtained a suitcase filled with materials to help us construct low-fidelity prototypes for our clinical needs finding. I can’t wait to start building! Stay tuned to see pictures of our prototypes soon 🙂 Later that evening, the GMI group had a final dinner with Dr. Wettergreen and his family at Republica Casa Cervecera before they headed back home to the states. It’s crazy to think July is just around the corner and we are almost halfway done with our internship! 

The Other Side of Things 

Last Sunday, Laurel, Haruto, Vanessa, and I participated in the Britt Coffee Tour in Heredia. So far, this has been on the top list for my favorite trips. Our tour guide, Luis, was really funny and informative in explaining the processes and uniqueness of Britt Coffee from other brands. Throughout the tour, we had the opportunity to taste different types of coffee blends such as Tres Rios, Poas, etc.

Despite not being a coffee person, I enjoyed experiencing another aspect of Costa Rican culture. Here are some cool facts I learned from the tour: 

• Caffeine is a natural insect repellent
• Costa Rica is in 13th place for being a large coffee producer but in 2nd place for having the most coffee drinkers. 
• 100 tons of coffee is roasted per month 
• Whatever is grown next to a coffee plant in infused into the coffee
• Coffee is “brown” in color but is never black
• Coffee is not supposed to be bitter and also, therefore, does not need sugar 

After our tour, we had a traditional Costa Rican lunch and then headed to the Britt Souvenirs shop where I got two sets of Britt chocolates for my family! I can’t wait to try them! 🙂  

Other than that, I have been really enjoying the fruits here. They are soooo sweet and refreshing and are perfect in satisfying my sweet tooth cravings! Doesn’t this picture make your mouth water? Can’t wait to go to the market to stock on more fruits haha!